ML20195B334

Dismantling & Decommissioning Plan for Univ of Oklahoma Agn 211P Nuclear Reactor Facility

ML20195B334
Person / Time
Site:	05000112
Issue date:	10/25/1988
From:	OKLAHOMA, UNIV. OF, NORMAN, OK
To:
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ML20195B333	List: ML20195B329 ML20195B334 ML20195B341
References
NUDOCS 8811010523
Download: ML20195B334 (16)

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DISMANTLING AND DECO!G!ISSIONING PLAN FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA AGN 211P NUCLEAR REACTOR FACILITY 1.0 Plan Background and Management In accordance with 10CFR50.82, this dismantling and decom-missioning plan is submitted to support the University of Okla-homa's request for authority to surrender License n-53 volun-tarily and to decommission the University of Oklahoma Research Reactor Facility (UORR) and dispose of its component parts. This plan describes the organized means by which all radioactive or contaminated components will be removed and the Facility will be decontaminated. This plan will provide reasonable assurances that the dismantling of the facility and the d'.sposal of its component parts will be performed in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations and will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public.

The format of this plan follows the outline proposed by the NRC Standardization and Special Projects Branch and includes in-formation on the facility operating history, the current radio-logical status of the facility, the dismantling alternatives un-der consideration, the dismantling organization and responsibil-ities, the regulations and regulatory guides and standards that will guide the dismantling activities, and the qualifications of the dismantling staff. The plan will describe the dismantling occupational and radiation protection programs, the dismantling and decontamination tasks and cchedules, the conduct of safe-guards and physical security plans, radioactive materials and waste management, cochnical and environmental specifications, and the proposed termination radiation survey plan.

In anticipation of dismantling operations, the special nu-clear material of the University of Oklahoma Research Reactor has been removed from the facility and shipped to Department of Ener-gy facilities under the existing operating license and in accor-dance with Department of Encrgy, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and Department of Transportation requirements. Per 10CFR50.59 assessment, shipment of the nucicar fuel represents no unreviewed safety question and these were shipped under the current license to keep radiation 1cvels during the dismantling and decommission-ing effort at the facilibt ALARA.

The UORR dismantling effort will be managed by the Universi-ty of Oklahoma Radiation Safety Officer. Per the attached tech-nical specifications, he will be responsible for the safe conduct of the decommissioning efforts at the facility. The organization will consist of the Radiation Safety Officer, the Reactor Direc-

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tor and personnel associated with the University of Oklahoma I Radiation Safety Office. All activities at the facility will be performed by those University of Oklahoma personnel.

1.1 Summary Description The University of Oklahoma filed application on July 16, 19!8 and was granted a construction permit on August 6, 1958 for ,

an AGN-211P, Serial No. 102, reactor finm the Aerojet-General Nuc. conics. The original license to operate the reactor was issued on December 29, 1958 for a power of 15 watts. The license  ;

has icen amended 12 times. A few of the most significant amend-ments were number 7, October 2 ,1980, which increased the total possession limit of special nuclear material from 900 grams to 1700 grams. Number 9, September 10, 1982, which increased the maximum fuel loading in the core to a maximum of twenty clements in the flux trap configuration. Number 10, November 14, 1983, which increased the maximum power level to 100 watts and extended the license to the year 1998. Finally, number 12, March 8, 1988, I which converted the license to possession only.

The reactor was operated as a sub-ontity of various depart-ments throughout its history, but was always used for the train-ing of nuclear engineering graduate and undergraduate students.

The reactor basically operated for one semester a year and gener-ally produced less than 0.3 kw-hr enotgy performing basic reactor physics experiments at less than ons Watt.

