IR 05000133/2019002
| ML19262G962 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Humboldt Bay |
| Issue date: | 09/27/2019 |
| From: | Heather Gepford NRC Region 4 |
| To: | Welsch J Pacific Gas & Electric Co |
| R. Evans | |
| References | |
| IR 2019002 | |
| Download: ML19262G962 (19) | |
Text
September 27, 2019
James M. Welsch Vice President, Nuclear Generation and Chief Nuclear Officer Pacific Gas and Electric Company P.O. Box 56 Mail Code 104/6 Avila Beach, CA 93424
SUBJECT: Humboldt Bay Power Plant INSPECTION REPORT 050-00133/2019-002
This letter refers to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) inspection conducted from August 26-29, 2019, at the Humboldt Bay Power Plant, Unit 3 facility, near Eureka, Californi The purpose of the inspection was to determine whether decommissioning activities were being conducted safely, and in conformance with NRC requirements, and the conditions of your licens The NRC inspectors discussed the results of the inspection with members of your staff at the conclusion of the onsite inspection on August 29, 201 The results of the inspection are documented in the enclosure to this lette This inspection examined activities conducted under your license as they relate to public health and safety, the common defense, and security, and to confirm compliance with the Commissions rules and regulations and with the conditions of your licens Within these areas, the inspection consisted of selected examination of procedures, and representative records, observations of activities, and interviews with personne No violations were identified, and no response to this letter is require The inspection included a confirmatory survey that was conducted by staff from Oak Ridge Associated Universities/Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education on behalf of the NR The results of this confirmatory survey were not available at the end of the onsite inspection, and will be presented to you and your staff at a later date under separate correspondenc In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRCs Agency Rules of Practice and Procedure, a copy of this letter, its enclosure, and your response if you choose to provide one, will be made available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) accessible from the NRC Web Site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.htm To the extent possible, your response, if you choose to provide one, should not include any personal privacy or proprietary information so that it can be made available to the Public without redactio J. Welsch
Should you have any questions concerning this inspection, please contact Dr. Robert Evans at 817-200-1234, or the undersigned at 817-200-115
Sincerely,
/RA/
Heather J. Gepford, PhD, CHP, Chief
Materials Licensing and Decommissioning
Branch
Division of Nuclear Materials Safety
Docket N License N DPR-7
Enclosure:
NRC Inspection Report 050-00133/2019-002
cc w/enclosure:
B. Barley, Pacific Gas and Electric H. Hamzehee, Pacific Gas and Electric J. Post, Pacific Gas and Electric J. Salman, Pacific Gas and Electric P. Soenen, Pacific Gas and Electric G. Perez, California Dept. of Health Services Chairman, Humboldt County Board of Supervisors
Enclosure
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Region IV
Docket N License N DPR-7
Report:
050-00133/2019-002
Licensee:
Pacific Gas and Electric C Facility:
Humboldt Bay Power Plant, Unit 3
Location:
1000 King Salmon Av Eureka, California 95503
Dates:
August 26-29, 2019
Inspectors:
Robert Evans, PhD, PE, CHP, Senior Health Physicist
Materials Licensing and Decommissioning Branch
Division of Nuclear Materials Safety
Marti Poston, Health Physicist
Materials Licensing and Decommissioning Branch
Division of Nuclear Materials Safety
Approved by:
Heather Gepford, PhD, CHP, Chief
Materials Licensing and Decommissioning Branch
Division of Nuclear Materials Safety
Attachment:
Supplemental Inspection Information
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Humboldt Bay Power Plant, Unit 3 NRC Inspection Report 050-00133/2019-002
This U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) inspection was a routine, announced inspection of decommissioning activities being conducted at the Humboldt Bay Power Plant, Unit 3 facilit The inspection included a confirmatory survey by NRC staff and contractors for the NR In summary, the licensee was found to be conducting decommissioning activities in accordance with site procedures, license requirements, and applicable NRC regulation Organization, Management, and Cost Controls at Permanently Shutdown Reactors
The licensee continued to provide staff and train workers as specified in the quality assurance pla The licensee also continued to maintain an organization that provided high-level review, and oversight of the decommissioning program as required by the quality assurance pla (Section 1.2)
Safety Reviews, Design Changes, and Modifications at Permanently Shutdown Reactors
The inspectors determined that the licensee conducted safety reviews, and implemented design changes in accordance with regulatory requirements, site procedures, and NRC guidanc Specifically, the licensee made changes to the Offsite Dose Calculation Manual and reported the changes to the NRC as required by regulatory requirements, site procedures, and NRC guidanc The inspectors confirmed that the changes did not require prior NRC approva (Section 2.2)
