IR 05000320/1980010
| ML19347B659 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 02700048, Crane |
| Issue date: | 07/30/1980 |
| From: | Fasano A, Shanbaky M, Thonus L NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19347B653 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-320-80-10, 50-320-80-14, NUDOCS 8010150511 | |
| Download: ML19347B659 (6) | |
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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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OFFICE'0F INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
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Region I
Report No.
50-320/80-10 Docket No.
50-320 License No.
DPR-73 Priority
~ Category c
3-Licensee:
Metropolitan Edison Company
_P. O. Box 542 f
Reading, Pennsylvania 19603 Facil 4ty Name:
Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 2
' Inspection at: -Middletown, Pennsylvania i
Inspection conducted:
March 17 - April ll, 1980 i
Inspector:
N
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~7/30/9d
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L. H. Thonus,' Radiation Specialist date signed Reviewed:
W.
Md 7[70k#
M. M. Shanbaky, SenMr Radiation Specialist
' 'date' si gned Approved by:
h 6~O 7[o/M A. N. Phsano, Chief, Site Operations Section, date' signed TMI Prcgram Office Inspection Summary:
Inspection on March 17 - April 11,1980, (Inspection
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Report No. 50-320/80-10).
Areas Inspected: Special unannounced inspection by one resident inspector of shipments of radioactive liquid samples to Babcock and Wilcox and Oak Ridge National Laboratory including review of discrepant shipments and i
packaging safety analysis.
Results: Of the two areas inspected, one item of noncompliance was identified
.in each area (violation - failure to use leak resistant inner containment vessel for radioactive ~ liquid shipments - paragraph 2; violation - failure
to comply with authorized packaging for a Type A shipment - paragraph 3),
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DETAILS 1.
Persons Contacted J. Hess, Radioactive Material Coordinator, Nuclear Support Services
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L. Zehner, Radioactive Material Coordinator, Nuclear Support Services W. Pitka, Chemist, Babcock and Wilcox J. Price, Chemist, Oak Ridge National Laboratory 2.
Review of Discrepant Shipments On February. 6,1980, the licensee shipped a reactor coolant sample to Babcock and Wilcox, Lynchburg, Virginia.
The 30 mi sample was packaged in a sample bomb which was placed in absorbent material and dunnage inside a Department of Transportation (DOT) specifi-catiion 7A (17H certified as 7A) drum.
The sample containea O prox-imately 100 uCi/ml of mixed fission products.
When the shipment arrived in Lynchburg, the consignee found that approximately one half of the coolant sample had leaked outside the sample bomb (innercontainmentvessel).
No radioactive material leaked outside the outer container (drum)
as indicated by the recipients smear surveys.
Radiation levels on the outside of the drum also remained within limits based upon the recipient's survey.
The shipment did represent an increased radiological hazard and potential.for personnel contamination for the recipient in that the radioactive material was partially dispersed and in a location where it was not expected.
Review of the incident and discussions with the licensee and contractor personnel involved with the shipment indicatid that the leak was caused by the valve handles being left on the sample bomb and the lack of end caps during shipment.
Normally the valve handles are removed to prevent movement of the valve stems and caps placed over the ends of the sample bomb outboard of the valves to prevent the possibility of leakage.
If tha valve handles are left on during shipment, the sample bomb is susceptable to leakage when vibrations cause the valve handle to bump aaainst the packaging and turn.
Babcock and Wilcox personnel notified the licensee of the leakage and problems associated with the shipment.
The licensee-took immediate corrective action by modifying the reactor coolant sample ICS) procedure to require reme.a1 of the valve handles and installation f caps lon the sample bombs.
This step in the procedure now requires a verification signature by the individual performing the activity.
On March 6, 1980, the licensee shipped a 55 gallon Department of fransportation (DOT) specification 7A drum '(17H certified as 7A) to l
i Oak Ridge National. Laboratory (OrJ1L), Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
The drum contained 10 lead wrapped 250 ml polyethylene sample bottles, j
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One bottle contained a reactor coolant bleed tank (RCBT) sample with activity _ of approximately 100 uCi/ml of mixed fission products.
The other 9 bottles contained several orders of magnitude less activity.
When the shipment arrived in Oak Ridge the consignee found that the bottle containing the RCBT sample and 3 other bottles had leaked during transit.
The RCBT sample bottle was at the bottom of the drum and was crushed by the weight of the other samples.
The RCBT sample was in a wide-mouth screw cap polyethylene bottle and pressure transients encountered during the air shipments may have contributed to the leakage.
No radioactive material leaked outside the outer container (drum)
as indicated by ORNL smear surveys.
Radiation levels on the outside of the drum also remained within limits, based upon ORNL surveys.