As shown in Figure 1, the UORR is located in the Nuclear Engineering Laboratory Building (NELB) in the north-east part of campus. The nuclear engineering laboratory (NEL), shown in figure 2, is located on the first floor of the NELB and comprises approximately the northern half of the building. The NEL room 107 was maintained as a restricted area. Room 107A contained the reactor and control facility as well as a sigma graphite pile and PQUCritiCal assembly along the north wall of the room. The graphite pile is presently used for the storage of Cf-252 sources. Room 106 was reserved for radiochemistry operations and is currently used by the University Radiation Safety Office for uses under the Broad Form License. Room 103 was the men's rest-room and emergency shower. Room 105 was the women's rest-room but used exclusively for storage. Room 104 was used for radio-active source storage. The area labeled room 107B is used for record storage. The rooms 108 and 109 were used as graduate and i undergraduate laboratories. The room 109B was a dedicated low level counting area reserved for NaI and Ge(L1) detectors. The 1aboratory offices were maintained in rooms 111 and 112. Room 124 was attached to the undergraduate laboratory and was used extensively for classroom activities.

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0 All areas of the facility have been turned over to the Radi-ation Safety Office (RSO) to be used for activities under the l Broad Form License and research. The RSO controls access and all l activities within the area.

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l 1.2 Facility Operating History The total integrated power, given in Table 1, for the last five years of operation showed a peak in 1983-84 after the new license was issued. Prior to that date an average of less than 300 watt-hours per year was produced with the exception of a I

l short period of time when the reactor was not used at all.

Table 1 UORR Power History for the Years 1982-87 1 1987 0 Watt-hours -

j 1986 281 r

, 1985 213  ;

l 1984 1003 i 1983 387 l l 1982 223 i l

Use of the reactor was discontinued in April of 1986, and the facility has not been used since that period of time.

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1.3 Radiological Status of the Facility The University of Oklahoma Research Reactor was light-water moderated, graphite-reficcted, water-shielded less than 20% en-  !

riched uranium. The reactor core consisted of a maximum 20 ele-

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l ments in the flux trap configuration and as few as 12 elements in the standard core configuration with no flux trap. The licensed possession limit was 24 fuel elements.

The fuel upon shipment had an average container surface dose rate of 4.0 1 2.7 mr/hr with a high dose rate of 8.0 mr/hr and a ,

low dose rate of 1.1 mr/hr. The low dose rate was indicative of  ;

the low burn up, low flux in the reactor and the fact that the i l

reactor had not operated since 1986. Because the flux and usage l was so low, no measurable contamination and or activation has i l been found in extensive radiological surveys performed by the Radiation Safety Office.  ;

1.4 Decommiss'ioning Alternatives The University of Oklahoma is seeking authority to surrender >

License R-53 and convert the facility to use under its current  !

Broad Form License e35-07466-05. It is the intention of the ,

University of Oklahoma to remove all radioactive fluido,  !

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radioactive waste, and other materials connected with the mech- ,

anism and operation of the nucicar reactor and use the existing i reactor area for radioactive source storage, the instrument calibra-tions and other activitics associated with University Broad Form'Licenso as controlled by the RSO.

1.5 Decommissioning Organization and Responsibilities The organization of responsibility for the UORR decommis-sioning is diagrammed in Figure 3. The President is the Chief  ;

Executive Officer of the University. The Provost is the Chief (

Academic Officer of the University. The Dean of the College of ,

Engineering is the administrative officer in charge of the Col- {

lege of Engincoring. The Dean or his designate will be responsi- i ble to provide proper financial and technical support to ensure that the reactor is decommissioned in accord with this plan.

The Radiation Safety Officer will havo over all responsibil- l ity for the actual performance of the decommissioning plan and clean up of the reactor site. He will be responsible for the i final report.  ;

1.6 Regulations, Regulatory Guides and Standards The dismantling operations will be governed by the relevant ,

federal and state regulations, regulatory guidos, and standards associated with nuclear research reactor dismantling. These i include the following ,

e U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Operating License No. R-53 10CFR50 Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization j Facilities  ;

i 10CFR20 Standards for Protection Against Radiation -

10CFR30 Rules of General Applicability to Domestic Licensing of Byproduct Material 10CFR73 Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Waste 49CFR Department of Transportation Regulations governing the  :

Transportation of Radioactive Materials l I

U.S. Atomic Energy Commission Regulatory Guide 1.86 i U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Guidance and Discussion of Requirements for an Application to Terminato a Non-Power Reactor l Facility operating License.