Maintenance and Surveillance at Permanently Shutdown Reactors
The inspectors determined that the maintenance rule did not apply to current operations under the licens The inspectors did not assess the maintenance rule applicability under the license that covers the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation facility. (Section 3.2)
Decommissioning Performance and Status Review at Permanently Shutdown Reactors
The licensee was conducting decommissioning activities in accordance with the Post-Shutdown Activities Report, and the License Termination Pla In addition, the licensee was implementing industrial safety precautions, applying safety communications, and utilizing personal protective equipment as necessary to minimize safety hazard The licensee continued to implement corrective actions for a previously identified violation involving final status survey instrumentatio A previously identified Inspect Followup Item involving issuance of dosimetry during a radiological emergency was reviewed and closed. (Section 4.2)
Inspection of Remedial and Final Surveys at Permanently Shutdown Reactors
The licensee was conducting final status surveys in accordance with License Termination Plan, and procedural requirement The inspectors and a contractor for the NRC conducted confirmatory surveys during the inspectio The preliminary survey results suggest that the surveyed areas had been properly remediated for eventual release from the licens The results of the contractors confirmatory survey will be presented to the licensee at a later date, and under separate correspondence. (Section 5.2)
Solid Radioactive Waste Management and Transportation of Radioactive Materials
The licensee managed, packaged, and shipped radioactive waste in accordance with procedural and regulatory requirements. (Section 6.2)
Report Details
Site Status
In July 1976, the Humboldt Bay Power Plant, Unit 3 facility was shut down for refueling, and seismic modification In June 1983, Pacific Gas & Electric Company (the licensee) announced its intention to decommission the Unit 3 facilit In July 1985, the NRC amended the Unit 3 license to change the status of the license to possess-but-not-operat The plant was placed in SAFSTOR status for future decommissionin (SAFSTOR is a method of decommissioning in which a nuclear facility is placed and maintained in a condition that allows the facility to be safely stored, and subsequently decontaminated [deferred decontamination] to levels that permit release for unrestricted use.) The licensee completed the transfer of spent fuel from the spent fuel pool to the onsite Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) in December 2008, and the decontamination and dismantlement (DECON) phase of Unit 3 commenced at that tim Decommissioning activities completed since the previous inspection, conducted in April 2019, (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System [ADAMS] Accession No. ML19135A315), included completion of site contouring, and site drainag The licensee permanently removed the water treatment system from servic The water treatment system was previously in service primarily to maintain compliance with State of California discharge requirements for turbidity level The licensee also modified the environmental monitoring program by eliminating one sampling station and relocating several environmental thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) due to changes in the fence lin In addition, the site perimeter fence was completed with several minor exception At the time of the inspection, four structures remained onsit These structures (security building, count room, office building, and waste management facility) will be repurposed for other use Activities in progress during the inspection included planting local plants, and removal of evasive plants, final installation of the perimeter fence, and gates, and performance of the final status surve The licensee plans to complete site restoration activities and final status surveys by the end of 201 Organization, Management, and Cost Controls at Permanently Shutdown Reactors (Inspection Procedure 36801) Inspection Scope
The inspectors reviewed documents, and interviewed plant personnel to assess the licensees performance in the following areas:
- Evaluate methods the licensee resolves employee/safety concern, and provides information to the employees,
- Regulatory requirements are properly implemented with respect to the site organization, staffing, and staff qualifications,
- Licensee appropriately implements the technical specifications, and Post-Shutdown Decommissioning Activities Report (PSDAR), and
- Licensee decommissioning activities are initiated, sequenced, performed, and completed in a manner that is reasonably consistent with docketed planning and scheduling informatio.2 Observations and Findings
The inspectors reviewed the licensees organizational structur The site staffing requirements are provided in the Humboldt Bay Quality Assurance Plan (HBQAP),
