ML19249B268
| ML19249B268 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 08/10/1979 |
| From: | James O'Reilly NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II) |
| To: | CORNELL UNIV., ITHACA, NY |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7909040213 | |
| Download: ML19249B268 (1) | |
Text
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$$* "'Cug UNITED STATES
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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101 M ARIETT A ET., N.W., SUITE 31 I
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L.ORNLLL UNIVEk3ITY k?DIATION SAFETY OFFICE tid L. STATt uTktET ATHAhA NY 14050 Enclosed is IE Bulletin No. 79-19, which requires action by you vith regard to your NPC license.
Should you have questions regarding this Eulletin or the actions required of you, please contact this office.
Sincerely, N
_ p-a
,e Q James P, O'Reilly Director
Enclosures:
1.
List of Bulletins Issued in Last Six Months 703OU,2 79090401$3
Accession No:
190807051' SSINS No:
6820 UNITED STATES hTCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND EhTORCEMENT WASHINCTON, D.C.
20555 August 10, 1979 IE Bulletin No. 79-19 PACKAGING ')F LOW-LEVEL RADI0 ACTIVE WASTE FOR TRANSPORT AND BURIAL Description of Circumstances:
Low-level radioactive vaste is that waste which can be transferred and shipped to one of three waste burirl facilities which are located in and licensed by
.he Agreement States of Nevada, South Carolina, and Washington.
On July 10, 1979, the Goverr,rs of the three states notified NRC Chairman Hendrie of the serious and repeated disregard for rules governing the shipments of low-level radiotetive vastes to these burial facilities.
Examples of violations of Agreement State, DOT and NRC rules follow:
Improperly packaged uranium fines igniting packaged liquid scintillation vials in combustible waste is believed to have caused a fire and destruction of a
- t. ruck at the Beatty, Nevada b rial fa6 u'ty 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 inorganic 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 contants 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 'acilities.
On June 28, 1979, the Federal Highway Administration issued a Notice of Violation to a reactor facility propasing a $10,000 fine for truck contamina-w as 4.G'u.<t byg M} ENMEMNgEw"ng"r-tion resulting from i
.sper closures on ^^
for improper loading of the drums on the These are a few examples of shipments of facilities which did not fully meet NRC' Entire document previously entered which were develeped to protect the heal into system under:
Governors of the three States with licen that if the situation is not rectified, hb ANO would deny use of the three burial rites No. of pages:
.