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PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA PROVOST DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING RADIATION SAFETY OFFICER FIGURE 3. Administrative Organization for the OU Reactor Decommissioning 7

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The University Of Oklahoma Roscarch Reactor will be dis-  !

mantled and submitted for free release por the requirements specified in the above documents. Specifically, the UORR Facility and its components will be dismantled and disposed of such that components remaining within the facility at the time of the final radiation survey will be within the contamination  ;

limits specified in Regulatory Guido 1.86 and within 5 ur/hr above background at one motor from the surface.

All dismantling operations have boon and will be conducted ,

and executed in such a manner as to comply with the principles of  !

ALARA in minimizing radiation exposure to the dismantling opera-tion workers.

1.7 Training and Qualifications All activitics have boon and will be performed by the Radia-  ;

4 tion Safety Officer, who is a certified Health Physicist, and the ,

Reactor Director, as well as personnel from the Radiation Safety Office. All are well trained in the use of radiological equip- l ment and decontamination work.

2.0 Occupational and Radiation Protection Programs  :

2.1 Radiation Protection Program The radiation protection program will be in accordance with the regulations and guides stated in section 1.6 and University of Oklahoma nadiation Safety Offico procedurcs. The responsibil-ity for proper control of radiation ha ards at the UORR rests

• with the Radiation Safety Officer. Radiation protection policios and procedures are established in accordance with University of Oklahoma Radiation Safety Office standards and include procedures i for Personnel Monitoring, Personnel Dose Limitations, Environmen-tal Monitoring, Radiation and Contamination Surveys, and Radioac- f tive Material Handling. ,

i No personnel exposures are anticipated since little contam- (

ination or activation has been found in ircliminary surveys.

2.2 Industrial Safety and Hygiene Program l The Radiation Safety Officer and the Reactor Director have  !

been trained as part of the University of Oklahoma safety program i and the dismantling and decommissioning will be performed within the guidelines of the University Safety Committee.

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• . . t 2.3 Contractor Assistjper  ;

No contractor assistar.c .s aticipated as all waste that

.nceds to be discarded can .e at .med as part of the university low level waste disposal pr<n:c;... No other special assistance is anticipated. l 2.4 Cost Estimate and Fundin2 I The Dean of the College of Engineering will provide proper financial support to ensure the safe decommissioning of the reac-tor facility. It is estimated that the cost of decommissioning <

will be less than $6,000 due to the fact that no contamination or r activation of the reactor structure in excess of 10CFR20 and Reg i Guide 1.86 limits have been found. All anticipated waste will be i disposed of through the university low waste prcgrate within the  !

Radiation Safety Office. >

i 3.0 Dismantling and Decontamination Tasks and Schedules l I

The UORR dismantling plan will include those tasks required to remove all radioactive components from the defueled UORR facility such that any components remaining within the facility l at the time of the final survey will be within the contamination limits of the Regulatory Guide 1.86 and below 5 nr/hr above back-ground at one meter. A general survey of the area to be surveyed has indicated this is already the case. l 3.1 Tasks

! All fuel has been shipped to the Department of Energy repos- i itory and the reactor startup source has been removed from its special element and placed in storage. The startup source, RaBe, will be stored on site until DOE approval is obtained to ship it to a repository. DOE is uncertain when a repository will bc }

available, but proper means of storage have been provi'ded. All waste generated during the shipment of the fuel has been turned (

over to the Radiation Safety Office for proper disposal. j Since no contamination or activation above background was  !

found in preliminary surveys, the reactor support structure has l been removed and surveyed. No contamination or activation of the i Since it is proposed to leave support structure has been found. f the reactor tank in place to be used as a radioactive source l storage area after the reactor licent.o is surrendered and no ra-  !

dioactive contamination or activation of the tank has been found, ,

no effort will be made to removed the tank. Therefore, the first I task to be completed will be the disposal by the Radiation Safety Office of the reactor components. The reactor components will be retained until plan approval is obtained.

