ML12030A094

Department of the Interior, Us Geological Survey - Annual Report for 2011

ML12030A094
Person / Time
Site:	U.S. Geological Survey
Issue date:	01/23/2012
From:	DeBey T M US Dept of Interior, Geological Survey (USGS)
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML12030A094 (7)

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• USGS science for a changing world Department of the Interior US Geological Survey Box 25046 MS-974 Denver CO, 80225 January 23, 2012 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Document Control Desk Washington DC 20555

Dear NRC staff,

The 2011 annual report is herein submitted for the U.S. Geological Survey TRIGA non-power reactor facility.

This report is generated in compliance with our license conditions.

The facility docket number is 50-274.Sincerely, Timothy M. DeBey Reactor Supervisor Enclosure Copy to: Paulette Torres, MS OWFN 12 D20 U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY TRIGA REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT JANUARY 1,2011 -DECEMBER 31,2011 NRC LICENSE NO. R-113 -DOCKET NO. 50-274 I. Personnel Changes: None.II. ODeratina ExDerience The Geological Survey TRIGA Reactor (GSTR) was in normal operation for the year 2011. No major facility changes were made during the year.A synopsis of irradiations performed during the year is given below, listed by the organization submitting the samples to the reactor staff: Organization Geologic Discipline

-INAA Geologic Discipline

-Geochronology Non-USGS Total Number of Samples 1094 930 2561 4585 A. Thermal power calibrations were performed in January, July and December, with minor adjustments made to the instrumentation.

B. During the report period, 181 daily checklists and 12 monthly checklists were completed in compliance with technical specifications requirements for surveillance of the reactor facility.C. Tours were provided to individuals and groups during the year for a total visitor count of approximately 380.I Ill. Tabulation of Energy Generated MWh operated Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Sept Oct Nov Dec Totals 44.799 43.005 111.733 29.600 34.665 86.954 55.078 80.680 16.033 90.468 75.333 97.287 765.635 Critical hours 37h 7m 46h 36m 114h 59m 31 h 54m 36h 13m 91h 30m 59h 12m 83h 57m 17h 20m 93h Om 77h 36m 108h 8m 797h 32m Pulses 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 IV. Unscheduled Shutdowns Number Date 1076 1077 1078 1079 1080 1081 1082 1083 1084 1085 1086 1087 1088 1089 1090 1091 1092 1093 1094 1095 1096 1097 1098 02/10/11 02/11/11 02/15/11 03/07/11 03/08/11 03/09/11 03/11/11 03/14/11 03/14/11 03/14/11 03/14/11 03/14/11 03/14/11 03/15/11 03/15/11 03/16/11 03/18/11 03/23/11 03/24/11 03/28/11 06/03/11 06/15/11 10/04/11 Cause NPP100 hi power due to testing auto controller CSC watchdog due to memory leak DAC watchdog due to memory leak CSC watchdog due to memory leak CSC watchdog due to CSC timing error CSC watchdog due to CSC timing error CSC watchdog due to CSC timing error CSC watchdog due to CSC timing error CSC watchdog due to CSC timing error CSC watchdog due to CSC timing error CSC watchdog due to CSC timing error CSC watchdog due to CSC timing error CSC watchdog due to CSC timing error CSC watchdog due to CSC timing error CSC watchdog due to CSC timing error CSC watchdog due to CSC timing error NPP1000 hi power from sample movement CSC watchdog due to CSC timing error CSC watchdog due to CSC timing error CSC watchdog due to CSC timing error NPP1000 percent high from moving CT sample CSC watchdog due to computer lock-up NPP1000 hi power due to auto controller excessive rod motion at full power 2 V. Significant Maintenance Operations 1/11 Replaced right foot (southern)

GM detector in hand & foot monitor.2/11 Accepted console upgrade.4/11 Cut shaft off of farthest east cooling tower fan.4/11 Removed farthest east cooling tower fan and blocked hole.5/11 Installed new fan (without connecting electrically) 5/11 Replaced batteries in RAM's -Rm 153 E doorway; Rm 151 bench, middle of room, & east door; SW exit; SE Hallway; Rx bay extra 5/11 Completed installation of pressure sensors on TR air, primary water, and secondary water systems.5/11 Connected new cooling tower fan electrically to system.6/11 Replaced GM detector on hand & foot monitor, right hand.7/11 Installed filters and pressure gauges on heat exchanger inlet and outlet.8/11 Replaced resin in the ion exchange tank.9/11 Replace AC distribution panel in SE reactor bay with all new internals.

9/11 Repaired poly tubing on bare pneumatic terminus, rabbit side.10/11 Replaced Action Pak sockets for FT1 & FT2 Action Paks in DAC.VI. Summary of 10 CFR 50.59 changes.There were two 50.59 changes that were evaluated, approved by the Reactor Operations Committee, and implemented in CY 2011. One was to install five pressure switches in four separate locations on mechanical systems in the reactor bay. These switches were wired through optoisolators into five spare inputs of the console data acquisition system, to monitor important pressure values of the reactor's mechanical equipment.

The second 50.59 change involved a change to the cooling tower fans. The farthest east of the original squirrel cage wheel sections had failed and was removed from the common shaft. This unit was also the farthest unit from the drive motor, at the end of the shaft. A replacement squirrel cage fan unit, with its own, separate shaft and drive motor was installed in the opening created by removing the original unit. The new fan unit has its own electrical switch and electrical overload protection installed.

