1962
SAAMA’S RESPONSIBILITY IN MANAGING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL AND RADIAC EQUIPMENT
Mr. Robert Galindo
Kelly Air Force Base, Texas
INTRODUCTION
In an organization as immense and complex as the Air Force, the dissemination of Information is often difficult. We, therefore, welcome this opportunity to talk with a group such as this whose interests are directly linked to ours. We at SAAMA in effect form a bridge between the industrial health interests which you represent and the logistics organizations. SAAMA’s responsibilities in nuclear materials and radiac equipment management are many and complex. In this short period of time I can only give you a broad brush treatment which I hope will provide sufficient information to give you an additional and useful tool in your work.
NUCLEAR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT
a. Guidance Documents
The primary Air Force guidance documents for nuclear materials are AFR 160-124 and the 00-11ON series technical orders. The USAF Radioisotope Committee is responsible for the regulation~. SAAMA is responsible for the technical orders. AFR 160-124 provides basic policy on entry of radioactive material into the Air Force. The 00-IlON technical orders prescribe how stock listed radioactive items are to be handled within the Air Force and therefore provide detailed instructions on acquisition, handling, and storing, accountability, leak testing and disposal. In fact, these technical orders in most cases become the supporting documents to the Air Force’s application for Atomic Energy Commission (AEC).license. Some examples are:
(1) TO 00-11ON- 1 covering radioactive luminous markers.
(2) TO 00-11ON-4 covering, magnesium thorium alloys.
(3) TO 00-11ON- 8 covering, radioactive electrostatic eliminators.
(4) TO 00-11ON-9 covering nuclear batteries.
The basic technical order in this area is TO-00-llON-3 and it applies to
all radioactive materials stock listed or otherwise.
56
In the preparation of the 00-liON technical orders we obtain our guidance information from numerous organizations. The principal of these are the USAF Radioisotope Committee, Air Force Special Weapons Center and the Atomic Energy Commission. In addition, we use such publications as the Code of Federal Regulations, Federal Radiation Council Reports and National Bureau of Standards Handbooks. We especially use Title 10, Parts 20 and 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations (which are national regulations promulgated by the Atomic Energy Commission) to establish the rules for the control of radioactive materials within the Air Force.
In addition to the preparation of the 00-11ON technical orders, we maintain surveillance over field activities through correspondence, personal visits, telephone and other means of communication to determine whether radioactive material is being properly handled and if there are discrepancies and inadequacies’ in our technical orders. From information gained from these contacts, we make the necessary revisions to our publications. We are on call to provide technical assistance to anyone within the Air Force organization, and on several occasions we have provided assistance to organizations outside of the Air Force, such as State Health Department agencies and the Federal Aviation authority.
b. AEC Licenses
Concerning AEC Licenses, SAAMA is responsible for preparing license applications for all radioactive items which are destined to become standard stock listed commodities and for assisting AF activities in preparing license applications wherein non-stock listed radioactive material is’ involved. As a matter of interest, I might point out how stock listed radioactive commodities normally enter the AF inventory. Prior to delivery to an item which contains radioactive material, the contractor is required to notify the Administrative Contracting Officer that such an item will be delivered. The ACO then must notify the USAF Radioisotope Committee, and simultaneously notify SAAMA and the inventory manager who will have ultimate logistic support responsibility for that item once it enters the inventory. Then we coordinate with the inventory manager and other concerned agencies to determine operational concepts, leak testing requirements, requisitioning procedures, storage and accountability requirements, etc. From this data we develop and publish a 00-1 lOW technical order which, as I mentioned before, becomes the basic document to the AF’s license application. We then prepare the license application,. coordinate it with the appropriate AF agencies, and forward it to the USAF Radioisotope Committee who, after review and approval, forwards same to the AEC. When the license is obtained, a copy of the license is furnished the contractor so that he can deliver the radioactive item.
57
c. Radioactive Waste Disposal.
SAAMA is further responsible for monitoring and operating the ~ Air Force’s radioactive waste disposal program. Some three or four years ago the Air Force centralized the waste disposal program at SAAMA. The guidance received from USAF was that with minimum exceptions radioactive waste was to be buried at sea. Alter considerable study, there evolved the’ present contractually supported program which is outlined in TO O0-11ON-2. Simply stated, SAAMA provides the funds and arranges for contractor disposal points; one on the east coast and one on the west coast.. Field activities then report to us the type and amount of waste, method of packaging and radiation readings. Upon review and approval of this data, we provide the reporting activity with shipping instructions.
RADIAC EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT
a. Procurement and Logistic Support
Moving into the area of radiac equipment, radiac equipment is cataloged in Federal Supply Class 6665. Included in this class are the radioactive sources required to calibrate this equipment; and included also, are other types of hazard detection equipment such as combustible gas indicators, oxygen deficiency analyzers and toxic fume detectors. SAAMA is responsible for the procurement and logistic support of all FSC 6665 equipment which has general application throughout the Air Force. Some examples of radiac equipment in the class are the alpha detectors PAC- iS and PAC-2G; the low level beta-gamma AN/PDR-27; the high level beta-gamma AN/PDR-43; and the semi-portable high level gamma MG- 3. Items normally procured through the AFLC system are known as centrally procured items. Such items are either military specification types or commercial types wherein large quantities and special logistic support requirements are involved. For these items, we procure technical data, spare parts, special tools and test equipment. In addition., we assist the commands in developing field level maintenance capabilities, and where required, . we establish a depot level maintenance capability within one or more Air Materiel Areas.
b. Radiac Maintenance
Maintenance instructions for FSC 6665 equipment are found in the 11H series technical orders. Maintenance instructions for radiac sets and calibration sources are contained in the 1 1114 series technical orders. In most cases, these technical orders are prepared by the equipment manufacturer; in other cases by our office. After publication, however, our office maintains the documents ‘up to date. The basic policy technical order’ on maintenance of radiac equipment is TO 11114-1-5.
