ML19249A403
| ML19249A403 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07000754, 07001007 |
| Issue date: | 08/10/1979 |
| From: | Engelken R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION V) |
| To: | Darmitzel R GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7908220594 | |
| Download: ML19249A403 (1) | |
Text
UNITED S ATES 4
"~ -
E ',$..,- g'%'g NUCLE AR REGULATORY COMMISSION v
C F/cu REGION V r,,..f y,:, 7, y 1990 fJ. C ALIFOftNI A E10ULEVARu O,,.' + *)h a g
SulT F 202, WA LNUT CR E E K PLAZ A e
WALNUT CRF F K, C ALIF ORNI A 945f E.
- e.,*
August 10, 1979 Docket flos.70-754 70-1007 General Electric Company Vallecitos Nuclear Center Vallecitos P. cad Pleasanton, California 94565 Attention: Mr. R. W. Carnitzel, Manager Irradiation Processing Ocaration Centleman:
Enclosed is IE Bulletin !;o. 79-19 wnich requires acticn by you with regard to your f1RC license.
Should you have questions regarding this Bulletin or the acticrs re-quired of you, please contact this office.
Sincerely, s
"f '
- ! 7'i d L
/'
.d+ l R. H. 'Engelken Director n
s
Enclosure:
D
'i u
IE Bulletin fio. 79-19 D
790822o59y 845 284
. -M:.:
i s
Accession fio:
7903070515 SSIf!S f;o:
6320 D 7[
Jc
_a Jlnl UNITED STATES fluCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF Ii;SPECTION A!!D ENFORCE;'Ef!T D
D WASHIfiGTnN, D.C.
20555
/
h August 10, 1979 IE Bulletin flo. 79-19 PACKAGIfiG OF LOW-LEVEL RADI0 ACTIVE WASTE FOR TRANSPORT AND BURIAL Description cf Circuns:arces:
Low-level radioactive waste is that waste which can be transferred and shipped to one of three was~ ' burial facilities which are located in and licensed by the Agreenent States of Nevada, South Carolina, and Washinoton.
On July 10, 1979, the Governors of the three states notified NRC Chairr:an 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 Agreenent State, 00T and f!RC rules follow:
Inproperly packaged uraniu-fines ignitinc packaged liquid scintillation vials in combustible waste is believed to have caused a fire and destruction of a truck at the Beatty, fievada burial facility on fiay la,1979.
On July 2,1979, three of tuelve steel centainers shipped to the Beatty burial facility were tcond to be leaking radioactive naterial.
The naterial was described on the bill cf lading as being a solid inorcanic sait (evaporator concentrates solidified with urea fornaldehyde) from a reactor facility. The Governor of the State of f;evada ordered the drums to be shipped out of the state and the burial facility was temporarily closed.
On July 30, the first shiprent into the reopened Beatty facility conte med free liquid in " solid" material.
The radioactive contents were sand filters used at an insitu leaching process at a uranium nill.
Forty-thrae shipments with sixty-three deficiencies were observed during the package inspection program between April 10 and July 5, 1979, by the Agreenent State of South Carolina, at the Barnwell, S.C. burial facility.
The shipments were from reactor, nedical, industrial and military facilities.
On June 28, 1979, the Federal Highway Adninistration issued a f;otice of Violation to a reactor facility proposina a $10,000 fine for truck contamina-tion resulting from improper closures on 55-gallon druns of LSA material and for improper loading of the drums on the vehicle.
These are a few examples of shipments of radioactive naterial to burial facilities which did not fully meet flRC, DDT and Agreenent State requirenents which were developed to protect the health and safety of the public.
The Governors of the three States with licensed burial facilities have indicated that if the situation is not rectified, they may have to initiate actions which would deny use of the three burial sites by violators.
845 28,.3
s IE Bulletin fio. 79-19 Auuust 10, 1979 Page 2 of 3 Sources of Information:
The DDT reaulatory requirements can be found in 49 CFR Parts 170-179.
The f;RC regulatory reauirements can be found in 10 CFP. Parts 19 to 71.
