IR 05000297/2010202

IR 05000297-10-202 on December 20-22, 2010 at North Carolina State University, NRC Special Inspection Report No. 50-297/2010-202 and Notice of Violations

ML110190024
Person / Time
Site:	North Carolina State University
Issue date:	07/28/2011
From:	Johnny Eads Division of Policy and Rulemaking
To:	Hawari A North Carolina State University
DONOHUE J, NRC/NRR/DPR/PROB 415-3163
References
IR-10-202
Download: ML110190024 (13)

Text

July 28, 2011 Dr. Ayman I. Hawari, Director Nuclear Reactor Program Department of Nuclear Engineering North Carolina State University P. O. Box 7909 Raleigh, NC 27695-7909 SUBJECT: NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY - NRC SPECIAL INSPECTION REPORT NO. 50-297/2010-202

Dear Dr. Hawari:

The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) conducted a Special Inspection on December 20-22, 2010 and July 13, 2011, at the North Carolina State University (NCSU) (Inspection Report No. 50-297/2010-202). A Special Inspection Team (SIT) was assigned to review the event due to the unplanned high dose rates in excess of 30 rem/hr in the area where a radiography technician was present.

The special inspection included an examination of activities conducted under your license as they relate to safety and compliance with the Commission's rules and regulations. Pursuant to your report dated December 23, 2010 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession No. ML103620450), describing the causes of the event and your corrective actions, the inspections included selected examinations of procedures and representative records, interviews with personnel, and observations of re-enacted activities. The exit meeting was conducted by telephone on July 13, 2011.

The enclosed report documents the inspections findings, which were discussed in a preliminary debriefing and a final exit meeting with you, Professor Yousry Azmy, Head Nuclear Engineering Department; James Albright, North Carolina Radioactive Material Branch Manager; Lee Cox, North Carolina Radiation Protection Section (Branch Chief); Ken Kretchman, NCSU Director Environmental Health and Safety; Amy Orders, NCSU, Radiation Safety Officer; and Gerald Wicks, NCSU Certified Health Physicist.

The event that led to the conduct of this Special Inspection can be summarized as follows:

On December 13, 2010, a radiography technician opened the Neutron Imaging Facility (NIF) beam cave door and entered. After realizing that the beam port shutter was still open, the technician exited the NIF. Entering the NIF with the shutter open created a beam of radiation at 30 rem/hr. The technician traversed the beam when entering and leaving the cave. Actual time in the NIF was 18 seconds as documented by time stamps on security cameras. Additionally, the technician had failed to wear his dosimeter and no finger dosimetry had been issued for the technician.

Based on the results of this inspection, the NRC has determined that two Severity Level IV violations of NRC requirements have occurred. These violations are being treated as Non-Cited Violations (NCVs), consistent with Section 2.3.2.b of the Enforcement Policy. These NCVs are described in the subject inspection report. If you contest the violations or significance of these NCVs, you should provide a response within 30 days of the date of this inspection report, with the basis for your denial, to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Document Control Desk, Washington DC 20555-0001, with copies to the Director, Office of Enforcement, United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 "Exemptions, inspections, requests for withholding," a copy of this letter and its enclosure will be made available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the NRC's document system (ADAMS), accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. Should you have any questions concerning this inspection, please contact Jack Donohue at (301) 452-1950 or by electronic mail at Jack.Donohue@nrc.gov

Sincerely,

/RA/ Johnny H. Eads, Jr., Chief Research and Test Oversight Branch Division of Policy and Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-297 License No. R-120

Enclosure: NRC Special Inspection Report No. 50-297/2010-202 cc w/encl: See next page North Carolina State University Docket No. 50-297 cc: Office of Intergovernmental Relations 116 West Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27603 Dr. Yousry Azmy, Head Nuclear Engineering Department North Carolina State University P.O. Box 7909 Raleigh, NC 27695-7909 Beverly Hall, Section Chief Department of Environment and Natural Resources Division of Environmental Health Radiation Protection Section 3825 Barrett Drive Raleigh, NC 27609-7221 Dr. Louis Martin-Vega Dean of Engineering North Carolina State University 113 Page Hall Box 7901 - NCSU Raleigh, NC 27695-7901

Andrew Cook Manager, Engineering and Operations Department of Nuclear Engineering North Carolina State University P. O. Box 7909 Raleigh, NC 27695-7909 Test, Research, and Training Reactor Newsletter University of Florida 202 Nuclear Sciences Center Gainesville, FL 32611