ML19242D732
| ML19242D732 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 05000187 |
| Issue date: | 08/10/1979 |
| From: | Engelken R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION V) |
| To: | Crandall W NORTHROP CORP. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7908170032 | |
| Download: ML19242D732 (1) | |
Text
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NUCLE AR REGULATORY COT,1 MISSION
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- f SUITE 202. WALNUT Cf1f E I; Pt AZ A WALNUT CIR I h. CAllF OilNI A 9 FOG August 10, 1979 Docket ilo. 50-187 Northrop Corporation One Research Park Palos Verdes Penninsul5, California 90274 Attention:
W. E. Crar.dall Chief Scientist Gentlemen:
Enclosed is IE Bulletin No. 79-19 which requires action by you with regarc to your reactor f acility(ies) viith an operating license.
Should you have questions regarding this Bulletin or the actions required of you, please contact this office.
Sincerely, r
, /;, < -ftb e M L-
,4 -st Ps. H. Engelken Director
Enclosures:
1.
IE Bulletin ilo. 79-19 2.
List of Bulletins Issued in Last Six. Months
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o-Accession tio:
7908070515 SSIflS No:
6820 UNITED STATES flUCLEAR REGULATORY CD' MISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT WASHINGTON, D.C.
20555 August 10, 1979 IE Bulletin flo. 79-19 PACKAGItiG OF LOW-LEVEL PADI0 ACTIVE WASTE FOR TRANSPORT AND CURIAL Description of Circumstances:
Low-level radioactive waste is that waste which can be transferred and shipped to one of three waste burial facilities which are located in and licensed by the Agreenent States of Nevada, South Carolina, and Washington.
On July 10, 1979, the Governors of the three states notified NRC Chairman Hendrie of the serious and repeated disreaard for rules covernina the shipments of low-level radioactive wastes to these burial facilities.
Examples of violations of Agreement State, DOT and NRC rules follow:
Inproperly packaged uraniun fines igniting packaged liquid scintillation vials in conbustible waste is believed to have caused a fire and destruction of a truck at the Beatty, flevada 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 inoraanic 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 licuid in " solid" material.
The radioactive contents were sand filters used at an insitu leachinq process at a uranium nill.
Forty-three shipments with sixty-three deficiencies were observed during the package inspection progran between April 10 and July 5, 1979, by the Agreement State of South Carolina, at the Barnwell, S.C. burial facility. The shipments were fron reactor, nedical, industrial and military facilities.
On June 28, 1979, the Federal Highway Administration issued a Notice of Violation to a reactor facility proposyno o $10,nno fine for truck contanina- -~
tion resultinq fron inproper closures j DUPLICATE DOCUMENT for improper loading of the drums on t h These are a few examples of shipments ; Entire document previously entered facilities which did not fully neet NP ! into system under:
which were developed to prote'ct the he Governors of the three States with lic.
ANO 7 9 0 h' O ) C [ /
j, that if the situation is not rectified
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would deny use of the three burial sit ;
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