ML19208B753

Responds to IE Bulletin 79-19, Packaging of Low Level Radwaste for Transport & Burial. All Solid Radwaste Is Submitted to Univ Health Physics Ofc Which Then Disposes of Matl Through Commercial Waste Disposal Svc

ML19208B753
Person / Time
Site:	University of Wisconsin
Issue date:	08/20/1979
From:	Cashwell R WISCONSIN, UNIV. OF, MADISON, WI
To:	James Keppler NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
References
NUDOCS 7909210336
Download: ML19208B753 (1)

Text

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NUCLEAR REACTOR LABORATORv ADDRES$

NUCLEAR E NGINE E RING DEPARTMENT 130 MEC H A NIC A L E NGIN E E RING B U I L D IN G PHONE 262.3392, AREA CODE 600 M A D 4 S ON. nt$ CONF 1N 937C6 August 20, 1979

-James G. Keppler, Director Region III Office of Inspection and Enforcement U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 799 Roosevelt Road Glen Ellyn, Illinois 60137

Dear Sir:

The following information is submitted in response to IE Bulletin No. 79-19 for License R-74, Docket 50-156 pertaining to the University of Wisconsin Nuclear Reactor.

Maay of the questions posed by the IE Bulletin must be answered by reference to information which will be submitted by the University of Wisconsin under License No. 48-9843-18. Provisions of the University's Radiation Safety Regulations require that any radicactive solid wastes generated on campus by any activity, whether conducted under the campus Byproduct Material License or not, must be submitted to the University Heal t'. Physics Office. The Reactor Laboratory, therefore, submits solid waste to the University Health Physics Of-fice which then collects this radioactive material along with other waste gener-ated on the campus and disposes of the material through a commercial waste dis-posal service. In the replies to the requirements in IE Bulletin No. 79-19 (in-dicated below in numerical order as contained in the bulletin), the references to the submission to be made by University Health Physics are indicated by the notatior. ;cmpus Regulations". Information specific to our facility is indi-cated where appropriate.

1) The Nuclear Reactor Laboratory maintains current sets of Depart-ment of Transportation and NRC Regulations concerning shipment of radioactive material.

2) The Reactor Laboratory maintains a current copy of the University Radiation Safety Regulations which indicates requirements placed upon our acti-vity by Campus Regulations.

3) The Reactor Supervisor is responsible for safe transfer, packag-ing, and transportation of low-level radioactive material. Under Campus Regu-lations, University Health Physics if responsible for off-campus shipment.

4) See Campus Regulations. The record system of the Reactor Labora-tory includes a record sheet indicating description of any radioactive wastes packaged and delivered to the University Health Physics Office.

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AUG 2 21879 7909210 M 6 Ch

James G. Keppler, Director Page 2 August 20, 1979 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

5) See Campus Regulations. Use of all standard forms at the Reactor Laboratory is covered in operator training courses. Very little specific training is given in radioactive solid waste disposal because of the very small volume of radioactive solid waste generated at our facility.

6) Because of the extremely small volumes of radioactive solid waste which are generated at our facility and the forms in which the waste is gener-ated, we believe the training received in the normal course of preparing an operator for the licent.> examination is adequate to assure the objectives of

-item 6. We do not believe it is possible to minimize the volume of low-level radioactive waste generated at our facility without leading to teaching of im-proper radioactive materials handling techniques to our personnel and students.

7) All operations of the Reactor Laboratory are audited on a monthly basis by a representative of the University Health Physics organization who re-ports to the Reactor Safety Committee. Although the audit form used by the auditor does not include a specific item indicating the handling of radioactive waste, it does include radiation safety procedures in compliance with the uni-versity and NRC Regulations.

8) We believe the audit as performed by the University Health Physics Office to assure compliance with the University Safety Regulations and the fact that the University Health Physics Office receives all solid radioactive waste generated by our facility provides compliance with the indication in Part 8.

9) During the calendar year 1978 and the first six months of 1979, one shipment of low-level radioactive waste was made to the University Health Phy-sicist and, subsequently, off site. The volume of low-level waste shipped was 13.4 cubic feet. This was the only radioactive solid waste shipped from our facility over the last three years. The total activity of low-level radioactive waste in that shipment consisted of 141x10-6 curies, primarily Cobalt-58 and Cobalt-60. The reactor facility does produce low-level liquid radioactive waste, primarily in regeneration solutions from the demineralizer. No attempt is made to solidify the liquid waste: It is, instead, discharged to the sanitary sewer system. Copies of this reply are being distributed in accordance with require-ments of Item 9.

Very truly yours, 0

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en z u~ fl' ht J. Cashwell Reactor Supervisor RJC:mld XC: U.S. Nuclear Regulation Commission, Office of Inspection and Enforcement, Division of Fuel Facility and Material Safety Inspection, Washington, D. C. 20555 Reactor Safety Committee Reactor Director University Health Physics Office d'