Radiation monitoring operation Hanford Laboratories Operation monthly report, December 1956

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This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United Sta Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof nor ‘hm employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal l.abdny or bility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information appara , p , process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe private y o-n^ ngh^ Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply Us endor^™rV“° ; mendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agenCy and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those United States Government or any agency thereof. M H M co co uu co co ro ro ro ro ro ro ro ro ro ro

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This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency Portions of this document may be illegible in electronic image products. Images are produced from the best available

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book. The radiological Plotting Center vas equipped vith monitoring and decontamination»kit0, additional mapa vara lni>tallad? and tha duty aealejunant aarda revised. A practice plant diaaaV,er was*held at the Plotting Center etnd served as an indoctrination for two new members of the emergency team. Emergency - One residence survey was conducted' in connection with apparent soft beta contamination found on an IPD employee's clothing. Results were negative. Display binders contairfng material and trends in four catagories were readied for use during the montn. The four divisions covered were: 1. Contaminant to Ground 2. Contaminants to Water New charts veA prepared during the month on the estimated curies of fission products discharged to th<? ground ‘annually and on the internal deposition of be provided monthly for distribution to senior management. November December September 1* 1956 * The Exposure Imsestigation function is operated for Investigation of sub standard radiation exposure situations and Incidents in the Hanford Lab oratories Operation and other* customer operations for which radiation mon- .itoring services are provided. This same function also exists within other departments for their own edification. ** Two were originally reported for November, 1956 An Informal Occurrence

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Aq Incident reported in November as an Informal Occurrence van later reclassified as a Potential Overexposure. The occurrence involved an engineering assistant, Plutonium Metallurgy*Operation, vfao received plutonium skin contamination up to 350,000 d/m during a routine operation in the 23^~5 Building, 200 West Area on November 28, 1956. The affected areas on the thumb and two fingers of the «left hand vere successfully decontaminated. Bioassays were requested. A Potential Overexposure occurred to the hands of an instrument mechanic at the Hot Semi-Works Operation, 200 East Area, on December 11, 1956. The vork included modification within electrical Junction boxes on process tanks in A cell in the 201-C Building. The estimated mw-irtmm dose to the hands was 520 mrads including 170 mTj vhich was received in a 30 second exposure. A Potential Overexposure occurred when*an engineer'ln Chemical Research Operation was contaminated during a non-routine operation in 325 Building, 300 Area, on December 27, 195o. A special sample from Oak Ridge of 03!!^ in dry powder form, in a glass vial, vas being removed from Its container. The sample contained way through the operation, the top of the vial was found to be loose and a radia tion monitor vas contacted* The engineer’s hands vere found contaminated up to 60,000 d/m. The further spread of contamination vas limited to a hand counter, table top and a telephone. Bioassays were requested. Significant Reports Issued 1. Confidential-Undocumented report, "Inventory of liquid Wastes to Active General Statistics - December Hanford Minor & Major December 1956 Laboratories Construction Others Total Total Special Work Permits 217* 760 132 3066 30,n* Routine and ‘Specie! Surveys 1328 782 133 22*3 29,501 Morrlson-Knudsen Company, Project CG-558, Realtor Plant Modification for Contractor personnel performed vork in contaminated areas ranging to 1,000 c/m during portions of.the month. A personal survey vas made of a construction employee whose SWP clothing became vet while removing forms from inside the east-vest trench at the si'te of the 190-H annex. No ccntamination vas found and the employee vas released.

