PRELIMINARY SURVEY OF

BRIDGEPORT BRASS COMPANY

SEYMOUR, CONNECTICUT

Work performed by the

Health and Safety Research Division Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830

March 1980

OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY operated by

UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION for the

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY as part of the

Formerly Utilized Sites-- Remedial Action Program

BRIDGEPORT BRASS COMPANY SEYMOUR, CONNECTICUT

At the request of the Department of Energy (then ERDA), a preliminary

survey was performed at the Bridgeport Brass Company in Seymour,

Connecticut (Fig. 1) on January 26, 1977, to assess the radiological

status of those facilities used under Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)

contract during the period 1962 through 1964. Mr. Edwin F. Rich, Plant

Engineer, provided information about the project and identified those

areas utilized in the project. Contract work involved the developmental

process of cold-forming (extrusion) of natural uranium metal, associated

storage, and laboratory support. This operation was moved to the site

from the Company's Havens Laboratory, Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1962.

Present Use of Facilities

From information contained in ERDA records and that obtained during

the survey, the extrusion operations were conducted in a portion of only

one building (area approximately 30 x 100 ft). An adjacent area of

similar size was used for uranium and general storage, machine shop,

cutting and grinding room, and laboratory hood area (Fig. 2). The area

is now a printing plant with associated offices., warehousing, etc.,

owned by National Distillers and Chemical Corporation. Bridgeport Brass

Company is a subsidiary of this company. It was determined that the

Health and Safety Laboratory (HASL) conducted a radiological survey of

the facility in 1964 when the project terminated (report attached).

Results of Preliminary Survey

The preliminary survey was conducted by H. W. Dickson and M. T. Ryan

of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and W. T. Thornton of the DOE/Oak

Ridge Operations Office (then ERDA). A survey was conducted in the

former Dynapak Extrusion Area, in an adjacent area used for uranium

storage (see Fig. Z), in a space formerly used for offices, and in an

area above the former office area (see Fig. 3). The survey consisted of

gamna-ray exposure-rate measurements 1 m above the floor surface,

2

beta-gamma dose-rate measurements 1 cm above the surface, and direct

alpha radiation measurements made at contact with the surface.

Garmna-ray measurements in the former extrusion area (Fig. 2)

resulted in a maximum reading of 9 uR/hr 1 m above the surface. The

maximum beta-gamma dose rate 1 cm from the surface in that area was 0.6

mrad/hr, and the maximum gamma-ray exposure rate was 50 uR/hr 1 cm from

the surface. The maximum direct alpha radiation measured was 300 dpm/lOO cm2.

In the former storage area just outside the extrusion plant, the following

maximum readings were observed: 6 uR/hr gatmna-ray exposure rate 1 m

above the surface, 0.20 mrad/hr beta-gamma, and 30 pR/hr gamma-ray

exposure rate at 1 cm from the surface. No alpha activity above back-

ground was detected in this area. In the former office area (now print

shop) (Fig. 3), the following maximum readings were observed: 8 uR/hr

gannna-ray exposure rate at 1 m above the surface, 1.75 mrad/hr beta-

gama, and 130 uR/hr gamma-ray exposure rate at 1 cm from the surface.

The corresponding direct alpha radiation measured at this point

in concrete floor) was 180 dpm/lOO cm2. All measurements made

second level of the facility were at background levels.

An effort was made to confirm radiation levels presented i

(crack

on the

na

report of a survey conducted by A. J. Breslin, former HASL, October 21,

1964 (see attached report). Most of the current measurements were found

to be in agreement with those in the 1964 survey and within existing

Nuclear Regulatory Commission guidelines for unrestricted use. However,

in one area, radiation levels were found to approach or exceed these

guidelines. Because of this, some additional measurements should be

taken at this site.

.

0 -+I f

W

. /

4

DYNAF’AK EXTRUSION AREA

‘!- 100’ T 300 dpm 0 in former extrusion areaa

(maximum) I 0.6 mrad/hr B/Y in'former extrusion areab

3d (maximum)

I

50-uR/hr y in former extrusion areab (maximum)

9 pR/hr y in former extrusion areaC (maximumk .

