ML20199D879

Responds to 961002 Memo to M Weber Re Incorrect Info Provided by Walter Reed Army Medical Facility Related to Where Formally Licensed Homogenous Reactor L-54 Located When Operational

ML20199D879
Person / Time
Site:	05000135
Issue date:	11/14/1997
From:	Brown S NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS)
To:	Weiss S NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
Shared Package
ML20199D885	List: ML20199D879 ML20199D931
References
NUDOCS 9711210040
Download: ML20199D879 (1)

Text

November !!, 1997 g-/ 3 MEMORANDUM TO; Seymour W;iss, Director i

Non-Power Reactors & Decommissioning Project Directorate Division of Reactor Program Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation FROM:

Stewart W. Brown, Project Manager

[0RIGINALSIGNEDBY:)

Low-Level Waste and Decommissioning

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Projects Branch Division of Waste Management Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards

SUBJECT:

STATUS OF TERMINATED NON POWER REACTOR SITE -

WALTER REED ARMY MEDICAL FACILITY HOMOGENEOUS REACTOR L 54 (LICENSE NO. R 85, DOCKET NO. 50135)

I am responding to your memorandum dated October 2,1996, to Mike Weber. In that memorandum you noted that information provided by the Army was incorrect related to where the formally licensed homogenous reactor L 54 was located when it was operational. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission now knows that the L 54 reactor was located in the subbasement of Walter Reed Annex Building 40. Therefore, it is necessary for NRC to ensure that this area complies with NRC's unrestricted use criteria.

This matter was referred to Region I f:>r follow up. Region I determined that the Army conducted c.ther recent NRC licensed activities in Bldg. 40. The licensee ceased these other licensed activities and plans to decommission the entire building for unrestricted use. Region I, in its letter to the licensee dated October 9,1997, noted that NRC plans to resolve the remaining L-54 remediation issues under the decommissioning program review for NRC License No. 08-01738-02.

NMSS agrees with the Region's approach to ensure that the L-54 reactor area in the Bldg. 40 subbasement is remediated as part of an overall building remediation effort. A copy of the Region's October 9,1997, letter is attached. If you have any questions, please contact me at (301)415-0605.

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r November 14, 1997 MEMORANDUM TO: Seymour Weiss, Director Non-Power Reactors & Decommissioning

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Project Directorate Division of Reactor Program Management

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Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation i

FROM:

Stewart W. Brown, Project Manager j/,

Low-LevelWaste and Decommissionin Projects Branch Division of Waste Manage'1 ant c

I Office of Nuclear Material afety

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and Safeguards

SUBJECT:

STATUS OF TERMINATED NON-POWER REACTOR SITE -

WALTER REED A7MY MEDICAL FACILITY HOMOGENEOUS P.EACTOR L-54 (LICENSE NO. R-85, DOCKET NO 50 "35) 3 I am responding to your memorandum dated Ortober 2,1996, to Mike Weber. In that memorandum you noted that infor.11ation provided by the Army was incorrect related to where the formally licensed horaogenous reactor L-54 was located when it was operational. The Nuclear Regulatory Commis.#on now knows that the L-54 reactor was located in the subbasement of Walter Reed Annex Building 40. Therefore, it is necessary for NRC to ensure that this area complies with NRC's unrestricted use criteria.

This matter was referred to legion I for follow up. Region I determined that the Army conducted other recent NRC licensed activities in Bldg. 40 The licensee ceased these other licensed activities and clans to decommission the entire building for unrestricted use. Region I,

'n its letter to the licena dated October 9,1997, noted tnat NRC plans to resolve the remaining L-54 remediation issues under the decommissioning program review for NRC License No 08-01738-02.

NMSS agrees with the Region's approach to ensure that tha L-54 reactor area in the Bldg. 40 subbasement is remedimd as part of an overall building remediation effort. A copy of the Region's October 9,1997, letter is attached. If you have any questiona please contact me at (301) 416-6605.

j Attacilment As stated a

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1 November 14, 1997 g

MEMORANDUM TO: Seymour W iss, Dir:ctor Non Power Reactors & Decommissioning Project Directorate Division of Reactor Program Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation FROM:

Stewart W. Brown, Project Manager

[0RIGINAL SIGNED BY:]

Low-Level Waste and Decommissioning Projects Branch Div@n of Waste Management Office of Nuclear Vst3 rial Safety and Safeguerds

SUBJECT:

STATUS OF TERMINATED NON-POWER REACTOR SITE -

WALTER REED ARMY MEDICAL FACILITY HOMOGEMEOUS REACTOR L 54 (LICENSE NO. R-85, DOCKET NO. 50-135) n I am responding to your memorandum dated October 2,1996, to Mike Weber. In that memorandum you noted that information provided by the Army was incorrect related to where the formally licensed homogenous reactor L-54 was located when it was operational. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission now knows that the L-54 reactor was located in the subbasement of Walter Reed Annex Building 40. Therefore, it is necessary for NRC to ensure that this area complies with NRC's unrestricted use criteria.

1 This mhtter was referred to Region I for follow up. Region I determined that the Army conducted other recent NRC licenued activities in Bldg. 40. The licensee ceased these other licensed activities and plans to decommission the entire building for u,,cestricted use. Region I, in its letter to the licensee dated October 9,1997, noted that NRC plans to resolve the remaining L-54 remediation issues under the decommissioning program review for NRC License No. 08-0t738-02.