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Foj Increased Production Construction of the nev sevei** outfall at 100-F has been completed and all equip ment and materials vere released from the SVP areas. Exposures to personnel vere < 1 mr/hour in 1 cases and no personnel contamination vas detected. Hoffman Construction Company, Project CG-647» Bach Up Radio-Iodine Removal and Acid Recovery Facilities Daily personnel and vehicle surveys vere made vhich disclosed one case of clo thing contamination. A truck driver, vhose Jacket vas contaminated, did not get ou- *f his truck vhile in the Radiation Zone vhich indicates contamination encountere. at another location. Dosage rates of 450 mrads/hour at the surfa' j and 25 mrads/hour at 18 inches vere encountered at an underground encasement adjacent to a trench north of the 293“A Building. Hoffman electricians vere advised not to enter.this trench and the installation of electrical conduit vas completed by Construction Operation personnel. C. J. Painter began vork on the Phase III portion of Project CG-68G on Dec ember 10, 1956. Morning nadiation surveys vere made to determine that no Radiation Zone existed. Personnel surveys vere conducted each evening vith no contaminatltoa detected. Hoffman Construction Company, Project CG-613. Hanford 4X Program. Metal Exit surveys of personnel and equipment revealed no contamination. Project CO-648, Auxiliary Racilo-Iodine Removal and Nitric Acid Recovery Facil ities - Survey of vood forma revealed a nrnTriTTnTm contamination of 8,000 c/m. Ihe forma are being stored in a Radiation Zone south of the 222-3 Building and inside of the Redox Exclusion Area. Exit surveys of personnel revealed no contamination. G. A. Grant Construction Company, Project CG-676, Revision to 306 Building Scene monitoring vas provided for this project but nothing unusual occurred during this report period.

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Project CG-5>3. factor Pinnt*Modiricatlons for Increased Production The major project shutdown vork at 105-B vas completed during the month. Dosage rates for cleaning strainers in the front risers, ATP inspections, and clean up at all locations vere similar to those previously reported. During start up of the unih a platform vas moved from the north vail of the vork area to the south •.ell. Pile gas forced construction personnel to evacuate that location several A hellovs vas installed on the 107-3 outfall line after a break between the out fall structure and the river. The body dosage rate vhile excavating around the line averaged 20 mr/hour at 18 inches. The field reading inside the structure vas 100 mra£s/bour including 60 mr/hour. A survey oC the outfall overflow flume prior to extension to the river revealed an average dosage rate of 25 mrads/hour including 10 mr/hour in the flume; the Tnavt mm reading Vas 120 mrads/hour includ ing 20 mr/hour on the floor. An eight inch T. C. line vas installed in the rear riser room at 105-F. The maximum dosage rate observed vas 150 mr/hour from an old drain line; installation vas completed in & field of only 50 mr/hour. Tie-in of lines behind the building vas accomplished in a field averaging 10 mr/hour in the various trenches, although a maximum reading of 000 mr/hour vas noted on an exposed section of old fluent line viiile the mit vas operating. An average dose rate of 30 mr/hour vas en countered during a later entry into the cushion chamber vhile the unit vas dovn. Pre-major shut dovn vork continued at 105-D. Backfilling of the excavations behind the building vith clean dirt vas completed and the location released from Radiation Zone status. T. C. water lines vere installed througji the valve pit, riser tunnels, and up the far front of the unit in a field of 5 mr/hour at the two latter locations. A drain line vas Installed in the rear riser room vhere dosage rates to 150 mr/bo«r vere observed. The field reading to perform the vork averaged IOO mr/hour. Installation of T. C. vater lines continued in 105-IR vhere dosage rates to 6.1 rads/hour Including 1 r/hour were noted over a drain in the C elevator pit. • The installation vas accomplished at *a dose rate of 200 mrads/hour including 50 mr/ hour. Tuggers vere installed atop the unit over the A and B risers prior to their replacement during the ma^or outage. The average dose rate over the risers vas 15 Ten from neutrons plus 5 mr/hour vhile the unit vas operating. Miscellaneous vork vas performed in the riser tunnels vhere dose rates averaged 5 mr/hour. A nev box vas scoped, foraed, and poured over a section of effluent line at the north-east comer of the 107-D basin in a field of 2 mr/hour. Variable effluent vapors ranging to 5,000 c/a made the check out of men and equipment difficult.