The f;RC regu-latory recuirements for Aareement State licensees in non-acreement states are in 10 CFR Part 150.
Copies of the regulations nay be purchased from the Superintendent of Docurents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washinaton, D.C. 20402.
Information about licensing requirements for I;RC packaaes can be obtained fram the f;RC Trensportation Branch (301-427-4122).
Infornation about DDT packaq,no and trans;':r: reg Pe erts can te c5ti a: -
- al'ir-the DCT Office of Paza-dcus fiaterial s (202-426-2311).
D*"D *D ]~jU'[
V b
o
,g, Action To Be Taken By Licensees:
To assure the safe transfer, packagirg, and transport of low-level radioactive waste, each licensee is expected to:
1.
fiaintain a current set of DOT and tRC regulations concerninq the transfer, packaging and transport of low-le el radioactive waste material.
2.
f4aintain a current set of requirerents (license) placed on the waste burial firm by the Acreenent State of Nevada, couth Carclina, or Washington before packaging low-level radioactive waste material for transfer and shipment to the Agreer.ent State licensee.
If a waste collection contractor is used, obtain the appropr %te recuirements from the contractor.
3.
Designate, in writiro, people in your organization vho are responsible for the safe transfer, packaging and transport of low-level radioactive material.
4.
Provide management-approved, detailed instructions and operating procedures to all personnel involved in the transfer, packaging and transport of low-level radioactive material.
Special attention should be given to controls on the chemical and physical form of the low-level radioactive material and on the containment integrity of the packaging.
5.
Provide trainina and periodic retraining in the DOT and flRC regulatory requirements, the waste burial license requirements, and in your instruc-tions and operating procedures for all personnel involved in the transfer, packaging and transport of radioactive naterial. f4aintain a record of training dates, attendees, and subject naterial for future inspections by fiRC personnel.
6.
Provide trainina and periodic retraining to those employees who operate the processes which generate waste to assure that the volume of low-level radioactive waste is minimized and that such waste is processed into acceptable chenical and physical form for transfer and shipment to a low-level radioactive waste burial facility.
845 286-
i IE Eulletin t'o. 79-19 Aucust 10, 1979 Pagc 7f 3 7.
Establish and implenent a managenent-controlled audit function of all tranrfer, packaaina and transport activities to provide assurance that personnel, instructions and procedures, and process and transport equip-ment are functioning to ensure safety and conpliance with regulatory requirements.
8.
Perforn, wichin 60 days of the date of this bulletin, a nanaqenent-controlled audit of your activities associate'i with the transfer, packaging and trans-port of low-level radioactive waste. Maintain a record of all audits for future inspections by t'RC or DDT inspectors.
(fote: If you have an estab-1 ste a;:i: fun::icr 2n: ha /e per#:r.sd sc:P an audit o# all activities in Items 1-6 within the past six months, this audit requirement is satisfied.)
9.
Report, in writing within 45 days, vour plan of action and scheicle with regard to the above items.
In addition, provide responses to t'e three questions below.
Reports should be subnitted to the Director of the appropriate f;RC P,egional Office and a copy should be for<!arded to the liRC Office of Inspection and Enforcenent, Division of Fuel Facility and t1aterials Safety Inspection, Washincton, D.C.
20555.
Provide answers for 1978 and for the first six ncnths of 1979 to the folicwing auestions:
1.
How nany lou-level radioactive waste shionents did you nake? What was the volume of lou-level radioactive waste shipped?
(Power reactor licensees who report this information in accordance with Technical Specifications do not need to respond to this question.)
2.
What was the quantity (curies) of low-level radioactive waste shipped? What were the major isotopes in the low-level radioactive waste?
(Power reactor licensees who report this information in accordance with Technical Specifications do not need to respond to this question.)
3.
Did you cenerate liquid low-level radioactive waste?
If the answer is 'yes,' what process was used to solidify the licuid waste?
Licensees who do not generate low-level radioactive waste should so indicate in their responses and do not need to take other actions specified in the above items.
Approved by GAO, B180225 (R0072); clearance expires 7-31-80.
Approval was given under a blanket clearance sneci'ically for identified generic problent.
Ohh