Revision 38, dated April 2, 201 Figure 2 of the Plan provided the decommissioning organizational char All positions shown on the organizational chart were filled at the time of the inspectio Staff qualifications, indoctrination, and training are also discussed in the HBQA General employee training was conducted for all new employees, and as an annual refresher for current employee The licensee tracked general employee training status and all other training using a computer-based progra Employees were notified when required training expired, and the computer-based program reminded them of the need to requalif The current program provided individuals with a 30-day grace period from training expiration for renewa A spot check of training and qualification records revealed that staff was qualified for the work they were conductin The licensee no longer had formal safety committees onsite; safety was addressed in pre-job briefing The NRC inspectors observed two pre-job briefings associated with final status survey wor The pre-job briefings were concise, thorough, and demonstrated a commitment to safety by the individuals participating in the briefin The HBQAP includes discussion of the Independent Management Review, a high-level management oversight progra The inspectors reviewed the last meeting summary, conducted in May 201 The reviewers assessed the effectiveness of the quality assurance program at the sit The reviewers concluded that the licensee effectively implemented the program with several minor deficiencies involving responsibilities and authoritie The next review was scheduled to occur in May 2020, unless decommissioning activities had been completed at that tim.3 Conclusions
The licensee continued to provide staff and train workers as specified in the quality assurance pla The licensee also continued to maintain an organization that provided high-level review, and oversight of the decommissioning program as required by the quality assurance pla Safety Reviews, Design Changes, and Modifications at Permanently Shutdown Reactors (Inspection Procedure 37801) Inspection Scope
The inspectors reviewed documents, and interviewed plant personnel to assess the licensees performance in the following areas:
- Determination that licensee procedures and processes conform to the regulations and guidance associated with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 50.59,
- Implementation of a sampling of design change modifications to verify that procedures and controls were followed,
- Verify that the applicable changes were effectively implemented in the plant, in plant procedures, drawings, and training programs if applicable, and
- Verify that the changes made under 10 CFR 50.59 did not require prior NRC approva.2 Observations and Findings
The requirements for the Offsite Dose Calculational Manual (ODCM) are provided in Appendix B to the HBQA The OCDM provides the requirements for the effluent and environmental monitoring progra The current effluent and environmental program included measurement of direct radiation at the fenceline using TLDs at sixteen locations, and air monitoring at three location At the time of the onsite inspection, the ODCM had been revised twice by the licensee in calendar year 201 Changes to the ODCM were evaluated using the instructions provided in Procedure HBAP C-19, Licensing Bases Impact Evaluation (LBIE),
Revision 37 effective June 30, 201 The LBIE process was used to evaluate changes, tests, experiments, and other activities for potential impact on the licensing bases, to determine if a 10 CFR 50.59 evaluation was required prior to implementing the proposed change, test, experiment, or other activity involving the licensing basis, and to determine if NRC approval was required prior to making a change to the licensing bases documen The following LBIE documents were reviewed by the inspectors:
- ODCM Rev. 29 - Change to ODCM to reflect movement of TLD locations to coincide with movement of perimeter fence as areas were transitioned out of controlled area
- ODCM Rev. 30 - Change to ODCM to reflect elimination of one of the air sampling stations (reflects a reduction from four to three stations)
The inspectors reviewed the reduction in air sampling stations and the movement of the TLDs against the ODCM requirements and the guidance provided in NUREG-0473, Draft Radiological Effluent Technical Specifications for Boiling Water Reactor Section 3.12.1, Table 3.12.1 of NUREG-0473 allows licensees to use between 1-5 locations to monitor for airborne effluents and 1-8 locations to monitor for direct gamma radiatio The licensees effluent and environmental monitoring program at the time of the inspection was consistent with NRC guidance and ODCM requirement The inspectors reviewed the LBIE documents generated for Revisions 29 and 30 to the ODC The documents and review processes were consistent with the requirements specified in the implementing procedur The inspectors reviewed previous changes to the ODCM to determine if the ODCM changes had been submitted to the NRC as part of the annual radiological effluent repor Revision 26 to the ODCM was submitted to the NRC on March 24, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. ML16089A201), as part of the report for calendar year 201 Revision 27 was submitted to the NRC on March 30, 2017 (ADAMS Accession No. ML17089A747), as part of the report for calendar year 201 Revision 28 was submitted to the NRC on March 7, 2019 (ADAMS Accession No. ML19066A392), as part of the radiological effluent report for calendar year 201 Revisions 29 and 30 are anticipated to be submitted to the NRC in the annual radiological effluent report for calendar year 201.3 Conclusions
