ML20209C336

Insp Rept 70-0824/86-04 on 860804-08.No Violations or Deviations Noted.Major Areas Inspected:Onsite Review of Radwaste Mgt & Environ Protection

ML20209C336
Person / Time
Site:	07000824
Issue date:	08/19/1986
From:	Harris J, Stoddart P NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II)
To:
Shared Package
ML20209C321	List: ML20209C316 ML20209C336
References
70-0824-86-04, 70-824-86-4, NUDOCS 8609090004
Download: ML20209C336 (8)

Text

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% , , , , , **'f AUGgg p9gg Report No.: 70-824/86-04 l Licensee: Babcock and Wilcox Company Lynchburg Research Center Lynchburg, VA 24505 Docket No.: 70-824 License No.: SNM 778 Facility Name: Lynchburg Research Center Inspection Conduct.d: August 4-8, 1986 Inspector: [ la fyO4 #W J. D. prtF5 '/ Date Signed Accompanying Perso nel: R. R. Marston Approved by: Oo V P. G. St6ddart, Acting Section Chief 7//9/fd Date Signed Division of Radiation Safety and Safeguards

SUMMARY

Scope: This routine, unannounced inspection involved onsite review of radioactive waste management and environmental protection..

Results: No violations or deviations were identified. ,, ,

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2 REPORT DETAILS

1. Persons Contacted Licensee Employees

• P. S. Ayers, Manager, Lynchburg Technical Operations

• A. F. Olsen, Senior License Administrator T. C. Hardt, Supervisor, Radioanalytical Chemistry Group S. W. Schilthelm, Senior Health Physicist, Radiation Safety Officer D. Harris, Senior Health Physics Technician

• R. L. Bennett, Manager, Safety and Licensing

• G. S. Hoovler, Supervisor, Health and Safety Other licensee employees contacted incit led engineers, technicians, operators, mechanics, security force memben, and office personnel.

• Attended exit interview

2. Exit Interview The inspection scope and findings were summarized on August 8,1986, with those persons indicated in Paragraph 1 above. No violations or deviations were noted during the inspection. The licensee acknowledged the inspector's comments and expressed no contrary opinions.

The licensee did not identify as proprietary any of the materials provided to or reviewed by the inspector during this inspection.

3. Audits (88035,88045)

License Condition A.6.4.1 requires nuclear criticality safety and radiation safety audits to be performed monthly, with quarterly written reports sent to the Director, Lynchburg Research Center.

The inspector selectively reviewed quarterly Audit reports from January 1985 to August 1986. The audits appeared to be thorough and addressed health physics practices, general housekeeping, and occupational health. The inspector also reviewed an audit of the liquid waste retention and release systems performed by contract personnel August 28, 1985. A similar audit was performed August 30, 1985, of the facility's stack monitoring system.

The audits found no major deficiencies, but suggested some improvements in administrative controls of releases and in laboratory Quality Assurance.

Licensee personnel informed the inspector that considerations were being given to adopting the audit reconnendations.

No violations or deviations were identified.

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4. Procedures (88035,88045)

License Condition . A.6.2 describes the requirements for establishment, implementation, and approval of area operating procedures. The inspector selectively reviewed the following procedures. The procedures had been reviewed, updated and approved as required.