58
In regard to actual maintenance responsibilities, I refer you to our specialized repair activity at SAAMA and the Precision Measurement Equipment (PME) Laboratory system. There are approximately 160 PME laboratories throughout the Air Force. These are responsible for field level repair, inspection, and calibration of all low-level radiac equipment. The locations of these labs can be found in TO 33-1-14. Repairs and calibration beyond the laboratories’ capability are accomplished by the specialized repair activity at SAAMA. SAAMA has, at the present time, the only high level calibration source in the Air Force. This source is the AN/UDM- lA containing 120 curies of Cesium 137, In the future, we will establish the same calibration capability at SMAMA, MAAMA, and Chateauroux, France. In the Pacific area, Tachikawa has a cross service agreement with the Navy to calibrate our high level instruments.
RELATED MANAGEMENT ASSIGNMENTS
a. Decontamination Procedures
There are some related management assignments which may be of interest to you. For example, SAAMA has the responsibility for compiling and publishing procedures for decontamination of aircraft and material contaminated with fission product debris (fallout). These procedures are found in the 00-llOA series technical orders. Aircraft, engines, and accessories are separately dealt with.
b. ECL 459, Set, Chemical, Biological and Radiological Defense Equipment
SAAMA is also responsible for the management of ECL 459 which prescribes allowances for all detection equipment required by base disaster control officers to cope with radiological, chemical and biological agents. In this area, we review, evaluate and approve or disapprove requests for additions, deletions and changes in basis of issue Involving detection equipment. We are also normally called upon to evaluate requests for inclusion of hazard detection equipment in other equipment allowance documents. For example, your own ECL 906 and SLOE 091.
c. Nuclear Power Systems
And finally in the nuclear reactor field, SAAMA has the responsibility for procurement of nuclear fuel cores. However, as everyone is aware, the Air Force is preparing to make use of nuclear energy for ground and space power and for propulsion of missiles and spacecraft. As a result we have in prospect an expansion of our present, responsibility to include logistic support of the Air Force Nuclear Power Program. It is anticipated that this assignment will be made in the not too distant future.
59
RECOMMENDATIONS
a. Technical Order Files
I have done a good bit of talking about what we do. Now I will explain how you can benefit from some of these services. First of all, I strongly recommend that you establish a technical order file containing all the 00-11 OA and 11ON series technical orders, the 11H4-8 technical orders which cover calibration sources, and selected 11H series technical orders which cover the standard hazard detection equipment you may be using. Section VII of TO 00-5-2 provides the procedure to obtain technical orders. Coordinate with your Base Publications Distribution Office to have your needs entered in the publications requirements tables. Since technical orders are revised periodically, it is necessary that you assure your office is placed on automatic distribution if you are to have the latest information available to you.
b. Equipment Acquisition
One thing all of you are interested in is: How can I get equipment without having to pay for it. Gentlemen, anything that is stock listed is available to you at no cost provided that it is entered in an ECL; that it is entered in your UAL and that assets are available. Asset availability is insured by coordination with your supply office and projection of your anticipated requirements in the RCS 3AF-5106 Report. Entry of your requirements in this report is vital as AMA personnel use it to determine the quantity of equipment to be bought. Requisitions may be submitted for equipment appearing in the aforementioned documents. I reiterate, however, if the item being requisitioned is not listed in the ECL or does not appear in the S106 Report, your requisition will in all probability not be honored.
SLOE 091 lists equipment suggested for use by Sanitary and Industrial hygiene ‘Engineers, but this list reflects only non-standard equipment. Neither our office nor the maintenance shops can support non-standard equipment, as there is no technical data or spare parts available for this equipment.. We, therefore, recommend that you use standard equipment whenever possible.
c. SAAMA Commodities Digest
For your additional information, SAAMA publishes and distributes to all bases, a monthly bulletin entitled the “SAAMA Commodities Digest”. This periodical contains information concerning all of the products which SAAMA manages. Our office usually enters several articles on existing materials and radiac equipment, on new materials or equipment which we expect to phase into the inventory, and on any item of interest that we think the field would, ?51~9t by. I recommend you arrange to be placed on
60
your base’s distribution list for the digest. This can be accomplished again through your base publications distribution office. Additional copies of the digest may be obtained by the distribution office by contacting SAAMA, Attn: NU-l.
CONCLUSION
a. At this time, I would like to mention some things that you can do that will help us do a better job of serving field activities.
(1) It will benefit us as well as yourselves if you will continue to keep current on changes made In the 160 series Air Force Regulations and with the technical order series which I have discussed.
(2) We are aware that there are a number of radioactive items in the Air Force that we do not know about, i.e, items which have somehow entered the inventory outside established channels, either through error or lack of knowledge of the system. If you should run across any of these items, we would appreciate your letting us know. Our office symbol is SANUS. Our telephone extension is 65243.
(3) We would like for you to continue looking closely at working conditions where radioactive materials are involved, and if you note questionable practices or procedures, we ask that you check with us.
b. In summary, gentlemen, we are in AFLC service organization; the only one in the nuclear business. The purpose of our existence is to serve and support the user organizations. If there is anything we can do to assist you in your work, please do not hesitate to call upon us.