The inspectors determined that the licensee conducted safety reviews and implemented design changes in accordance with regulatory requirements, site procedures, and NRC guidanc Specifically, the licensee made changes to the ODCM, and reported the changes to the NRC as required by regulatory requirements, site procedures, and NRC guidanc The inspectors confirmed that the changes did not require prior NRC approva Maintenance and Surveillance at Permanently Shutdown Reactors (Inspection Procedure 62801) Inspection Scope
The inspectors reviewed documents and interviewed plant personnel to assess the licensees performance in the following areas:
- Maintenance and surveillance for structures, systems, and components (SSCs) are being conducted in a manner that results in safe storage of spent fuel, and proper operation of radiation monitoring and effluent control equipment,
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the licensee maintaining adequate material, and structural integrity of SSCs important to safe decommissioning, and
- Licensee has an effective maintenance program that implements the maintenance rule requiremen.2 Observations and Findings
The licensee was in the final stages of decommissioning, and no important to safety structures, systems or components (SSCs) remained other than those associated with the ISFS The reactor and all its associated components have been removed from the site, and the remaining decommissioning work under the Part 50 license was associated with final status surveys, shipping of waste materials offsite for disposal and planting of remediated areas with native grasses and plant The four structures remaining onsite are not associated with the reactor or its components (security building, count room, office building and waste management facility) and will be repurposed for other uses by PG& Title 10 CFR 50.65, the maintenance rule, requires licensees to monitor the performance and condition of SSCs in a manner sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that the SSCs are capable of performing their intended function Since the
SSCs associated with the reactor have been deinstalled and removed from the site, the maintenance rule does not apply to this stage of decommissionin The inspectors walked down the site with the licensees representatives from management and radiation protection to assess the material condition of the sit The inspectors did not assess the radiological effluent controls for liquid effluents as the licensee had discontinued the release of liquid effluents in December 201 The only SSCs in place at the site were those associated with the ISFSI licens The inspectors did not assess the SSCs associated with the safe storage of spent fue.3 Conclusions
The inspectors determined that the maintenance rule did not apply to current operations under the 10 CFR Part 50 licens The inspectors did not assess the maintenance rule applicability under the 10 CFR Part 70 license that covers the ISFSI facilit Decommissioning Performance and Status Review at Permanently Shutdown Reactors (Inspection Procedure 71801) Inspection Scope
The inspectors reviewed documents, interviewed plant personnel, and performed plant tours to assess the licensees performance in the following areas:
- Status of ongoing decommissioning activities, and planning for future activities,
- Operability and functionality of systems necessary for safe decommissioning were assessed through plant walkdowns, such as: radioactive effluent monitoring, spent fuel pool level and temperature control, and radiation protection monitors and alarms,
- Assessed field conditions and decommissioning activities, and
- Observe and assess the status of facility housekeepin.2 Observations and Findings Observation of Site Activities
The PSDAR (ADAMS Accession No. ML13213A160) provides a general description of the planned decommissioning activitie In addition, the License Termination Plan (LTP)
states that the licensee would dismantle and decontaminate the site in accordance with site procedures, and approved work package The inspectors conducted site tours to observe work in progres In general, the licensee was nearing completion of all onsite wor All structures intended to be demolished had been demolished, and all remaining structures will be repurposed at the end of the decommissioning projec The inspectors observed non-radioactive waste material being packaged and shipped for offsite disposa The inspectors also observed the licensees implementation of the final status survey progra The inspectors determined that the licensee was conducting work as generally described in the PSDA The work in progress included installation of the final sections of the site perimeter fenceline and final landscapin The licensee was constructing a gate near the waste management facilit The licensee was also planting/landscaping areas that had been final status surveye Most land areas of the site were covered with clean topsoil (between 3 and 13 inches of topsoil, depending on the area) and planted with native grasses and other native plants including trees, shrubs, ferns, and wildflower The inspectors observed the licensees control of industrial safety and precautions throughout the site, including discussions of hazards and safety precautions at morning meetings, and as part of pre-job briefings prior to work activitie The licensee had designated pedestrian work activities and traffic controls throughout the sit The licensees staff also established and continuously enforced the use of personal protective equipment across the sit Critical Path Activities
