ML18082A663
| ML18082A663 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Salem  |
| Issue date: | 05/28/1980 |
| From: | Grier B NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | Schneider F Public Service Enterprise Group |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8007020133 | |
| Download: ML18082A663 (4) | |
Text
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION I 631 PARK AVENUE KING OF PRUSSIA, PENNSYLVANIA 19406 Docket No. 50-272 50-311 May 28, 1980 Public: Service Electric and Gas Compa_ny ATIN:
Mr. F. W. Schneider Vice President - Production 80 Park Place Newark, New Jersey 07101 Gentlemen:
-The enclosed IE Information Notice No. 80-22, 11Breakdowns in Contamination Control Programs, 11 is forwarded to you for information.
No written response is required.
If you desire additional information regarding this matter, please contact this office.
Sincerely,
~)/)/.~
/,Ji.,* B?yce H. Grier
(/__. 01 rector
Enclosures:
- 1.
IE Information Notice No. 80-22 2..
Li st of Recently Issued IE Information Not.ices CONTACT:
P. J. Knapp (215-337-5243) cc w/encls:
F. P. Librizzi, General Manager-* Electric Production E. N. Schwalje, Manager - Quality Assurance R. L. Mittl, General Manager - Licensing and Environment H. J. Midura, Manager - Salem Generating Station
.8 0 0 7 0 2 0\\33
ENCLOSURE 1
- ssINS: 6870 Accessions No:
UNITED.STATES 8005050059 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
. WASHINGTON, DC 20555 BREAKDOWNS IN CONTAMINATION CONTROL PROGRAMS Description of Circumstances
- IE Information Notice No. 80-22 Date:
May 28, 1980 Page 1 of 2 Recent inspect ions at power reactors hav.e revealed breakdowns in contamination control programs resulting in releases of.radioactive materials to the unre-stricted area and off-site environment by several different pathways.
The first pathway was via disposal of supposedly clean trash.in the nearby county sanitary landfill. High background radiation levels due to an onsite
- buildup of radioactive waste precluded adequate radiation surveys of clean trash prior to removal from the restricted area.
In addition-, *the surveys were being conducted by improperly trained personnel.
The result was the undetected disposal of radioactive material in the local sanitary landfill.
An. NRC inspector observed the practice and confirmed his suspicions when he
- detected levels of radiation 10 to 20 times normal background levels at the 1andfi11. *Subsequent surveys by the 1 i cens_ee, the State, and the NRC revealed
- several other areas in the* landfill with higher than normal dose rates.
Excavation by the licensee *revealed items with contamination levels up to 100 mrem/hr contact reading.
These items had been delivered with the clean trash from the p Tant and buried at the landfill.
A second pathway was identified to be through the sale by the licensee of scrap materials to salvage dealers in the surrounding area.
Several items with contamination levels in excess of the licensee 1s unrestricted area release limits were discovered to have been sold to these vendors.
Maximum dose rates on these items did not exceed 1.0 mrem/hr.
This condition evidently also resulted from the elevated background radiation levels within the plant and the practice of permitting unqualified personnel to conduct radiation surveys.
A third pathway was found during a recent NRC inspection.
An NRC inspector 1s radiation survey revealed soil contamination on site extending beyond the protected area fence.
Radiation levels as high as 1.5 mrem/hr were measured on contact with the soil. The contamination is believed to be atmospheric fallout of particulate radioactivity which was exhausted from the plant stack during containment purge.following explosive plugging of steam generator tubes.
The steam generator manways were not covered and the purge system was not equipped with HEPA filters.
The licensee 1s survey program did not include routine, periodic site and perimeter surveys.
e IE Information Notice No. 80-22 Date:
May 28, 1980 Page 2 of 2 This IE Information Notice is provided as an early notification of a significant matter that is still under review by the NRC staff. It is expected that recipients will review the information for possible applicability to their facilities.
No specific action or response is requested at this time.
If NRC evaluations so indicate, further licensee actions may be required.
No written response to this IE Information Notice is required. If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact the Director of the appro-priate NRC Regional Office.
\\......
.ENCLOSURE 2.
IE Information Notice No. 80-22 Date:
May 28, 1980 Page l of 1 RECENTLY ISSUED IE INFORMATION NOTICES Informatfon.
Subject Date Notice No.
Issued 80-14.
Safety Suggestions from 4/2/80 Employees 80-15 Axial (Longitudinal) 4/21/80 Oriented Cracking in Piping.
80-16 Shaft Seal Packing 5/5/80 Causes Binding in Main 80-17' 80-18 80-19 80-20 80-21 Steam Swing Check and Isolation Valves Potential Hazards Associated With Interchangeable Parts 5/5/80 On Radiographic Equipment.
Possible Weapons 5/5/SO Smuggling Pouch NIOSH Recall of Recir-5/6/80 culation-Mode (Closed-Circuit) Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (Rebreathers)
Loss of Decay Heat Re-5/8/80 moval Capability at Davis-Besse Unit 1 While fn Refueling Mode Anchorage and Support of Safety-Related Electrical Equipment 5/16/80 Issued to All Power Reactor Facil-ities with an (Operating License (01) or Construction Permit (CP), Fuel Fabrica-tion and Processing Facili-ties and Materials Priority 1 Licensees All Power Reactor Facil-ities with an OL or CP A 11 *Power Reactor Faci 1-i ti es with an OL or CP All Radiographic Licensees All Power Reactor Faci-lities with an OL, Fuel Fabrication and Processing Facilities and Materials Priority I Licensees All Power Reactors with an OL, Research Reactors, Fuel Facilities and Priority I Material Licensees All Power Reactor Faci-lities with an OL or CP All Power Reactor Faci-lities with an OL or CP