Research reactor surveys

["FS BOSTON ROBERT DENNIS" <BOSTROBE@fs.isu.edu>]

I would like to get some opinions on a subject that recently came up 
at a reactor operator training session.

Idaho State has an AGN-201 reactor in its engineering school that is 
rated at a whole 5W (5*10^8 n/cm^2-s).  Because of a comment made by 
the NRC after a recent inspection we are know surveying everything 
that has been exposed to a nuetron flux from the reactor.

While I don't have a problem doing this, I feel it's an over reaction 
in many cases.  For example some common materials that are put into 
the experimental beam ports are: 1) polyethalene, which never 
activates to levels that can even be measured  2) Wood spacers, same 
as above.  3) Lead shielding, has such a low cross-section to thermal 
neutrons that a much higher flux is required to have appreciable 
activity.