Section 3.0 of the PSDAR discusses the licensees commitment to develop a critical path method to reflect long-range planning and coordination for the projec The inspectors reviewed and discussed the current critical path report with licensee representative At the time of the inspection, the critical path consisted primarily of final status survey projects including completion of field sampling, preparation of survey packages, and submittal of the final status survey report to the NR Remaining final status survey projects included surveying the western side of the site (side facing the bay), cleaning and surveying the count room, finishing the survey of the waste management facility, and surveying the security buildin Once the field work was complete, the licensee planned to complete the associated survey packages and final status survey repor As noted earlier, the licensee plans to complete all field work by the end of 201 Follow Up of Non-Cited Violation 050-00133/1901-01
As discussed in NRC Inspection Report 050-00133/2019-001 (ADAMS Accession No. ML19135A315), the licensee identified in February 2019 that it was not conducting daily instrument response checks for the in-situ object characterization system (ISOCS).
The licensee added this issue to its NRC-approved corrective action program (SAPN 1450541), and the NRC issued a non-cited violation in accordance with the NRCs Enforcement Polic During this inspection, the inspectors reviewed the status of the licensees corrective actions for the non-cited violatio The licensee was conducting the daily instrument response checks for ISOCS, but the SAPN remained ope Discussions with licensee staff revealed that the SAPN was expanded to require a data analysis for each ISOCS instrumen As the data analysis was completed for each instrument, that portion of the SAPN was close The SAPN will be closed in its entirety when the data analyses are complete (Closed) Inspection Followup Item 050-00133/9801-02
During an internal NRC review of open issues for this licensee, the inspectors identified that a former Inspection Followup Item (IFI) remained ope This IFI involved the failure
to issue dosimetry to individuals remaining onsite during a radiological emergenc Specifically, an exercise critique identified that maintenance personnel, who did not normally wear dosimetry, dispatched to assess the condition of the reactor fuel building, were not issued dosimetry prior to their entry into the reactor fuel buildin The licensee discontinued dosimetry for all personnel in calendar year 2016 after the reactor fuel building was dismantle This IFI should have been closed at that tim.3 Conclusions
The licensee was conducting decommissioning activities in accordance with the PSDAR, and the LT In addition, the licensee was implementing industrial safety precautions, applying safety communications, and utilizing personal protective equipment as necessary to minimize safety hazard The licensee continued to implement corrective actions for a previously identified violation involving final status survey instrumentatio A previously identified Inspect Followup Item involving issuance of dosimetry during a radiological emergency was reviewed and close Inspection of Remedial and Final Surveys at Permanently Shutdown Reactors (Inspection Procedure 83801) Inspection Scope
The inspectors reviewed the licensees final status survey program for compliance with LTP requirements and site procedure The inspection included review of surveys in progress, results of completed surveys, and performance of independent confirmatory survey.2 Observations and Findings Review of Final Status Survey Program
At the time of the inspection, the licensee was conducting final status survey Section 5 of the NRC-approved LTP provides the requirements for final status surveys (ADAMS Accession No. ML18066A137). As part of the survey process, the licensee divided the site in various survey units using the guidance provided in NUREG-1575, Revision 1, Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual (MARSSIM). The inspectors reviewed the status of the final status survey program with the licensees staf Prior to the inspection, the NRC reviewed and accepted the results of surveys for selected survey unit By letter dated January 5, 2018 (ADAMS Accession No. ML17115A108), the NRC released approximately 30 acres of the site known as Fishermans Channel from the license based on the results of previously completed final status and confirmatory survey The NRC also approved the final status survey reports for the mobile emergency power plant station and ISFSI areas (ADAMS Accession No. ML18278A087). The licensee submitted, but the NRC has not approved, the final status survey reports for the relay building and mobile emergency power plant station island building (ADAMS Accession No. ML19143A046).