Further upgrades of the control console that were approved in CY201 0 were implemented during CY201 1. The upgraded console was accepted for routine operation in February 2011.VII. Radioactivity Releases A. Listed below are the total amounts of radioactive gaseous effluent released to the environment beyond the effective control of the reactor facility.

Table 1. Gaseous Effluents Released to the Environment Month Argon-41 R-113 License Tritium (HTO 10CFR20 Allowable (mCi)

• Allowable (Ci) (Ci) (mCi)January 0.782 5.833 0.01 124 February 0.275 5.833 0.14 124 March 1.082 5.833 0.13 124 April 0.144 5.833 0.00 124 May 0.264 5.833 0.00 124 June 0.708 5.833 0.11 124 July 0.487 5.833 0.00 124 August 0.684 5.833 0.12 124 September 0.787 5.833 0.00 124 October 0.933 5.833 0.00 124 November 0.575 5.833 0.11 124 December 0.770 5.833 0.12 124 Total 7.491 70.00 0.75 1488% of Allowable 10.7% 0.050%* Note: The tritium concentrations are estimates based on the amount of water lost by evaporation from the reactor multiplied by the concentration of tritium as HTO.Tritium sample analyses were performed by Test America Laboratories.

B. A solid low-level waste shipment of 7.4 cu.ft., part of which was reactor generated, was shipped this calendar year.C. Throughout the year Na-24, Br-82, and Co-60 were observed on the CAM filter analyses.

The conservative estimated releases for these isotopes are in Table 2.Table 2. Releases of other isotopes in 2011 Isotope lICi lCi/ml 10 CFR 20 limits (liO/ml) % of limit Na-24 9.16E-03 6.16E-16 7.OOE-09 8.80E-06 Br-82 3.25E-01 2.18E-14 5.OOE-09 4.37E-04 Co-60 3.29E-04 2.21E-17 2.OOE-10 1.10E-05 VIII. Radiation Monitoring Our program to monitor and control radiation exposures included the four major elements below during the operating year.1. Fifteen gamma-sensitive area monitors are located throughout the Nuclear Science Building.

A remote readout panel is located in the reactor health physics office. High alarm set points range from 2 mR/hr to 50 mR/hr. High level alarms are very infrequent and due to sample movements.

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2. One Continuous Air Monitor (CAM) samples the air in the reactor bay. An equilibrium concentration of about 1.5 x 10-8 tCi/ml present for two minutes will result in an increase of about 400 cpm above background.

The alarm setpoints are a low-level alarm set at 3000 cpm and the high level alarm set at 10000 cpm. Reactor bay air is sampled during all reactor operations.

The fixed particulate air filter is changed each week and counted on a HPGE gamma spectrometer counting system. The charcoal filter, fitted behind the air filter, is also changed and counted weekly. In all instances, sample data were less than airborne concentration values in 10 CFR Part 20, Appendix B, Table 2 for all particulate radioisotopes produced by the reactor.3. Contamination wipe surveys and radiation surveys with portable survey instruments are performed at least once a month. All portable instruments are calibrated with a 3-Curie (initial activity)

Cs-137 source traceable to NBS, and wipes are counted on a Gamma Products G5000 low level counting system. The highest removable contamination found was equal to 1224 pCi/1 00 cm 2 beta, on top of the white west table on the north side, in the reactor bay. This area was successfully decontaminated below MDA. The next highest removable contamination found was equal to 411 pCi/100 cm 2 beta, on top of the white west table on the south side, in the reactor bay. No areas were greater than 8.2 pCi/100 cm 2 alpha contamination.

The roof area over the reactor tank is roped off and posted as a radiation area (averaging 2.5 mR/hr) during 1 MW operations.

4. LiF TLD dosimeters were used at four outdoor environmental stations.

Reactor facility visitors are issued self-reading dosimeters.

Reactor staff personnel are issued beta, gamma, albedo neutron badges.Table 3. Personnel Monitoring Results (12/1110-11130/11)Employee code Whole Body (Rem) Whole Body (Rem) Extremity (Rem)Deep Dose Equiv. Shallow Dose Equiv.E0888 0.221 0.222 0.725 E0607 0.162 0.166 0.644 E0707 0.198 0.210 0.806 E0908 0.111 0.111 0.363 E0611 0.0 0.0 0.0 Reactor visitors and occasional experimenters wore pocket dosimeters that resulted in no individual's reading that was greater than 3.7 mrem.5 Table 4. Environmental Dose Results Location Dose Dose Dose Dose Total Jan-Mar Apr-June July-Sept.

Oct.- Dec.(RAD (RAD) (RAD) RAD (RAD)Exhaust 0.040 0.026 0.033 0.089 0.188 Stack Cooling 0.007 0.000 0.001 0.017 0.025 Tower Fence West Vehicle 0.021 0.013 0.019 0.043 0.096 Gate West Room 0.053 0.036 0.056 0.084 0.229 151 Gate Southwest 0.000 0.000 0.001 0.022 0.023 Light Pole Control 0.047 0.041 0.035 NA 0.123 (background)

Southeast 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.014 .014 Light Pole I Note: Above totals have the background subtracted (see control).

Environmental TLDs were supplied and analyzed by Global Dosimetry Solutions.

X. Environmental Monitoring There were several isotopes detected on the CAM filters throughout the year resulting in very small releases of Na-24, Co-60, and Br-82 through the normal air exhaust on the roof. The amounts released are shown in Table 2. Routine biennial environmental soil and water samples will be taken in the summer of 2012.6