!k is!

0.20 mrad/hr B/Y just outside

7 . .(maximum)

z extrusion area B

v,

3@wR/hr y just outside extrusion area (maximum) 1

s ci Y

6 pR/hr y just outside extrusion area (maximum)

I

9 2i . 6 ii is

QAlpha activity over a loo-cm2 area. b Dose rate at 1 cm above the surface.

'Exposure rate at 1 m above the survace.

Fig. 2. Location and radiation levels inside the area once used for extrusion operations at the Bridgeport Brass Company site.

. .

. . . - - . , . - - - .

--.-.-~l_- .____

5

OFFICE AREA (PRINT SHOP)

I 30’

DOWNSTAIRS

180 dpm a in former office areaa (maximum)

1.75 mrad/hr B/Y in former office areab (maximum)

0.13 mR/hr in former office arez maximum)

8 pR/hr in former office arei (maximum)

---t---

STORAGE AREA

UPSTAIRS

All measurements upstairs were at the background level

'Alpha radiation over a lOO-cm2 area.

'Dose rate at 1 cm above the surface.

'Exposure rate at 1 m above the surface.

Fig. 3. Location and radiation levels inside the area used for office operations at the Bridgeport Brass Company site.

.

--.i- ---- ._.. - __--_--..------ .--. --__-

John W. Ruth, Director Feed Materials DLvlston - OR

A. J. Bresiln, Director Health Protection Engineering Division, HAS, NY

CONTAAMXNATION SURW AT F”cTNE ME’IALS, INC., SEYMOUR,

Summary Accompanfed by Mr. A. GreUa of Inactive Met&, on Cktober 21, 1964, 1 vlaited the Seymour faduty, formerly occupied by Reactive Metals, to perform the survey requested in your telegram to Dr. 3arl8y dated Oc&ber 7. We inspected aU tooms that were related to XC contract activities and measured surhtce cxmtamlaation in tha following areas: machine shop, metai storage area, lab hood area, cutting and grIncUng room, and Dynapack &we& Afl rooms were frcs of process and office squ@znent and were cleaa In appearance. Local exhaust ventilation systems had been removed iran the process areas. The only ffxtures and equipment tn evidence wem itghtfng fLxture8, slectrb& gas and cxmpres3ed air sowlces, air conci.ltio.ning SyStems, and 4 few porrab~e fire f2?aingutshers.

In my judgment, the prvcoss areas have been ckaned of uranium contamina- tion satisfactorily and CSXI &a6 released for unrestricted use.

,’ _’ / ;_ sumw

.

Following iucili~ decontamination by Reactive Metals, but prior to my visit, Mt. Greila had performed a detailed survey of floor contamlnatioq. EUa measurements were u&e on grid patterns est8bkh8d for each of the prokess

areas. His Sumwf results are shown in Flgwes 1 - 4.

My measurements wwe perfunned at hations seicctod randomly from the same grid patterns, awering about one-third of the locations included in his survey. (It should be noted that the kations were only approxhnately the same.) In addltfon, 1 measured contamination on a few surfaces above

the floor such as window sUls ond shelves. The results ~‘8 shoWn ln NgW8s 5 - 9. Numbers on the floor pkini3 Co~OSpOnd t0 thOS8 on ?iir, Gr8ik'S

diagrams. 7%~ circled numbers indicate locattons at which measurements were obtained.

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An EberUne PAC 1SA alpha surv8y meter and 8 Universal Atmics ,Model 9700 beta-garnna survey motet wera used for contact measurements. Suear SampLlag axWstsd ofrukblng a one inch &meter ftlterpaperuvetan awa of appK?tdmat~Ay IOOcm~.

Ihe bsta-gauma measuremnts are repxted in units of mlUlrad/frour. Any UZ&SlE8mor&t W - .05 -d/hour 1s Oqufvaknt to b!k%gfw.nd.

llZ8Um-i -to me r0ported directly 80 net alpha dislntegrations/1UO uquare cet2tim8tem.