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The final task will be thei final survey of the reactor area and the report to the NRC.

3.2 Schedulo Within one month after the approval of this plan all work will be completed, a final survey performed and report of the decommissioning efforts will be made to the NRC. All work on the decommissioning will be complete by that time.

3.3 Task Analysis There are no special health or safety considerations re-quired in the dismantling or decommissioning of the UORR. No radioactive contamination or activation of the structurenohas boon exposure found in extensive surveys; therefore, there will be to personnel.

3.4 Safe _Storace There will be no requirements for Safe Storage since all radioactivity associated with the reactor will be removed from the reactor facility. Radioactive sources remaining in the facility will come under the University Broad License; therefore, the facility will come v.nder that license when the reactor li-conse is surrendered.

4.0 Safeguards and Physical Security A new physical security plan reficcting the fact that all fuel has been shipped is included in this submission.

5.0 Radiological Accidents Analysis Due to the fact that all fuel has been removed from the facility and no contamination or limited activated materials have been found, no creditabic radiological accident can be postulated.

6.0 Radioactive Materials and Waste Management 6.1 Fuel Disposal All reactor fuel has been shipped off site to DOE facilitics under the current UORR operating license.

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. 6.2 Radioactive Waste Processing No gaseous or liquid radioactive wastes are presor.c in the  ;

UORR facility or are expected to be generated during the decom- l missioning process. Any reactor components which do not meet the free release critoria established in this plan will be trans-ported to a low lovel radioactivo materials burial site in accor-dance with NRC and DOT regulations. All radioactivo materials  !

will be handled by the University Radiation Safety Office in ac- .

cordance with their procedures for waste disposal.

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. 7.0 Technical and Environmental specificatione i

Updated technical specifications for the UORR are attached ,

as an appendix and reflect the fact that the fuel has been shipped from the facility.

1 8.0 Proposed Termination Radiation Survey Plan i The proposed termination survey will include only the reac-4 tor tank and east and west storage pits associated with the reac-1 tor as shown in figure 2. Other areas within the facility are ,

used under the terms of the Broad Form License and radioactive }

sources will still exist in those areas.

l The tank and pits areas will be marked off in one meter j grids. The survey will include a smear sample of 100 square contimeters taken some where within each one square motor of the l i grid system to indicate removabic contamination. A gamma survey i will also be made centered on each square meter of the grid sys- l tem at a distance of one meter from the surface and will be lim- i l ited to 5 ur/hr above background. l

Smears for each grid location will be taken and counted for

! bota/ alpha and gamma. Limits for removable beta / gamma contamina- i

! tion will be 200 dpm/100 square cm. and 20 dpm/ square cm. for f j alpha as per Regulatory Guide 1.86 l All instruments used for these surveys will be currently j calibrated in accordance with approved University of Oklahoma j Radiation Safety Offica procedures, j i

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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT APPRAISAL (EIA)

I. INTRODUCTION The University of Oklahoma filed application on July 16, ,

1958 and was granted a construction permit on August 6, 1958 for  !

49 AGN-211P, Serial No. 102, reactor from the Aerojet-General Nuciconics. The original license to operate the reactor was issued on December 29, 1958 for a power of 15 watts. The license has been amended 12 times. A few of the most significant amend-ments were number 7, October 2 ,1980, which increased the total '

postession limit of special t.aclear material from 900 grams to 1700 grams. Number 9, September 10, 1982, which increased the i maximum fuel loading in the cote to a maximum of twenty elements

, in the flux trap configuration. Number 10, November 14, 1983, ,

i which increased the maximum power level to 100 watts and extended f

, the license to the year 1998. Finally, number 12, March 8, 1988, l which converted the license to possession only. [

The reactor was operated as a sub-entity of various depart- l ments throughout its history, but was always used for the train- t ing of nuclear' engineering graduate and undergraduate students.

