ML19209B317
| ML19209B317 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | University of Iowa |
| Issue date: | 08/10/1979 |
| From: | James Keppler NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | Burnet G IOWA STATE UNIV., AMES, IA |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7910090499 | |
| Download: ML19209B317 (1) | |
Text
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UNITED STATES y,
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION e
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AUG 1.01979 Docket No. 50-116 Iowa State University ATTN:
Dr. George Burnet, Head Department of Nuclear Engineering Ames, IA 50010 Gentlemen:
Enclosed is IE Bulletin No. 79-19, which requires action by you with regard to your reactor facility with an operating license.
Should you have any questions regarding this Bulletin or the actions required of you, please contact this office.
Sincerely, de b i a-
[tJamesG.Keppler U Director
Enclosures:
1.
IE Bulletin No. 79-19 2.
List of Bulletins Issued in Last Six Months cc w/ enc 1:
Central Files Director, NRR/DPM Director, NRR/ DOR PDR NSIC TIC 1112 164 7 910090 4/f 7
Accession No:
7908070515 V
SSINS No:
6820 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT.-
i WASHINGTON, D.C.
20555 August 10, 1979 IE Bulletin No. 79-19 PACKAGING OF LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE FOR TRANSPORT AND BURIAL Description of Circumstances:
Low-level radioactive waste is that waste which can be tran,sferred and shipped to one of 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 thrce states notified NRC Chairman Hen,drie 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 dectruction of a truck at the Beatty, Nevada burial facility on May 14, 1979.
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On July 2, 1979, 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 proposing a $10,000 fine for truck contamina-tion resulting from improper closures on 55-allon drums of LSA material and for improper loading of the drums o;4 DUPLICATE DOCUMENT These are a few examples of shipmen facilities which did not fully meet Entire document previously entered which were developed to protect the into system er-Governors of the three States with
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that if the situation is not rectif ANO would deny use of the three burial
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h, 1112 165 No. or eases:
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