ML20214P538

SER Supporting Renewal of License SNM-95 for 5 Yr Period in Accordance W/Application & Subj to Recommended Conditions

ML20214P538
Person / Time
Site:	07000113
Issue date:	05/28/1987
From:	Bidinger G, Horn M NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS)
To:
Shared Package
ML20214P478	List: ML20214P473 ML20214P524 ML20214P538
References
NUDOCS 8706030426
Download: ML20214P538 (10)

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gay 2 81987 FCUF:MLH DOCKET NO: 113

. LICENSEE

Pennsylvania State University (PSU)

University Park, Pennsylvania i

SUBJECT:

SAFETY EVALUATION REPORT, APPLICATION DATED MAY 30, 1986, RE LICENSE RENEWAL 4

Background

Pennsylvania State University (PSU) was first issued Special Nuclear

' Material License No. SNM-95 on May 29, 1957. At the time of the last i

renewal, four of PSU's licenses were consolidated into one license (SNM-95).

The current license was scheduled to expire on June 30, 1986; however, on

May 30, 1986, PSU submitted an application for renewal. Accordingly, the license has remained in effect in accordance with the timely renewal provisions of Subsection .70.33(b) of 10 CFR 70.

! Scope of Review 4

l The safety review of PSU's renewal application includes a review of the i application dated May 30, 1986, and the licensee's compliance history during the past 6 years.

The topics of review include an evaluation of the applicant's organization, l-radiation safety, and nuclear criticality safety. The renewal application has i -been discussed with Mr. J. Roth, NRC Region I Inspector.

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Discussion PSU's renewal application demonstrates that the technical staff has the proper qualifications to administer an effective and safe radiological safety program.

i. The following sections contain a description of PSU's organization, safety i programs, compliance history, and proposed license conditions developed by i FCSB staff.

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8706030426 870520

PDR ADOCK 07000113 C PDR ,

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Pennsylvania State Uni, SER 2 MAY 2 81987 Possession Limits PSU has requested the following nuclear material for their activities:

Material Form Quantity A. Uranium enriched in A. Any- A. 100 grams U-235 the U-235 isotope B. Uranium enriched in B. 417 Pathfinder B. 1,100 kilograms U0 the U-235 isotope Superheat Fuel 415elementsconta$n,ing Elements U0 enriched to 6.95 w/o U9235 and 2 fuel elements containing U0, enriched to 7.5 w/o U-235 C. Uranium 233 C. Any C. 3 grams U-233 D. Plutonium 239 D. Encapsulated D. 180 grams Pu-239 Pu-Be scurces E. Plutonium 239 E. Plated alpha E. 5 microcuries Pu-239 sources or fission foils F. Natural uranium F. Cylindrical F. 2,500 kilograms U metal slugs canned in aluminum Activities The U-235 and U-233 is to be used in fission counters and chambers for neutron detection with the Penn Stcte Breazeale Reactor and other neutron sources, in fission foils, for the fission fragment irradiation of various materials or for flux monitoring and various research experiments. The Pathfinder fuel elements

! are not for use but are being stored. The Pu-Be sources are used for neutron activation, neutron detector testing, and calibration. The Pu alpha sources and fission foils are used for calibration and testing of alpha detectors and for demonstrating the properties of alpha particles. The natural uranium is used in a subcritical pile located in the Academic Projects Building.

To authorize t5ese activities and places of use, the following conditions are recommended:

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Pennsylvania State Uni, SER 3 g g g ;gg7 Authorized use: The m-sterial specified in A, C, D, E, and F shall be used in accordance with the statements, representations, and conditions specified in the application dated May 30, 1986, except as modified by other conditions in this license. The licensee is authorized to possess, store, and transfer to another licensee, but not use, the materials specified in B. Storage of the fuel elements shall be in accordance with statements, representations, and conditions specified in the application dated May 30, 1986. Up to two fuel elements may be removed at one time from the storage vault for physical measurements or for examination and testing as necessary for accountability purposes.

Authorized place of use: The materials specified in A, C, and F shall be used in the Breazeale Nuclear Reactor Facility and the Academic Projects Building. The material specified in B shall be stored in accordance with the statements, representations, and conditions specified in the application.

The authorized examinations and tests may be performed in the Academic Projects Building or the Breazeale Nuclear Reactor Facility. The materials specified in D and E shall be used in locations specified in the application.

