ML19209B331
| ML19209B331 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | University of Wisconsin |
| Issue date: | 08/10/1979 |
| From: | James Keppler NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | Maynard C WISCONSIN, UNIV. OF, MADISON, WI |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7910090514 | |
| Download: ML19209B331 (1) | |
Text
a
" %,,'c, b
s6' p
UNITED STATES E 'v
- $>.d@h o 3'
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION E*
REGION lil f
799 ROOSEVELT ROAD o
g, ' G f GLEN ELLYN,lLLINOIS 601?7
- ...+
gG 101979 Docket No. 50-156 The University of Wisconsin ATTN:
Dr. C. W. Maynard Reactor Director Nuclear Engineering Department Madison, WI 53705 Gentlemen:
Enclosed is IE Bulletin No. 79-19, which requirer, action by you with regard to your reactor facility with an operating licente.
Should you have any questions regarding this Bulletin or the actions required of you, please contact this office.
Sincerely, 0'
l o'/
e James G. Keppler 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 11i2 193 2 810090 F/7
T Accession No:
7908070515 SSINS No: 6820 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT l
WASHINGTON, D.C.
20555 August 10, 1979 IE Bulletin No. 79-19 PACKAGING OF LOW-LEVEL RADI0 ACTIVE WASTE FOR TRANSPORT AND BURIAL Description of Circumstances:
Low-level radioactive waste is that waste which can be tran,sferred and shyped 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 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 sciitillation vials in combustible waste is believed to have caused a fire and destruction ci a truck at the Beatty, Nevada burial facility on May 14, 1979.
On Juir 2, 1979, three of twelve steel contait.ers shipped to the Beatty burial faciliny were found to be leaking radioactive material. The material was descrited on the bill of lading as being a solid inorganic salt (avaporator concentzates 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 che 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 % ring 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 J'ine 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 closuges.pn n
for improper loading of the drums DUPLICATE DOCUMEN,2 These are a few examples of shipme facilities which did not fully see Entire document previously enterema which were developed to protect th into syster under:
Governors of the three States with p
h that if the situation is not recti ANO would deny use of the three burial 4
No. of Pages:
j 4
.-