NMSS agrees with the Region's approach to ensure that the L-54 reactor area in the Bldg. 40 subbasement is remediated as part of an overall building remediation effort. A copy of the Region's October 9,1997, letter is attached. If you have any questions, please contact me at (301)415-6605.

Attachment:

As stated hCKET; LLDP-7022 DJSTRIBUTION: Central File LLDP r/f NMSS r/f PUBLIC RJohnson MMiller/R 1 To receive a copy of this document in small box on "OFC:" line enter:

"C" = Copy without attachment / enclosure; "E" = Copy with stiachmentlenclosure;"N" = No copy P:th & File Name:

S:\\DWM\\LLDP\\SWB\\NPR.WR LLDPf LLDf' r

OFC LLDP o SBrok TMNson Jldl<ey NAME 11/h7 11/ @l97 11//s/97 DATE OFFICIAL RECORD COPY ACNW: YES _ NO _

Category: Proprietary _ or CF Only _

l IG : YES _ NO _

LSS : YES _ NO _ Delete file after distribution: Yes _ No _

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...t October 9,1997 License No. R 86 (Terrr:Insted)

Dockat No. 50135 (Retired)

Colonel W!!!!em Johnson, Redistion Safety Officer Waltar Reed Army Medical Center HPO 1

Bide, 41, Mm. 38 682518th Street N/W Washington, DC 20307 5001 D,ar Col. Johnson:

This letter refers to the matters that we discussed on July 18 and August 6,1997, j

concerning the former 50 kW pool-type research reactor in Building 40 (Skig 40) of the

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Welter Rud Facility that was operated by the Department of the Army from 1962 to January 1970.

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As explained in tnese telephone conversations with you, the NRC records for this license were reviewed as part of an NRC program to ensure that facilities, where activities were R

suthorized by AEC and NRC licenses that have been terminated, are suitable for release for

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unrestricted use in accortinnen with current NRC guidelines. As part of th!s program, our i

contractor, Ook Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), reviewed each terminated license tile and scored it ecoording to a system designed to identify f acilities that requ.ro additional review by the NRC staff. In generai, files that indicate that licensed storial may have d

been used at particular tecHitles,laut which do no; include udwquetw h..al survey recorda for those facilities, are identified far additional review. The review of ORNL identified License No. R 85 es a file describing a site that requires additions' review, primarily, becauss the Veensee's final survey indicated that the maximum observed exposure rate was 0.6 mlllirem per hour (mR/hr). This is in excess of the current NRC guideline for an indoor a

exposure rete of 0,005 mR/hr above background, and there was no record of an NRC confirmatory survey prior to license termination. In order to close our revie N of License No, R 85,I contacted you to determine if their were ony odditions' recards that would provice current li. formation which Indicates that the facility descritad in ti e.. cense file meets current NRC criterie for release for unrestricted use.

During our tolophune discussion on August 6,1997, you stated that the former reactor facility was in the sub-basement of Bldg. 40. with the entrance sealea and welded shut since.971. Further, although Linense No. R 85 records were transferred to the Walter Reed Army Medical Command (WRAMC), ciarrant licensed activities in 350 laboratories in i

Bldg. 40 ar$ conducted by %e Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, which is a separate wriny rnedical vummond ope'eting undet your broad scope enedicallicense.

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l Colonel W. Johnson 2

WRAMC it is my understanding from your statements that Bldg. 40 will be veested in the near future, which willinclude renovation of the laboratories, and decommissioning of the entire buildina, inc!uding the sub-basement for unrestricted use. As part of the initial planning for decommissioning this facilky, a historical review to characterize the acttvities conducted in Bldg.40 is schedulad to begin in FY 98. A!so, periodic exposure surveillences of the facility have not identifled an external exposure hszard or contamination in areas where people work.

Because eccess to the former ravverch pool reactor is controlled by a ourrent NRC licensee, we have determined that there is no immediate health and safety concern from residual contamination that rney or may not exist in the former pool reactor eres. However, future unrestricted use of this building will require documentation that botS the research laboratories and the sub-basement meet the current NRC release t riteria. Further, the decommissioning timeliness rule will require notification to NRC in accordance "d h the t

timelines outlined in 10 CFR 30.36, when the licensee decidet to permanently cease principle activities in any separate building that contoins residual radioactivity that is unsuitable for release in accordance with NRC requirements.

Based on the above information, we plan to close the ORNL review of this file, and continue our regulatory oversight of NRC License No. 08-01738 02 with rsspect to Bl6g.

40 decommissioning activities. However, if my understanding of future planned actions to be teken by the Department of the Arrny is not correct, please inform me in writing by November 7, Igg 7. es to the afsposkion of the former pool reactor area. For any questions, I am available at (810) 337 5205.

Thank you for responding to our request for this record review.

Sincerely, Marie Miller Senior Hoolth Phyoiclet Decommissioning & Lab E.sncF cc:

Dr. Moheel V.conig, RPO WRAIR Blde. 40 682516th Street NW Wasnington, DC 20207 5001 District of Columbia TOT 4. P.c3