Irradiation or experimental use of licensed material in the PSU reactor is authorized under PSU's Facility Operating License No. R-2. Material handling before or after use in the reactor will be in accordance with the conditions of this license. This license does not authorize insertion of fuel into a reactor. In order to clarify this point, the staff recommends that the following condition be added:

Insertion of source or special nuclet r material covered by this license into a nuclear reactor is not authorized.

The applicant states in Section 22.2 that uranium and thorium for laboratory use is obtained under a general license for small quantities, as contained in 10 CFR 40.22. However, the general license exenption does not apply to any party who posseses source material under license. As the applicant does have authorization to possess and use source material under this license, they may not obtain source material under a general license but must include it in a specific license. This section will not be incorporated into the license.

The application also includes sections that do not pertain to the usage under this license. These sections will not be incorporated into the license. The following condition is recomended to disallow those sections and ensure that these activities do not occur under this license:

Sections 19, 22.2, 24, 25, and 26 of Supplement B of the application dated May 30, 1986, shall not be incorporated into this license.

Pennsylvania State. Uni, SER 4 gy 2 81987 Organization-4

. Pennsylvania State University is a nonprofit educational institution incorporated under the laws of the Comonwealth of Pennsylvania. It.is governed by a Board of Trustees, all of whom are citizens of the United States.

The main offices and the main campus are located at University Park, Pennsylvania.

The Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies has been designated by the President of the University as the person responsible fer licensing and

' the radiation safety programs for radioactive material. . The Vice President appoints the University Isotopes Comittee to control the use of radioactive material within Federal, State, and University regulations and to perform those functions of a radiation safety comittee required by the regulations.

The_ Committee has an active membership of at least five persons. The Comittee meets at least semiannually.

The Comittee has the authority and responsibility to review all preposals and to approve or disapprove such requests. The applicant has requested that authorizations be approved for a specific time period not to exceed 3 years.

To ensure that the authorizations are periodically reviewed and reflect i current usage and good practice, a condition to require annual reviews of authorizations is recomended as follows:

The authorizations to use the radioactive materials, issued by the University Isotopes Comittee, shall be granted for a 1-year period.-

! For continuing work, a new request is to be approved by the University

{ Isotopes Comittee prior to the expiration of an existing authorization.

i The Comittee is responsible for specifying the requirements for training

! radioisotope users, the requirements for radiation and contamination surveys,

! reviewing the radiation safety program, formulating the University rules end i

procedures for the use of radioactive materials, and approving the University's

license applications for possession, use, or transfer of radioactive material.

! The Health Physics Office is under the Direction of the University Health

! Physicist and was established to provide radiation safety services for the i University. The Office has the responsibility for reviewing for the University Isotopes Comittee all requests for authorization to use radioactive material and recommending approval, disapproval, or conditional approval; providing assistance and consultation to experimenters as needed; conducting radiation and contamination surveys of radioisotope laboratories as needed; providing

. training and instruction in radiation safety for radioisotope users; calibrating i survey instruments; conducting or supervising leak tests; and providing the other usual services of a Health Physics Office such as personnel monitoring, waste disposal, material transfer, and recordkeeping.

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l Pennsylvania State Uni, SER 5 MAY 2 81987 The University Health Physicist has the authority to require the imediate termination of activities and/or corrective actions in any situation which, in that person's judgement, could lead to the unnecessary personnel exposure to ionizing radiation, release of radioactive material, loss or damage of property, or noncompliance with a ifcense or regulation.

The Radioisotope Laboratory Supervisor is the person (s) who applies for authorization from the University Isotopes Comittee to use radioactive material. The Supervisor is responsible for all activities using radioactive material under the authorization.

Technical Oualifications At least two-thirds of the members of the University Isotopes Comittee are from those colleges which are the main users of radioactive materials.

If possible, the Comittee includes a physician or other person with medical training and a member from the University Administration. At least two-thirds of the members must have sufficient training and experience to evaluate the technical aspects of proposals to use radioactive materials. To specify the training and experience for the Committee members, the following condition is recomended:

The minimum technical qualifications for members of the University Isotopes Committee shall be a bachelor's degree in science or engineering and at least 3 years experience with radioactive materials or possess a medical degree. The minimum qualifications need not apply to the member frem the University Administration or the physician.

