ML19209B326
| ML19209B326 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | University of Michigan |
| Issue date: | 08/10/1979 |
| From: | James Keppler NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | Kerr W MICHIGAN, UNIV. OF, ANN ARBOR, MI |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7910090508 | |
| Download: ML19209B326 (1) | |
Text
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UNITED STAT ES E '" 3.,,
' 'n NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION E
REGION 111
$]\\ "' j. 8 d
799 ROOSEVELT ROAD
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8 GLEN ELLYN, ILLINOts 6G137
,o AUG 161979 Docket No. 50-2 University of Michigan ATTN:
Dr. William Kerr, Director Michigan Memorial - Phoenix Project Phoenix Memorial Laboratory Ann Arbor, MI 48105 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.
_bb.
hamesG.Keppler v Director
Enclosures:
1.
List of Bulletins Issued in Last Six Months cc w/ encl:
Central Files Director, NRR/DPM Director, NRR/ DOR PDR NSIC TIC 1112 185 7910090 709
Accession No:
7908070515 SSINS Wo:
6820 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT t.
l WASHINGTON, D.C.
20555 August 10, 1979 IE Bulletin No. 79-19 PACKAGING OF LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE FOR TRANSPORT AND BURIAL Des::ription 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 Curolina, and Washington. On July 10, 1979, the Governors of the three 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 vial.s 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, 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 teing 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 sMpment into the reopened Beatty facility contared 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 closure -EE-==H -
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for improper loading of the drums on DUPLICATE DOCUMENT 6
These are a few examples of shipmeni facilities which did not fully meet ntire document previously entered J
r which were developed to protect the into system under:
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 No. of pages:
1112 186
_.