ML19247B900

Forwards IE Bulletin 79-19, Packaging of Low Level Radioactive Waste for Transport & Burial. Action Required

ML19247B900
Person / Time
Site:	University of California - Irvine
Issue date:	08/10/1979
From:	Engelken R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION V)
To:	Mcgauth J CALIFORNIA, UNIV. OF, IRVINE, CA
References
NUDOCS 7908170048
Download: ML19247B900 (1)

Text

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SulTE 202, WALNUT CHEE K PLA7A WALNUT Ch r.L K, CAllFORNI A 9 459G August 10, 1979 Docket No. 50-326 University of California, Irvine Department of Chemistry Irvine, California 92717 Attention:

J. L. McGauth Vice Chancellor Gentlemen:

Enclosed is IE Bulletin Fo. 79-19 which requires action by you with regard to your reactor facility (ies) with an operating license.

Should you have questions regarding this Bulletin or the actions required of you, please contact this office.

Sincerely, D

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r[1 R. H. Engelken a

Director

Enclosures:

1.

IE Bulletin No. 79-19 2.

List of Bulletins Issued in Last Six Months 620217 f

7908170

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f Accession f;o:

7908070515 SSIf!S No:

6820 UtilTED STATES flUCLEAR REGULATORY COMf1ISSION OFFICE OF IfiSPECTION AND Ef!FORCEriEriT WASHIflGTOM, D.C.

20555 August 10, 1979 IE Bulletin flo. 79-19 PACKAGIfiG 0F LOW-LEVEL RADI0 ACTIVE WASTE FOR TRANSPORT AND BURIAL 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 fievada, South Carolina, and Washington.

On July 10, 1979, the Governors of the three states notified NRC Chairman Hendrie of the serious and repeated disrecard for rules covernino the shipments of low-level radioactive wastes to these burial facilities.

Examples of violations of Agreement State, DOT and f!RC rules follow:

Inproperly packaged uranium fines igniting packaged liquid scintillation vials in conbustible waste is believed to have caused a fire and destruction of a truck at the Beatty, fievada burial facility on flay 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 inorcanic 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. The radioactive contents were sand filters used at an insitu leaching 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 nilitary facilities.

On June 28, 1979, the Federal Highway Administration issued a Notice of Violation to a reactor facility proposia"

. RELfdw4 tmketmi"w--a tion resulting from improper closures '

DUPLICATE DOCUMENT for inproper loading of the druns on tl gggg Entire document previously entered These are a few examples of shipments e into system under:

facilities which did not fully neet f1RI h

which were developed to protect the hei ANO Governors of the three States with 11ci b

that if the situation is not rectified No. of pages:

would deny use of the three burial site a

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