The members of the Com;nittee and the University Health Physicist have sufficient academic training and experience for the responsibilities they are assigned. The Radioisotope Laboratory Supervisor is a member of the University faculty or staff and must receive prior approval of the University Isotope Committee.

Personnel Training All persons using radioactive material under an authorization issued by the University Isotopes Comittee are required to attend a radiation safety lecture. This includes faculty, staff, students, and any others who might be exposed to radioactive material or ionizing radiation in a restricted area.

t Instruction of personnel will normally be done by the Health Physics Office staff but may be performed by others, as approved by the Comittee. Instruction includes the regulations in 10 CFR 19, 20, and 21 and the rules and procedures in the document entitled " Rules and Procedures for the Use of Radioactive Material at the Pennsylvania State University by the University Isotopes Comittee."

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Pennsylvania State Uni, SER 6 >

MAY 2 81987 '

Refresher training is not mentioned in the application. Because there may be students who are present for a number of years as well as staff members who need refresher training, the staff recommends the following condition:

Refresher training which covers radiation safety procedures shall be ,

conducted on an annual basis (maximum interval 15 months) for all employees and/or students who use radioactive material.

Radiation Safety Control of Personnel Exposure Personnel monitoring equipment includes film badges, thermoluminescent dosimeters, pocket dosimeters, or other devices designed to be carried or worn by an individual to measure the dose received. Thermoluminescent dosimeters are used for most of the personnel monitoring. The change frequency is quarterly. The Health Physics Office determines and supplies the type of personnel renitoring equipment that is required. The Health Physics Officer' may require bioassays based on the type of experiment and the results of surveys for contamination and airborne radioactivity. In general, bioassays, i are required if the surveys indicate that a person may have been exposci tout concentration of radioactive material greater than 25 percent of the permissible limit. ,

To ensure that minors are not exposed to higher levels than allowed, the following condition is recommended:

In lieu of Section 10.1 of Supplement B of the application dated May 3d, 1986, the licensee shall comply with 10 CFR 20.104.

To ensure suitable protective clothing is used and that personnel do not exit an area when contaminated, the following condition is recommended:

Suitable clothing (lab. coats, gloves, etc., specific to the job) shall be required for work with unencapsulated SNM. Hands, feet, and clot:qing shall be monitored when leaving an area where the material is used. Except' by approval of the University Health Physicist, persons shall not exit an area if personal clothing and/or skin are contaminated above background levels.

Eating and drinking i; prohibited in laboratories, smoking should also be prohibited in areas there urencapsulated material is used; therefore, the following condition is reccamended:

Smoking shall be prohibited in laboratories where unencapsulated SNM is used.

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4 Pennsylvarita State Uni, SER 7 W 28 W '-

, p In order to limit potential exposures near the subcritical assembly, a "

limitation on the source acti'vity was included in the current license. It is recomended that the following existing condition remain in the license:

The maximud' start up" or " driving force" used in conjunction with the $

subcritical assembly shall not exceed that of a 5 curie Pu-Be neutron )

source. h I' y y

/.. Control of Cortamination i "

Under the licensee's established Rules and Procedures, persons using radioactive ,

J material are responsible for routine surveys to detect excessive contamination 6;

$ or radiation. The schedule of surveys is not;specified in the Rules and Regulations iI but would deperd on the specified activities" performed. The Health Physics Office r.

also makes periodic surveys of radioisotope laboratories as a check on the durveys &

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made by the persons using the radioactive materials. The Health Physics Office will also conductisurveys if users find higher than;yermissible levels or in case gj' of accidents or spills. Air sampling, when necessary, will be performed by the /

' Health Physics'0ffice. 5/ To, ensure surveys are performed on a regular basis, I, '

the following condition is, recommended

, 3 Surface contamination surveys in laboratories shall be conducted '

[S, daily when unencapsulated SNM is used. Routine radiation surveys shall be conducted monthly in areas where hdioactive materials are used and/or stored. T, ' .J 3

The staff is adding a condition which specifiesl criteria fcr the release of

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equipment and materials from restricted are3s to unrer,tricted areas. The

-A L application specifiesifnappropriate criteria for release of solid waste to <

d the County solid'Este authority. To ensure appropriate criteria are used,'u

\ v. the condition sha71 also apply to disposal of solid waste. The cor.dition '

shall read: s Release of equipment oh materials for unrestricted use or from '

c[. contaminated to cleari areas ensite shall be in Jctordance with the (

enclosed "Guidelites for Decontamination of FecHities and Equipment i

. Prior to Release 'for Unrestricted Use or Temination of Licenses for i

/ Byproduct, Source, or Special Nuclear Material," dated May 1987. In lieu of the statement contained in Supolement@, page 4, item 5, of the application, these guidelines shan be used for release of solid waste under this Aicense to the County solid waste authority.