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Aa elbow yas installed in box £l on the 105-107-H effluent line. The reading inside thew box was 50 mrads/hour including 15 mr/hour. A maxlnnm dosage rate of 700 mrads/hour including 100 mr/hour was observed inside an old section of ef fluent line when it was broken at box $3 prior to installation of a new elbow. The field reading in the box after breaking the line was 100 mrads/hour Including The Beta Monitoring Building at 100-K was surveyed prior, to the installation of new equipment. Contamination detected included 500 c/m on old sample lines and 15,000 c/m in a sink. After removing the lines and covering the sink, the building was released from SVP status until completion of the work. Personnel surveys were provided for men making system tie-ins in the electrical manhole south of the 107-KE tanks. The floor of tke metal examination pit was painted in an average field of 40 mrads/hour including 15 mr/hour after the new door was hung. The maximum dosage rate noted on the floor was 150 mrads/hour including 40 mr/hour. Air Sample Results Number of Number Above * Value Includes significant quantity of radon. Monitoring services were provided for Construction Operation forces during the after plant forces completed removal of four KER tubes and gun barrels. Three zirconium tubes vere installed. The average body exposure rate* encountered for KER tie-in work and running ATP’s on the front face vas 5 mr/hour. A maximum hand exposure of 400 mr/hour at 6 inches vas obtained from aa open channel while installing a gun barrel. Work*on the rear face consisted of installing gun barrels, KER tie-in, and running ATP* s. Continuous monitoring was provided for all work with exposure rates ranging obtained vhile installing a gun barrel in #2864 channel; a whole body exposure of 200 mr/hour was encountered at a distance of three feet during installation. The nev tubes and gun barrels. A procedure of vaahing dovn the rear face every two

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ination. Assault nasks vere used for the aajortty of vork on the rear face vhere contamination to 2,000 c/m vas found on aiisc'ellaneous tools, masks, and SWP clothing. Exposure rates on the order of 2 to 5 mr/hour vere encountered during tie-in vork in the effluent tunnel% • Respiratory protection was vo*ra for all piping t<prk in the tunnel; smearable contamination > 00,000 c/m vas detected and tools vere found Exposure rates in the 1706-KER tunnel vere negligible. Dose rates were < 1 mr/hour vhile Installing Hoke valves on instrument lines. Work on gates in the discharge area cooaenced. after decontamination of the area by operation's personnel. Readings up to p r/kour at 4- inches vere obtained frcci mattress pad?. The use of lead and plywood shielding reduced dose rates in the area at the gates to the order cwC 30 to 50 mr/hour. The papered area in the bransfe area vas found contaminated to 3,*000 c/a on several* occasions vhile taking out and putting in the *nev gates. Snearable contamination > 00,000 c/m vas found on the gate shaft. Work vas not completed on installation of the nev gates during the Project CA-513-E, Purex Facility Erection of a Ventilation Barrief The first entry into the canyon vas made on Hovember 21, 1956 to move the yokes over the slug basin to the tunnel. Grossly contaminated Jumpers placed near the papered valkvay provided a field *of 40 mrads/hour. Five mrads/hour vere present, over the slug .basin. The first attempt to rndve the yokes vas cancelled vhen they were found to be contaminated to a level of 140 mrads/hour. Cn November 26, 1956, the yokes vere dropped into the slug basin for storage. Erection of beams and installation of vail panels gave dose rates ranging from 1 to 6 mr/hour in thfe canyon and tunnel. Air conditions have been good but a CRM constant air sampler unit is being installed as a safeguard before removing respiratory protection com pletely. Vacuum cleaning of the area east of the ventilation vail and painting of the concrete end vail vas completed on December 14, 1956. Exit surveys hare disclosed no personnel contamination. Project CO-598, Purex Acid Fractionator Scaffolding vas erected at Tank 2, and valve work performed in the U Cell Acid Vault in aa average field of 35 mrads/hour. A maximum dose rate of 1 rad/hour at 12 inches vas detected at Tank 2. Dlaphrugja Operated Valves vere installed on Tank 7 in a 5 mr/hour field. Acceptance tests near the end of the reporting period vere accomplished in a 5 arads/honr field. Personnel exit surveys re— veaiea no contamination. The F-3 sampler for reclaimed nitric acid vas tested and revised during the month. Low contamination levels vere encountered and the radiation field vas less than

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W.O. 9280^ Installation of an log Exchange Prototype Dally exit surveys vere made for Construction Operation personnel vho worked In the Regulated Shop. No contamination vas detected. CG-*647, Back Up Radio-Iodine Removal and Acid Recovery Pacllltles Miscellaneous pipe vork vas performed in the 293-A Radiation Zone. Electricians vere used to Idy conduit In the trench vhich vas. abo^e the radiation level for fixed fee contractor personnel. Project CG-613, Hanford 4X Program, Metal Conversion Plant Air Sample Results Number of Maximum Concentration The hydrostatic checking’ of all process lines in the 224-UA Building vas completed. Release survey of the construction shacks and equipment revealed a particle of 40,000 c/m on the floor of one of the shacks. ■ The particle vas …