The reactor basically operated for one semester a year and gen- ,

erally produced less than 0.3 kw-hr energy performing basic reac- i tor physics experi.ments at less than one watt.

l II. FACILITY  ;

. The University of Oklahoma Research Reactor was light-water f moderated, graphite-reflected, water-shielded less than 20% en- l riched uranium. The reactor core consisted of a maximum 20 ele-

! ments in the flux trap configuration and as few as 12 elements in  !

the standard core configuration with no flux trap. The licensed possession limit was 24 fuel elements.

As shown in Figure 1, the UORR is located in the Nuclear En-gineering Laboratory Building (NELB) in the north-east part of I [

campus. The nuclear engineering laboratory (NEL), shown in fig- L ure 2, is located of the first floor of the NELB and comprises -

I approximately the northern half of the building. The NEL room 107 was maintained as a restricted area. Room 107A contained tho ,

reactor and control facility as well as a sigma graphite pile and [

suberitical assembly along the north wall of the room. The f graphite pile is presently used for tne storage of Cf-252 f

, sources. Room 106 was for reserved for raciocnemistry operations ,

l and is currently used by the University Radiation Safety Office  !

for uses under the Broad Form License. Roem 103 was the men's  :

rest-room and emergency shower. Room 105 was the women's rest- [

r room but used exclusively for storage. Room 104 was used for  !

! radioactive source storage. The area labeled room 107B is used l 1 for record storage. The rooms 108 and 109 were used as graduate  !

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and undergraduate laboratories. The room 109B was a dedicated low level courting area reserved for NaI and Ge(Li) detectors.

The laboratory offices were maintained in rooms 111 and 112.

Room 124 was attached to the undergraduate laboratory and was used extensively.for classroom activities.

All areas of the facility have been turned over to the

• %diation Safety office (RSO) to be used for activities under the Jad Form License and research. The RSO controls access and all accivities within the area. ,

t Installation of the reactor in 1958 had no obvious impact on  !

the environment or the immediate terrain. No pipeline, electri-cal or mechanical structure or any other form of device connects i the reactor to the outside environment. The reactor needed no i external cooling and emitted no effluents, liquid or gas, The :

flux was too low to produce a measurable amount of Ar-41. Any ,

liquid or solid wastes from experiments were appropriately pack-aged and disposed of through the University's regular radioactive  :

waste program.

The total integrated power, given in Table 1, for the last five years of operation showed a peak in 1983-84 after the new '

license was issued. Prior to that date an average of less than 300 watt-hours per year was produced with the exception of a c short period of time when the reactor was not used 7.0,all.

4 Table 1  !

UORR Power History for the Years 1982-87 1987 0 Watt-hours 1986 281 ,

1985 213 j 1984 1003 1983 387 1982 223 l

L Use of the reactor was discontinued in April of 1986, and l

the facility hes not boon used since that period of time.

i III. ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS FROM THE DISMANTLING AND

!. DECOMMISSIONING l

! All fuel has boon shipped from the facility to an approved i DOE facility. The fuel upon shipment had a sarface dose rate of i 4.012.7 inr/hr with a high dose rato c; C.0 mr/hr and a low dose rate of 1.1 mr/hr. The low dose rate vis indicative of the low l burn up, low flux it. the reactor and the fact that the reactor had not operated since 1986. Because the flux and usage was so low, no measurable contamination and or activation has boon found in extensive radiological surveys performed by the Radiation Safoty Offico. Further, in 28 years of operation, no member of the staff has roccived a radiation dose which exceeds regalatory limits.

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8- e e Therefore, it is anticipated that no environmental effects from the decommissioning of the reactor will occur.

IV. ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS DUE TO ACCIDENTS We can see no credible accident that can have an impact on the environment since the fuel has been removed from the facility and little contamination and activation has been found within the facility.

V. COSTS OF DISMANTLING AND DECOMMISSIONING The estimated cost of ~the dismantling and decommissioning effort is less than $6;000. Funding will be obtained through the

. College of Engineering Dean's Office.

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