ML19211C161
| ML19211C161 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Farley, 07000364  |
| Issue date: | 11/16/1979 |
| From: | Kinney W, Galen Smith NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| PNO-I-79-021, PNO-I-79-21, NUDOCS 8001110007 | |
| Download: ML19211C161 (1) | |
Text
PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION Date: November 16, 1979 PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE--PHO-I-79-21 This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety or oublic interest significance.
The infomation presented is as initially received witnout verification or evaluation and is basically all that is known by IE staff on this date.
Facility:
Babcock and Wilcox Plutonium Facility Leechburg, Pennsylvania DN 70-364, License No. SNM-414
Subject:
POTENTIAL EXPOSURE OF PERSONNEL TO AIRBORNE PLifr0NIUM CONTAMINATION At 8:30 A.M. on November 16, 1979, the licensee found airborne plutonium contamination in the Fab 1 area of their Plutonium Facility.
A rubber glove on a glove box failed allowing the escape of the airborne plutonium.
A general air sample in the room located approximately 15 feet from the glove box had sufficient activity to show the release of radioactivity to the room was in a concentration which, if averaged over a period of 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> would be 583 times the limit specified for insoluble plutonium in Appendix B. Table II of 10 CFR 20.
The stack samples from the facility showed no change in activi-levels.
The room air is double HEPA filtered before release to the atmosphere.
The maintenance man working in the glove box had a positive nose smear which read 2026 dom. Fourteen other workers in the area also had positive nose smears, the highest beine 62 dpm. All persons involved are participating in bioassay and in vivo counting to detennine the amount of exposure of each individual.
Region I received notification of this occurrence from the licensee by telephone at 3:15 p.m. on Novenber 16, 1979.
The Corrnonwealth of Pennsylvania will be informed of this occurrence. A press release is not planned by the licensee or NRC at this time.
Contact:
W. Kinney 488-1213 W. Kinney 488-1213 G. Smith 488-1200 Distributton:
Transmitted H St Chat:wn Hendrie Comissioner Bradford S. J. Chilk, SECY Cornissioner Kennedy Comissioner Ahearne C. C. Kamerer, CA Cocni cioner Gilinsky ACRS (For Distribution)
Transmitted: MNBB P. Bldg IE:XOOS$/6(IE:HQDist.)
L. V. Gossick, EDO H. R. Denton, NRR H. L. Ornstein, EDO R. C. DeYoung, NRR J. J. Fouchard, PA R. J. Mattson, NRR Landow (6 min /page)
N. M. Haller, MPA D. Vassallo, NRR J. J. Cumings, OIA R. G. Ryan, OSP D. Eisenhut, NRR H. K. Shapar, ELD SS Bldg (MAIL)
W. J. Dircks, NMSS R. Minogue, SD Region II S. Levine, RES IE:XOOS D
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