The licensee initially established survey unit boundaries across the site using the guidance provided in MARSSIM based on the potential for residual contaminatio These initial classifications were provided in Section 2 and Table 5.2 of the LT License Condition 2.C.5 allows the licensee to reclassify survey units as long as the licensee notifies the NRC at least 14 days prior to implementation of the reclassification of a survey unit to a less restrictive classificatio By letter dated July 11, 2019 (ADAMS Accession No. ML19192A340), the licensee downgraded the classification of the waste management facility walls and floo The NRC did not object to the changes in classification at that tim The inspectors observed the licensees staff conducting final status surveys of the waste management facilit These surveys consisted of scan surveys of surfaces, fixed and removable contamination measurements of the floors and walls of the facilit The licensee conducted the surveys using the less restrictive survey instructions as referenced in its July 2019 letter (fewer sample points, for example). As noted below, the NRC conducted a confirmatory survey of the waste management buildin The licensees and NRCs preliminary survey results suggest that the building surfaces meet the NRC-approved release limits, indicating that the licensees decision to downgrade the classification of the building was acceptabl In addition to the waste management facility, the inspectors observed the licensee conducting a final status survey of a trench that was constructed to support installation of an automatic fence gat The inspectors confirmed that the surveyors used calibrated instruments to conduct the surveys, and the surveyors followed the instructions provided in the respective survey packages for both the waste management facility and the trenc The inspectors reviewed several survey packages that were in progress or had been completed for consistency with the requirements provided in Section 5.0 of the LT These survey packages included the western area of the site (bay side of site), former discharge canal, and waste management facilit The licensees staff used checklists to verify that the packages were complete prior to implementatio The licensees documentation included a verification that the survey unit had been remediated, visually inspected, physically isolated from other potentially contaminated areas, and formally turned over to the final status survey group prior to the surve The survey packages provided detailed instructions for performance of the surveys including minimum detectable concentration calculations, survey coverage (in percent), radionuclides of concern, and quality control requirement The inspectors confirmed that the survey packages were developed and implemented in accordance with the instructions provided in the LT The inspectors reviewed representative survey results, after completion of the respective final status surve The packages included the recording of the survey measurements, results of quality control samples, and statistical analyses of the data, to demonstrate compliance with the release criteri The inspectors concluded that the completed survey packages complied with LTP requirement The licensee plans to submit these survey packages to the NRC for review and approval as part of the final status survey repor Confirmatory Surveys
In accordance with MARSSIM, a confirmatory survey (also known as an independent verification survey) may be performed by the responsible regulatory agency or by an
independent third party (e.g., contracted by the regulatory agency) to provide data to substantiate results of the final status surve During the inspection, representatives from Oak Ridge Associated Universities/Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education conducted a confirmatory survey on behalf of the NR The NRCs contractors used the guidance provided in the confirmatory survey plan that was previously submitted to the NRC on August 3, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. ML18029A019).