(1) LRC-TP-20, Gravimetric Determination of Uranium in Oxide Powder and Fuel Pellets, Rev. 4, September 30, 1982 (2) LRC-TP-83, Building J Surveys, Rev.1, April 25,1984 (3) LRC-TP-86, Liquid Waste Disposal Building Smear Survey, Rev.1, April 25,1984 (4) LRC-TP-204, NMC Stack Gas Monitor Calibration Procedure, Rev. O, December 6, 1982 (5) LRC-TP-243, Environmental Vegetation Sample Collection, Rev. 0, August 1, 1984 (6) LRC-TP-244, Environmental Sediment Sample Collection, Rev. O, August 23, 1984 (7) LRC-TP-245, Estimating the Activity of Gamma Emmitters by External Radiation Levels, Rev. 0, August 30, 1984 (8) LRC-TP-165, Liquid Waste Disposal Pit, Rev. O, February 1982 (9) LRC-TP-181, Calibration and Operation of the Gas Proportional Smear Counter, Rev. 0, May 19, 1982 (10) LRC-TP-199, Monthly Survey of Hood Face Velocities. Rev. O, i November 18, 1982 (11) LRC-TP-162, Calibration and Operating Procedure for NMC PC-5 Proportional Counter, Rev. 0, January 31, 1984 (12) LRC-TP-163, Building B Sharp Low Beta Counter, Rev. O, February 19, 1982 (13) LRC-TP-164, Building B Beckman Wide Beta II Counting Equipment, Rev. O, February 19, 1982 (14) LRC-TP-219, Efficiency Calibration for Gansna-Ray Spectrometry System, Rev. O, February 10., 1984 (15) LFC-TP-220, Gamma Ray Spectrometry Systems Count Reproducibility Control Chart Preparation, Rev. O, February 10, 1984

i (16) - LRC-TP-221,' Gamma Ray Spectrometry System Energy Calibration and Periodic Checks of Activity and Energy Calibration, Rev.1, August 2, 1985 (17) LRC-TP-222, Gamma Ray Spectrometry System Background Checks, Rev. O, 3 February 10, 1984

, (18) LRC-TP-223, Counting Procedure for Gamma Spectrometry Measurements of Health Physics Samples, Rev. 2, December 12, 1985 J

(19) LRC-TP-248, Calculating the Activity Concentration of Water Samples, Rev. O, December 4, 1984 (20) LRC-TP-56, D0P Testing of Nuclear Air Cleaning Systems, Rev.1, l July 23, 1984 (21) LRC-TP-271, Standardization of Beckman Wide Beta Counting System, Rev. O. March 21, 1985 1

(22) LRC-TP-272, Liquid Waste Disposal Pit, Rev. O, March 26, 1985

(23) LRC-TP-274, Preventative Maintenance of Cart Monitor Blower Units, Rev. O, April 1,1985 (24) LRC-TP-295, General Procedure for Preparation and Use of Control

! Charts, Rev. O, November 27, 1985 No violations or deviations were identified.

5. Records (88035,88045)

The inspector selectively reviewed the following records:

Lynchburg Research Center (LRC) liquid waste pumping records / batch release analysis, January 1985 - July 1986 l

l Environmental samples collection and analysis results, JanJary 1985 -

l July 1986.

EPA cross check results for gross alpha and beta, and gamna isotopic, in water for 1985 and 1986, l

i Standardization and QC background and source checks for the Beckman 1

wide Beta II and Sharp Low Beta proportional counters, January 1986 -

July 1986.

Trend charts of daily source checks and energy calibrati(ns for the Nuclear Data ganna spectroscopy system, January 1986 - July 1986.

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5 Efficiency calibrations of the Nuclear Data gamma spectroscopy system for 20ml, 25ml and 250ml bottles, 4 liter cubitainer, crud filter, 6ml gas vial, and charcoal filter, January 1985 - April 1986.

, HEFA filter testing log, January 1985 - July 1986.

Main stack release analyses January 1986 - July 1986.

Semi-annual Effluent Reports July 1985 - July 1986.

Annual Environmental Monitoring Report, 1985 No violations or deviations were identified.

6. Environmental Monitoring Program (88045)

The inspector reviewed the licensee's ongoing environmental monitoring program with respect to license condition A.9.3. Records reviewed by the inspector indicated that the licensee had performed the required sample collections and analyses. The inspector observed the routine collection of a rainwater sample and the operability of the EPA's and licensee's air samplers.

! No violations or deviations were identified.

