| Building
Number/Name: Date prepared: Responsible Contractor: Contact: |
308 June 10, 2002 BHI S. Coleman |
PAST OPERATIONS
Beryllium brought in facility: YES
Form of beryllium: SOLID
Period of beryllium operations (dates): Start: 1961 End: 1969
Location(s) in facility that contained beryllium materials: Room
113, 170
Description of beryllium activities: Building 308, then known as the Plutonium Fabrication Pilot Plant, was completed in 1960. Its original mission was to provide laboratories and fuel fabrication facilities for the development of reactor fuels containing plutonium. However, operational problems brought major cutbacks after 1965. Between 1966 and 1968, fuel target elements clad in Zircaloy-2 were produced in Building 308. In the 1970s, it was renamed the Fuels Development Laboratory and beginning in 1976, the main mission became the preparation and testing of all FFTF fuel assemblies. A 1961 report identified the machining of a beryllium cylinder in room 113. A 1963 report identified beryllium ceramic ware heated to 1700°C in a furnace in room 170.
Building monitoring data summary: Two swipe samples were taken from the surface of a lathe in 1961 with reported results of 6.51 and 0.13 mg/100cm2. Three swipe samples were collected from in/and around the ceramic ware furnace in 1963 with reported results of 0.09 mg/100cm2 or lower; a single sample collected from the pedestal inside the furnace was reported to be 5.32 mg/100cm2.
On 12/18/01, 6 swipe samples were taken on the floor in and around where the ceramic furnace had been located in room 170. Two swipe samples were taken inside the opening of a ventilation duct that had apparently been connected to the furnace. At the same time, 4 swipe samples were taken from the floor and two inside a laboratory hood in the adjacent room 172. All swipe samples were less than 0.2 mg/100cm2.
Personnel monitoring data summary: No personal monitoring data was found for this building that described exposures during historical operations. Three personal airborne samples were taken during surveillance of the inactive facility on June 7, 2001. All results were less than 0.003 mg/M3
Specify Engineering/Administrative controls used during operations: Work was conducted in a lucite enclosure (deemed inadequate) and the report recommended that the future machining of beryllium be performed elsewhere.
Maximum Estimated Past Be exposure: LOW
CURRENT OPERATIONS
Building still present: YES
Beryllium present: NO*
Current building occupancy/activity: Although this building is currently unoccupied, quarterly walkthrough surveillance is conducted.
Maximum Estimated Current Be exposure: NONE
Basis for above information: Stone and Webster report, publication WHC-MR-0388, interviews with site personnel, and historic swipe samples.
Comments, including any additional information needed (specify): The information in the 1961 report identified this as a proposed facility and it was unclear if machining operations were continued.
* There is no current evidence to suggest the presence of beryllium or beryllium compounds in this building. No additional swipe sampling recommended at this time.
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