The confirmatory survey included gamma scans, fixed point measurements, swipe sampling, and soil samplin The contractor surveyed portions of the waste management facility, security building, and count roo The office building was not surveyed because it had been surveyed by the contractor during a previous inspectio Outdoor areas were scan surveyed and soil sampled at locations that were both systematically (random) and judgmentally selected for samplin As part of the confirmatory survey, the contractor collected 10 soil samples for analysi The contractor also took possession of 10 soil samples previously collected by the licensee for independent analyse The preliminary confirmatory survey results, based on fixed point and scan survey results, suggest that the surveyed areas meet the respective release criteri The final survey results, including soil sample results, will be presented to the licensee at a later date, after the contractor has analyzed the soil and swipe samples, and NRC has reviewed the survey result During the inspection, the inspectors conducted an independent confirmatory survey of the public pathway between the western site boundary and the ba The inspectors conducted the survey using Radeye SX survey meters connected to SPA-3 probes (Serial Numbers 52223 and 19205, calibration due date of 7/30/20; and Serial Numbers 52198 and 19211, calibration due date of 3/3/20). With a background of 2-3 microroentgen per hour, the measurements ranged from background to about twice backgroun The highest measurements were identified around rock that appeared to be naturally radioactiv The inspectors confirmatory survey did not identify any plant derived radioactive material in the public pathwa.3 Conclusions
The licensee was conducting final status surveys in accordance with LTP and procedural requirement The inspectors and a contractor for the NRC conducted confirmatory surveys during the inspectio The preliminary survey results suggest that the surveyed areas had been properly remediated for eventual release from the licens The results of the contractors confirmatory survey will be presented to the licensee at a later date and under separate correspondenc Solid Radioactive Waste Management and Transportation of Radioactive Materials (Inspection Procedure 86750) Inspection Scope
The inspectors reviewed the radioactive waste management and transportation programs to determine if the licensee had properly processed, packaged, stored, and shipped radioactive material in accordance with procedural and regulatory requirement.2 Observations and Findings
The inspectors reviewed transportation records and procedures to ascertain whether the licensees staff were loading and shipping radioactive and hazardous material in accordance with regulatory requirement The inspectors interviewed the individuals who implemented the licensees shipping progra The inspectors concluded that the licensee was packaging and shipping radioactive and hazardous material in accordance with regulatory requirement Since the last inspection in April 2019 (ADAMS Accession No. 19135A315), the licensee shipped some sealed source The sealed sources were used to support operation of the drive-through truck monitor The shipped radioactive material included europium-155 and sodium-2 The shipment consisted of limited quantities of radioactive material, and the material was shipped as an exempt packag The licensee used a procedural checklist to ensure that the shipment was prepared for shipment and the associated shipping paper package was complet The inspectors confirmed that the shipment complied with procedural and regulatory requirement During 2019, the licensee shipped exempt quantity packages containing low-level concentrations of radioactive materia These shipments were sent to a disposal site in Idaho authorized to accept these types of shipment To reduce the overall cost of waste material disposals, the licensee previously submitted three alternate disposal requests (exemptions) from the requirements specified in 10 CFR 20.200 The NRC approved the requests but placed limits on the quantities of waste material that could be disposed at the Idaho facility (see ADAMS Accession Nos. ML102870344, ML120620450, and ML12299A056). To demonstrate compliance with the alternate disposal limits, the licensee maintained records documenting the amount of material shipped under each of the three exemption request At the time of the inspection, the licensee had not exceeded any of the quantity limitations specified in the three exemption request Although the licensee reached the 89-percent disposal limit for solid non-aqueous waste, the licensees staff indicated that most of these shipments had been completed and an increase in the exemption limit was not neede The licensees records indicated that the site staff were loading and shipping exempt quantity waste in accordance with the limitations set forth in the original evaluation The inspectors briefly reviewed how the licensee managed the wastes being shipped to the facility in Idah The NRC placed a limit on the radioactivity concentrations allowed to be shipped to the Idaho facilit The licensee used waste stream profiling to determine the disposal site and manifested quantities of radioactive materials being shippe For example, miscellaneous yard wastes were categorized as a waste stream for disposal as exempt quantity materia The licensee conducted this evaluation in 201 The evaluation calculated radioactive exposure rate limits for this waste strea The inspectors confirmed that the exposure rate limits had been incorporated into the implementing procedur If the material in the package (yard wastes, in this example)
met the physical description and the material exposure rates met the analyzed limitations, then the material could be packaged, manifested, and shipped as exempt quantity wastes to the Idaho facility for disposa The inspectors reviewed a representative shipment package for waste shipped to the Idaho facilit The package included survey measurement The inspectors confirmed that the survey results recorded in the package were below the limits specified in the procedure for shipment to the Idaho facility (16.8 microroentgen per hour on contact, and 7.2 microroentgen per hour at one meter from the package surface).