Ihe smear meaauregsen~ were in a rather u cils/la/10(ic?n2.

narrow range of 2n to 90

u cii§~xz&l/100csn2. The single measurement 3n tie lab hood area was 3

Wth the exception of thr0e or four v&x85, the hta-gammu measurements did IMP etxce& backgrorntd, Z&e highest value ivos 0.5 miUrad/hour .

Agreement wit! Mr. GreIIa’s data is good and cestalnly within the limits of expected differences for this kind of survey0 Accorcilng to Mr. Grelta, the fked alpha vaIues llsted on hla survey sheets represent readings from a PAC 12% corrected fora 50 c/m !xwkground~ ‘Ibrefore, a more appropriate heading for his measurementu would be "XlBt counts/min/bOcm2.”

Iam not awareof anyAK stnndards for SutfaC8 axW%&WlOnwithwltich the sUnmy data .nay be compared. lbwmmr, the values are quite km and 4xwmlnly are halgniflc8nt with respect to any mod0 oi exposure that can be hypothesized. .

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k 8 pofnt of ruftmwe, these values are weU Mow the Umlta mentfoned i?l the nibport "Xeaith Protection Pmgmn Rsvirrrw of Speclal L:etalij Dsvekq- mont D0pzutmnt, bactfw rL!lMzJ~s, xno .a Sayuour, Connecteut - June 1'364' by WluaP A. Pryor imd aaynond L. xervfn.

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25. 26. -27 0 28

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_Location 3 ’

: 4 8

13 15 1 5A( Top of Shelf) 19 21 21A (Window Siil) 28

,. .:. . .

. Fig. 5

Painted Concrete Floor

Contact Readins a c/m/60cmZ p-y mrad/hr

400 l . .03 400 .04 500 .02 800 .05 600 .05 100

900 -02 6500

,++.J l 5 r,rr

300 )

700 .03

Smear a-d/m/100cm2

20 20

90 . 80

70

.

30

HASL - October 19

._ ---.

. .

METALSTORAGE AREA

I 0 ? .2: $ ? 0 5A -

0 5 6 (ramp)

7 8

0 0 ‘9 .

8A

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19 11

I 0 .l8 19 .I * . . .

0 20 21 22

\- 40' >-

Location 1

5

SA (Top ofrolldoor housing) .

8A(Ughtfixture) 100

9 . 700 . .03 80

13

17

18

20

.

Contact Readins Smeai iic/m/60cm2 3-y mrad/hr ad/m/lOOcm'

300 .02 40

'400 .02

300

.

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Fig. 6

Painted Concrete Floor

N

70

30

.60

400 .lO

400 .05

80

. 80

400 .08

500 .25 70 .

HASL -Oct. 1964

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Fig. 7 CUTTING AND GRINDING ROOM

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17 18 19 @

21 @ 23 24.

. &cation 4

5 8A (Window Sill) 11

. 13

16A (Window Sill) 20 . 22

.

,

Asphalt Tile Floor

.

.

Contact Reading . . Smear -a c/m/60cm2 0-v mradhr a d/m/100cm2

300 .04

200 .06 800 .05 . 200 .02 200 .04

200 .02 100 .04 300 .Ol

.

HASL - Oct. 196

Platform --1 -1 -y ;: yqij=QFg* .

Dynapack Base

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Location 3 4 6A (Base) . 8A (Base) 8 B (Trench) 11 12

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.

16A (Top Elect. Box) 17A (Step) 17B (Shelf) 17C (Office Roof)

18

Contact Reading p c/m/60cm2 P-Y mrad/hr a d/m/100cm2

100 .03 100 .Ol 20 u 400 0.4 7 2 200 .os %

300 .07 ii 100 .02 14

100 .03 250

F .O2 ?

. 250 .02 =r c

350 .02 z!a . 400 .03 gg 2

200 .03 2 . 02

200 .03 2 G

LAB HOOD AREA

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kxzation

1

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Fig. 9

N \

Asphalt Tile Floor

‘;r N

Y

1.0’ c

Contact Readins a c/m/60cm2 p-y rnrad/hr

.

&near a d/m/100cm2

.02

. .

. . 3

.

HASL - October 1964

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