7. LiquidandAirborneEffluentSamplingandAnalysis(88035)

The inspector reviewed facilities, sampling gear and analytical methods for the determination of radioactivity in liquid and airborne effluents. During a tour of the facilities, the inspector noted the status of the stack radiation monitor and several area radiation monitors. All were operable and labeled with calibration stickers indicating the date of the current calibration and calibration due date. The inspector also toured the liquid waste disposal pit and noted that there were no visible leaks and that the sampling apparatus appeared to be in good working order.

No violations or deviations were noted.

8. Inspector Followup Items (Closed) 70-824/84-03-01: (IFI) Improve the Quality Assurance for radiological monitoring (gamma spectroscopy) in the following areas:

Efficiency calibration, attenuation correction for gas vial, and more frequent backgrounds. After a review of their program, the licensee decided that their current program was adequate and no changes were necessary. The inspector was informed that a check was performed earlier on the gas vial geometry with Xe-133, and little attenuation was noted for the 81 key gamma ray. The inspector noted that more frequent backgrounds were currently being performed, though the procedure had not been changed to include a frequency for background checks. The licensee was not committed (by License Condition) to follow Regulatory Guide 4.15 " Quality Assurance for 4

6 Radiological Monitoring Programs, Effluent Streams and the Environment."

The licensee has demonstrated adequate performance in past sample splits with the NRC. The licensee overall QA program for radiological measurements was considered to be adequate to close this item.

(Closed) 70-824/85-04-02 (IFI) Evaluate the feasibility of plateau detenninations for alpha / beta proportional counters. The licensee takes credit for factory service visits and source checks to insure high voltage settings are consistent. This item was considered closed.

(Closed) 70-824/85-04-03 (IFI) Compare the results of the licensee's and NRC's analyses for two liquid samples and two air particulate samples. The results are given in Table 1, attached and show disagreement on two out of eight measurements. Considering the low radioactivity contamination levels of the samples and the presence of possible errors in sample splitting, this level of performance is considered adequate and this item was closed.

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TABLE 1 RESULTS OF CONFIRMATORY MEASUREMENTS AT BABC0CK AND WILC0X - LYNCHBURG RESEARCH CENTER Concentration Ratio Sample Isotope Licensee NRC Resolution Licensee /NRC Comparison CH-A Gross alpha 2.2 E-6 4.1 .4 E-6 10 0.5 Disagreement (Particulate) Gross beta 1.9 E-4 1.5 .06 E-4 25 1.3 Agreement l

CH-2 Gross alpha 3.4 E-7 1.4 .7 E-7 2 2.4 Agreement l (Particulate) Gross beta 2.4 E-6 2.9 .6 E-6 5 0.8 Agreement I

LWDP Tank Gross alpha 1.7 E-8 3.8 .7 E-8 5 0.5 Agreement SK-1 HPt 2834 Gross beta 6.4 E-7 9.8 .5 E-7 20 0.7 Disagreement LWDP Tank Gross alpha 1.3 E-8 1.7 .4 E-8 4 0.8 Agreement SK-1 HPf 2913 Gross beta 4.5 E-7 4.2 .3 E-7 14 1.1 Agreement l

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ATTACHMENT 1 CRITERIA FOR COMPARING ANALYTICAL MEASUREMENTS This attachment provides criteria for comparing results of capability tests cnd verification measurements. The criteria are based on an empirical relationship which combines prior experience and the accuracy needs of this program.

In these criteria, the judgement limits are variable in relation to the comparison of the NRC's value to its associated uncertainty. As that ratio, referred to in this program as " Resolution," increases, the acceptability of a licensee's measurements should be more selective. Conversely, poorer agreement must be considered acceptable as the resolution decreases.

RESOLUTION = NRC REFERENCE VALUE RATIO = LICENSEE VALUE ASSOCIATED UNCERTAINTY NRC REFERENCE VALUE Resolution Agreement

>4 0.4 - 2.5 4-7 0.5 - 2.0 8 - 15 0.6 - 1.66

16 - 50 0.75 - 1.33 51 - 200 0.80 - 1.25

< 200 0.85 - 1.18

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