During the inspection, the licensee shipped non-radioactive, non-hazardous waste to a landfill for disposa The inspectors conducted independent radiological surveys of one shipment, to ensure that the shipped material was not radioactiv The package was surveyed using a Ludlum Model 2401-S survey meter (Serial Number 182780, calibration due date of 11/5/19) calibrated to cesium-137 (the primary radionuclide of concern at this site). With a background of 4-5 microroentgen per hour, the radiological exposure rates at the surfaces of the package were indistinguishable from backgroun The survey results suggest that the packaged material did not contain radioactive materia.3 Conclusions
The licensee managed, packaged, and shipped radioactive waste in accordance with procedural and regulatory requirement Exit Meeting Summary
The inspectors presented the inspection results to the licensees representatives at the conclusion of the onsite inspection on August 29, 201 The inspectors asked the licensee whether any materials examined during the inspection should be considered proprietar No proprietary information was provided to the inspectors during the inspectio Attachment
SUPPLEMENTAL INSPECTION INFORMATION Partial List of Persons Contacted
Licensee B. Barley, Site Closure Manager M. Blake, Final Status Survey Engineer B. Lopez, Licensing G. Madison, Final Status Survey Supervisor W. Parish, Field Support Supervisor K. Rowberry, Site Closure Specialist/Training Coordinator J. Salmon, Deputy Director L. Sharp, Director
Oak Ridge Associated Universities/Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education E. Bailey, Project Manager K. Engel, Health Physicist J. Lee, Health Physicist A. Owens, Health Physicist
Inspection Procedures (IPs) Used
IP 36801 Organization, Management and Cost Controls at Permanently Shutdown Reactors IP 37801 Safety Reviews, Design Changes, and Modifications at Permanently Shutdown Reactors IP 62801 Maintenance and Surveillance at Permanently Shutdown Reactors IP 71801 Decommissioning Performance and Status Review at Permanently Shutdown Reactors IP 83801 Inspection of Remedial and Final Surveys at Permanently Shutdown Reactors IP 86750 Solid Radioactive Waste Management and Transportation of Radioactive Materials
Items Opened, Closed and Discussed
Opened None
Closed 050-00133/9801-02 IFI Issuance of dosimetry to individuals during radiological emergency
Discussed None
List of Acronyms Used
ADAMS Agencywide Documents Access and Management System CFR
Code of Federal Regulations HBQAP Humboldt Bay Quality Assurance Program ISOCS in-situ object characterization system ISFSI Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation IFI
Inspection Follow up Item IP
Inspection Procedure LBIE
Licensing Basis Impact Evaluation LTP
License Termination Plan MARSSIM Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual NRC
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ODCM Offsite Dose Calculation Manual PSDAR Post-Shutdown Decommissioning Activities Report SSCs structures, systems, and components TLDs thermoluminescent dosimeters
ML19262G962 SUNSI Review ADAMS:
Non-Publicly Available Non-Sensitive Keyword:
By: RJE Yes No Publicly Available Sensitive NRC-002 OFFICE DNMS:MLDB MLDB C:MLDB
NAME RJEvans MRPoston HJGepford
SIGNATURE
/RA/
/RA/
/RA/
DATE 9/26/2019 9/27/2019 9/27/2019