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Theapplicanthasrequ(stedauthorizationtopossessanduseplutonium sources. Therefore,)Se following condition is reconinended:

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The licensee shall comply with the provisions of the enclosed " License.

Condition for Plutonium Alpha Sources," May 1987 and " License Condition for Leak Testing Sealed Plutonium Sources"Way 1987.

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Pennsylvania State Uni, SER 8 MAy 2 81937 To ensure compliance with the appropriate regulations for receiving and shipping radioactive material, the following condition is recommended:

Notwithstanding the statements in Sections 16 and 17 of Supplement B of the application, the licensee shall comply with 10 CFR Part 71 and 10 CFR 20.205.

Calibration of Instruments The licensee has a wide range of radiation monitoring and measuring instruments.

The calibration frequency is annual for instruments used for routine radiation measurements by the Health Physics Staff. Some instruments are not calibrated routinely but are checked for proper operation with check sources, others are calibrated as needed.

Effluent Control Solid weite is collected in the laboraturies in fiber drums, fiber boxes, or steel dro w Waste shipped to a commercial disposal site is compacted into steel dru m Liquid wasu )$ pliected in the laboratories and transferred to the Health Physics 0"/ ice fev disposal. Liquid waste to be shipped offsite is combined in steel 6 rums anc solidified. Liquid waste is also discharged to the sewer in accordance with 10 CFR 20.303. Releases to the sewer from individual laboratories require approval of the Health Physics Office.

Nucleta Criticality Safety The Pathfinder fuel assemblies are stored in a locked 12-foot square roon in the basement of the Academic Projects Building. The storage rack is described in Supplement A-2 of the April 21, 1978, renewal application for Materials License No. SNM-95. The rack was designed and approved for use at the Pathfinder Reactor, License No. DPR-11. The calculated k-effective under flooded conditions is 0.8.

The only authorized activities are storage and packaging for transport.

Accordingly, the licensee has requested continuation of the exemption from the I criticality monitoring requirements of 10 CFR 70.24. The licensee did not evaluate storage conditions other than full flooding. The staff recomends that the license contain the following condition

The licensee is hereby exempted from the requirements of 10 CFR 70.24 to the extent that this section applies to the storage of Pathfinder Superheat Fuel Elements. Use of water in the Pathfinder Fuel Storage Room is not authorized.

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Pennsylvania State Uni, SER 9 MAy 2 81987 l

Environmental Protection The licensing of the PSU activities is in accordance with 10 CFR 51.22 (c)(14)(v), and therefore, neither an Environmental Impact Statement nor an Environmental Assessment is warranted for this action.

Emergency Planning The licensee has emergency procedures in place that outline the steps to be taken in the event of accidents involving radioactive contamination or exposure of personnel.

Compliance History l The inspection and enforcement record of the license since the last renewal was reviewed and discussed with Mr. J. Roth, Region I Inspector. There were no violations reported during this period. Mr. Roth feels the license, as written, addresses all of Region I's concerns from an inspection and enforce-ment perspective, and he has no objection to the issuance of the renewal.

Conclusion and Recommendations Upon completion of the safety review of the licensee's application and discussion with the Region I Inspector regarding the licensee's compliance records, the staff has concluded that the licensee has the necessary technical 1 staff to administer an effective radiological safety program. Conformance by l the licensee to their proposed conditions, as well as those developed by the FCSB staff, should ensure a safe operation, a quick detection of unfavorable trends or effects, and result in corrective actions being-taken.

Based on the discussion above, it is recommended that the license be renewed for a 5-year period in accordance with the application and subject to the

recommended conditions.

OT18 1 cal 51gned by Merri L. Horn l Uranium Fuel Section Fuel Cycle Safety Branch Division of Fuel Cycle, Medical, Academic, and Commercial Use Safety Approved by:

George H. Bidinger Uranium Fuel Section

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