ML19208C209

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Forwards IE Bulletin 79-19, Packaging of Low Level Radioactive Waste for Transport & Burial. Action Required
ML19208C209
Person / Time
Issue date: 08/10/1979
From: James O'Reilly
NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II)
To:
EMVROZA
References
NUDOCS 7909250137
Download: ML19208C209 (1)


Text

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

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E REGION 11 101 MAniETT A si., N W., sulT E 3100 k

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ATLANT A, CEoRGI A 30303 AUG 101979 NuZA MATCH CORPORATION GRANDE PRINCESSE PLOT NO.6C LA VI 00920 GNRISTIANSTED ST. C Inclosed is IE Bulletin No. 79-19, which requires action by you vith regard to your NRC license.

Should you have questions regardire this Bulletin or the actions required of you, please contact this office.

Sincerely, N

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Q Janei~P. O'Reilly Director

Enclosures:

1.

IE Bulletin No. 79-19 2.

List of Bulletins Issued in Last Six Months Obl270

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Accession No:

7908070515 SSINS No:

6820 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT WASHINGTON, D.C.

20555 August 10, 1979 IE Bulletin No. 79-19 PACKAGING OF LOW-LEVEL RADI0 ACTIVE WASTE FOR TRANSPORT Ah3 BURIAL Description of Circumstances:

Low-level radioactive waste is that waste which can be transferred and shipped to one af three waste burial facilities which are located in and licensed by the Agreement States of Nevada, South Carolina, and Washington. On July 10, 1979, the Governors of the three states notified NRC Chairman Hendrie of the serious and repeated disregard for rules governing the shipments of low-level radioactive wastes to these burial facilities.

Examples of violations of Agreement State, DOT and NRC rules follow:

Improperly packaged uranium fines igniting packaged liquid scintillation vials in combustible waste is believed to have caused a fire and destruction of a truck at the Beatty, Nevada burial facility on May 14, 1979.

On July 2, '979, three of twelve steel containers shipped to the Beatty burial facility were found to be leaking radioactive material. The material was described on the bill of lading as being a solid inorganic salt (evaporator concentrates solidified with urea formaldehyde) from a reactor facility.

The Governor of the State of Nevada ordered the drums to be shipped out of the state and the burial facility was temporarily closed.

On July 30, the first shipment into the reopened Beatty facility contained free liquid in " solid" material.

The radioactive contents were sand filters used at an insitu leaching process at a uranium mill.

Forty-three shipments with sixty-three deficiencies were observed during the package inspection program between April 10 and July 5, 1979, by the Agreement State of South Carolina, at the Barnwell, S.C. burial facility. The shipments were from reactor, medical, industrial and military facilities.

On June 28, 1979, the Federal Highway Administration issued a Notice of Violation to a reactor facility proposiqa a.M4 SQf)disfdg.4pck enntanjag tion resulting from improper closures o for improper loading of the drums on th DUPLICATE DOCUMENT

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These are a few examples of shipments o Fntire document previously entered j

facilities which did not fully maet NRC into system under:

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Governors of the three States with lice ANO thet if the situation is not rectified, i

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would deny use of the three burial site No. of pages:

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