The shipment represented an increased radiological hazard to the recipient due to the dispersal _of the radioactive material inside the drum.
High-activity and low-activity samples were shipped within the same drum without a diagram showing the location and identity of each sample.
ORNL personnel notified the licensee of the leakage and problems associated with the shipment via the Department of Energy (00E).
'he licensee's immediate corrective action was to suspend shipments of this configuration (polyethylene bottles in a 17H/7A 55 gallon
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drum) pending further evaluation.
The inspector noted that 10 CFR 71.5 " Transportation of licensed material," states in part "No licensee shall transport any licensed material outside of the confines of his plant or other place of use, or deliver any licensed material to a carrier for transport, unless the licensee complies with the applicable requirements to the regulations appropriate to the mode of transport, of the Department of Transportation in 49 CFR Parts 170-189, and the U.S.
Postal Service in 39 CFR Parts 14 and 15 insofar as such regulations relate to the packaging of byproduct, source, or special nuclear material, marking and labeling of the packages, loading and storage of packages, placarding of the transportation vehicle, monitoring requirements and accident reporting." Department of Transportation regulations in 49 CFR Part 173.393(g) require that " Liquid radioactive material in Type A ~ quantities aust be packaged in or within a leak-
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resistant and corrosion-resistant inner containment vessel."
The fact that the inner containment vessels leaked during the two referenced shipments demonstrated that these inner containment vessels were not leak-resistant in the configuration in which they-were shipped.
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The inspector identified the above instances of failure to use-leak-resistant ccntainers as noncompliance with the requirements of 49 CFR 173.393(g) and 10 CFR 71.5 (50-320/80-10-01).
3.
Package Safety Analysis 10 CFR 71.5 " Transportation of licensed material," states in part
"No licensee shall transport any censed material outside of the confines of his plant or other place of use, or deliver any licensed material to a carrier for transport, unless the licensee complies
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with the applicable requirements ta the regulations appropriate to the mode of transport, of the Department of Transportation in 49 CFR Parts 170-189, and the U.S. Postal Service in 39 CFR Parts 14 and 15 insofar as such regulations relate to the packaging of byproduct source, or special nuclear material, marking and labeling of the packages, loading and storage of packages, placarding of the transportation vehicle, monitoring requirements and accident reporting.
49 CFR Part 173.395 " Radioactive material in normal form," recuires that "In addition to the applicable requirements of paragraphs 173.24 and 173.393, a Type A quantity of normal form radioactive material must be packaged as follows:
(1) Specification 7A (paragraph 178.350 of this subchapter)
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Type A general packaging.
Each shipper of a specification 7A packaging must maintain on file for at least one year after the latest shipment, and be prepared to provide the Department, a complete certification and supporting safety analysis demonstrating that the construction methods, packaging design, and materials of construction are in compliance with the specification..."
The inspector subsequently reviewed the licensee's certification and su.pporting safety analysis for 17H-drums demonstrating that the construction methods, packaging design and materials of construction are in compliance with the specification.
The section titled
" Authorized Contents" listed " Type ' A'"
quantities of solid radioactive material in normal or special form."' The test data were excerpted from Mound Laboratory report MLM-2228.
The safety analysis contained no test data or calculations demonstrating that the packaging would meet the requirements for radioactive liquids contained in 49 CFR Part 173.393(g)(1) which states:
"The packaging must be adequate to prevent loss or dispers!.1 of the radioactive contents from the inner containment vessel if the package was subjected to the 9 meter (30-foot) drop test prescribed in paragraph 173.398(c)(2)(i)..."
j The requirements of 49 CFR Part 173.395 were not met in that the use of 17H drums for radioactive liquid shipments was not authorized
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by the licensee's safety analysis and no analysis was conducted
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demonstrating that the packaging would' meet the requirements of paragraph 173.393(g)(1).
Thus the drums were not authorized for shipment of Type ' A' liquid radioactive material.
The inspector identified the two instances of failure to use authorized packaging for shipment of Type 'A' liquid radioactive material as noncompliance with:the requirements _of 49 CFR 173.395 and 10 CFR 71.5 (50-320/80-10-02)..
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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
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Region I I
50-320/80-14 Report No.
Docket No. 50-320 DPR-73 License No.
Priority Category Licensee:
Metropolitan Edison Company 100 Interpace Parkway Parsippany, New Jersey Facility Name:
Shipment from TMI-II Inspection at:
Richland, Washington Znspection conducted:
June 10, 1980 fnspectors:
(see attached report cover sheet)
date signed date signed date signed Approved by:
(see attached report cover sheet)
date signed fnspection Summary:
(see attached report cover sheet)
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. Region I Form 12
.(Rev. April'77)
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