| Building
Number/Name: Date prepared: Responsible Contractor: Contact: |
305-B November 20, 2000, Updated February 7, 2003 PNNL A. L. Nicholson |
PAST OPERATIONS
Beryllium brought in facility: YES
Form of beryllium: SOLID
Period of beryllium operations (dates): 1978 End: Present
Location(s) in facility that contained beryllium materials: Beryllium may be present in hazardous and radiological mixed wastes.
Description of beryllium activities: The 305-B building was constructed in two phases. The larger underground portion was constructed to house two test reactors and completed in 1954. This underground portion contained two reactor rooms, two assembly rooms, and a common control room. The aboveground portion was completed in 1959 and consisted of offices, a counting room, instrument room, maintenance shops, and a change room. Both test reactors were shut down prior to 1978 and the building was subsequently used as a storage facility for hazardous materials.
Building monitoring data summary:
None identified.
Personnel monitoring data summary: None identified.
Specify Engineering/Administrative controls used during
operations: None identified.
Maximum Estimated Past Be exposure: NONE
CURRENT OPERATIONS
Building still present: YES
Beryllium present: YES
Current building occupancy/activity: The 305-B Building is currently used to receive, store, and prepare shipments of hazardous and mixed wastes generated by Hanford Site programs. These wastes are primarily generated in support of research and development activities. Beryllium wastes are brought into the facility as a solid.
2000 Characterization:
Statistical beryllium wipe sampling was conducted in the basement and east stairwell of this facility on May 12, 2000 to characterize residual beryllium levels from past operations. All 29 samples taken had less than the housekeeping limit for removable beryllium (<3 µg/100 cm2) with a maximum contamination level of 0.334 µg/100 cm2).2002 Fire Protection System Sampling:
Five wipe samples were taken June 13, 2002 on the fire protection system in the southwest corner of the highbay prior to installation of a backflow prevention system. All 5 samples were below the public release criteria (0.2 µg/100 cm2).2002 Decontamination Sampling:
Prior to decontamination, additional wipe sampling was performed August 29, 2002 in areas adjacent to the contamination locations to verify the extent of contamination. Of the 14 wipe samples collected, two wipe samples were over the release criteria with the highest being 0.46 µg/100 cm2 additional contamination above the release criteria was found.Contaminated areas in waste cells 3 and 4, and the east wall of the west basement vault were decontaminated September 19, 2002. Area and personal air samples taken during the decontamination task were all below the level of detection. Ten wipe samples taken following decontamination were all below the release criteria.
2002 Crane Bus Bar Investigation:
On November 12, 2002, three wipe samples were taken on bus bars that provide electrical power to the bridge crane in the high bay of 305B. All three samples were above the housekeeping limit with removable beryllium contamination ranging from 3.7 to 10 µg/100 cm2. Followup beryllium sampling was conducted December 4, 2002, to determine whether the bus bars or the collector shoes for the bridge crane were the source of beryllium contamination, if the contamination previously found on the bus bars was localized or might be found on adjacent surfaces, and to determine if beryllium was detectable in the air with the crane stationary and in use. Air samples taken with the crane out of operation on November 29, and in almost constant operation on December 4, were below detection limits. Ten wipe samples were taken. Wipe samples found beryllium on the collector shoes that serve as sliding electrical contacts and on those portions of the bus bars that come in contact with the collector shoes. No beryllium above the release criteria was found on adjacent surfaces. An additional 17 wipe samples were taken to characterize the highbay in areas that had not been sampled previously. No samples were above the release criteria.Maximum Estimated Current Be exposure: NONE
Basis for above information: Interviews with site personnel and publication WHC-MR-0388, IH Case #1 1572, Sampling event #3961, IH Case # 1593, Sample Event #3990.
Comments, including any additional information needed (specify): Beryllium is brought into the facility as a containerized hazardous or mixed waste. Radiological and other control measures implemented to prevent exposures to the waste materials would be more than adequate to prevent potential exposures to beryllium.
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