ML19209B345
| ML19209B345 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07000008 |
| Issue date: | 08/10/1979 |
| From: | James Keppler NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | Ungar E Battelle Memorial Institute, COLUMBUS LABORATORIES |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7910090535 | |
| Download: ML19209B345 (1) | |
Text
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UNITED STATES l'\\*
/ 'n NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 3.,,,
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GLEN ELLYN, ILLINots 60137
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AUG 101979 Docket No. 70-08 Battelle Columbus Laboratories ATTN:
Dr. E. W. Ungar, Director 505 King Avenue Columbus, OH 43201 Gent' men:
Enclosed is IE Bulletin No. 79-19, which requires action by you with regard to your NRC license.
Should you have questions regarding this Bulletin or the actions required of you, please contact this office.
Sincerely, (b.
sV
/
LJames G. Keppler Director
Enclosures:
1.
List of Bulletins Issued in Last Six Months cc w/ encl:
Mr. H. L. Toy, Lice.nse Coordinator Central Files PDR NSIC TIC 7910090 53 5 1122 016
5 Accession No:
7908070515 SSINS No:
6820 UNITED STATE 9 NUCLEAR REGULATORY O MMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEJENT e E
WASHINGTON, D.C.
20555 4
4 i
August 10, 1979 IE Bulletia No. 79-19 PACKAGING OF LOW-LEVEL RADI0 ACTIVE WASTE FOR TRANSPORT AND B'JRI'J.
Description of Circumstances:
Low-level radioactive waste is that waste which can be tran,sferred and shipped to one of three waste burial racilities which are located in and licensed by the Agreement States of Nevada, South Carolina, and Washington On July 10, U79, 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 vastes to these burial facilities.
Examples of violations of Agreement State, DOT and NRC rules follow:
Improperly packaged uranium fines igniting packaged liquid scintil.ation 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, 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. 'ihe 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_tr a-tion resulting from improper closu
k for improper loading of the drums
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Governors of the three States with 9
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that if the situation is not recti would deny use of the three burial
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