ML19247B903
| ML19247B903 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Washington State University |
| Issue date: | 08/10/1979 |
| From: | Engelken R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION V) |
| To: | Filby R WASHINGTON STATE UNIV., PULLMAN, WA |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7908170052 | |
| Download: ML19247B903 (1) | |
Text
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"[ ' [ [. cg('%h NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 7 ) C._
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WALNUT CliCE K, CALIF ORrJIA DEM August 10, 1979 Docket No. 50-27 Washington State University Nuclear Radiation Center Pullman, Washington 99163 Attention:
R. H. Filby Gentlemen:
Enclosed is IE Bulletin No. 79-19 which requires action by you with regard to your reactor facility (ies) with an operating license.
Should you have questions regarding this Culletin or the actions required of you, please contact this office.
Sincerely, I
, A -:.
.Y > t c e -
f4L R. H. Eiigelken b
Director
Enclosures:
1.
List of Bulletins Issued in Last Six Months t
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Accession No:
7908070515 SSINS No:
6820 UNITED STATES fluCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT WASHINGTON, D.C.
20555 August 10, 1979 IE Bulletin No. 79-19 PACKAGING 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 Nevada, South Carolina, and Washington.
On July 10, 1979, the Governors of the three states notified NRC Chaiman Hendrie of the serious and repeated disregard for rules covernina the shipments of low-level radioactive wastes to these burial facilities.
Examples of violations of Agreement State, D0T and NRC rules follow:
Improperly packaged uranium fines ignitina packaged liquid scintillation 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 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 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 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 O
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Violation to a reactor facility prop h,
tion resulting from inproper closures
- iDUPLICATE DOCUMENT for improper loading of the drums on tjj Entire document previously entered ult into system under:
These are a few examples of shipments b
facilities which did not fully meet t
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which were developed to protect the }.
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ANO 790 0705/5 Governors of the three States with 1-i.
that if the situation is not rectifit
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No. of pages: b would deny use of the three burial s-I
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