ML19249B623
| ML19249B623 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 08/13/1979 |
| From: | Riedlinger B NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION V) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| REF-QA-9990005 NUDOCS 7909040608 | |
| Download: ML19249B623 (8) | |
Text
{{#Wiki_filter:. PDg U. S. NUCLEAR REGUIMORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCE.ETr REGION V Report No. 79-05 State of Nevada Docket No. 99990005 License No. 13-11-0043-02 Safeguards Group Licensee: Nuclear Enaineerina Comoany Beatty, Nevada Facility Name: Beatty Facility Inspection at: Beatty, Nevada Inspection conducted: July 25-27,1979 ~bl7. Nc' ((h/74 ' DGttgf-/3f /777 Inspectors: + B.A.Riedling,RadiationSpecialist gDate Signed Date Signed Date Signed W 3 /7f Approved By: H. E. Book, Chief, Fuel Facility and Materials Date Signed Safety Branch Summary: The purpose of this special inspection, which took place frcm July 25 through July 27, 1979, was to observe shipments arriving at Nuclear Engineering Company's Beatty facility after Governor List signed an Executive Order to reopen the site (see Reports 79-03 and 79-04). No shipments arrived at Beatty during this inspection, but radiation level surveys and swipe checks of a decontaminated trailer at the Beatty facility and of a radioactive materials shipment at a Las Vegas truck stop were made during this inspection. No significant health and safety hazards were disclosed during the inspection. 4 790904ow naac 0 ..~.
DETAILS Persons Contacted Brian Thayer, Acting Site Assistant Manager, NECO Robert Phalen, Acting Radiation Safety Officer, NECO Darwin Garvin, Inspector, Department of Transportation (00T) Robert Gill, Inspector, Department of Transportation Steven Bump, Inspector, State of Nevada Radiologic Health Section Richard A. Williams, Home Transportation Company Driver Backcround On July 24,1979 at 10:15 a.m., Region V was " informed by Mr. John Vaden of the State of Nevada Radiologic Health Section that Governor List had signed an Executive Order (see Reports 79-03 and 79-04) to reopen the Nuclear Engineering Company's (NECO) Beatty, Nevada facility. He further remarked that State of Nevada and Department of Transportation (DOT) inspectors would be on site on July 25,1979 and that a shipment was expected to arrive at NECO on the afternoon of July 25. An NRC inspector ivas dispatched to the site. Inspection Activities The inspector arrived cn site at NEC0's Beatty facility at 7:30 a.m. on July 25, 1979. The trailer that had been used to transport the leaking shipment of solidified evaporator waste bottoms and uncompressible radioactive waste from the Consumers Power Company's Palisades Plant in Covert, Michigan (see Reports 79-03 and 79-04) was observed to be in NECO's decontamination area. Brian Thayer stated that NEC0 personnel had steam-cleaned the trailer and that swipes were going to be taken to see if further decontamination effort was required. He said that the floorboards of the trailer would be torn out if it was necessary. Messrs. Bump, Garvin and Gill arrived on site. Mr. Thayer commented that NECO's corporate office had notified them that the first shipment of radioactive material to be received after the site reopening was not expected to arrive at Beatty prior to July 27, 1979. M r. Bunp remarked that the Governor's Executive Order required all shippers to certify to the State that all shipping requirements were met. It also required that all shipments be inspected no longer than 48 hours prior to the time the consignor releases the shipment for transport. The certification must be g,*sa
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completely filled out and must accompany the shipping. papers. Copies of the certificate were to be distributed to NEC0's San Ramon and Louisville offices with the original going to the State of Nevada Department of Human Resources. Neither Mr. Bump nor MECO's Beatty facility had copies of either the Governor's Executive Order or the newly required certification form. On July 26, 1979, Mr. Thayer stated that a shipment was expected to arrive the next morning. He also remarked that Steve Bump (who had returned to Carson City on the evening of July 25, 1979) would be present to witness the arrival of that shi pment. No shipments arrived on July 26, 1979. At 9:40 a.m. on July 27, 1979, Ms. Riedlinger and Me'ssrs. Bump, Garvin, and Gill were present at the NECO site. The NRC inspector surveyed the decontaminated trailer number 544132 (Missouri License 441-930; see Reports 79-03 and 79-04). Swipes were also taken to check for the presence of removable contamination. Results are shown in Annex A of this report. NEC0's results are shown in Annex B. The NRC inspector made the survey with both a P-11 (pancake) tnin window GM detector and a conventional P-7 GM detector. Both sets of results are reported in Annex A. The P-11 pancake probe gives significantly higher results because the thin window pernits the detection of many low energy beta particles not measured by conventional instruments, and the construction of the probe results in a slightly closer approach to the scurce of radiation and the measurement of a slightly larger area during any one measurement. Radiation level survey results with the P-7 probe confirmed NEC0's results. A NEC0 representative demonstrated to the inspector the reproducibility of his measurements using the E-520 instrument. These results were less than 0.5 mr/hr (see Annex B), the acceptable dose rate as described in 49 CFR 173.397(c). Contamination swipe results were not in total agreement with NECO's findings. However, all results were less than 2200 dpm per 100 square centimeters, NEC0's action level, which is also 10 percent of the limit in 49 CFR 173.397(a). The inspector concluded that the trailer met the requirements of 49 CFR 173.398 and could be returned to service. At approximately 1:20 p.m. on July 27,1979, NEC0 received a telephone call from Hcme Transporta on Company indicating that a shipment of radioactive material was at the dusky Truck stop on Cheyenne Road in Las Vegas near I-15. [,
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As the shipment could not arrive at Beatty prior to 3:30 p.m., when NECO closes, the DOT and State representatives decided to drive to Las Vegas and check the shipment while it was at the truck stop. The NRC inspector acccmpanied them. Upon arrival at the truck stop, the inspectors located the truck driver and reviewed the documentation describing the shipment. The Bill of Ladina described the load as containing 5.89 millicuries of Ra-226 on solid filters in DOT-17H, 55-gallon radioactive waste druns. The shipment was indicated as " Exclusive Use." The control number was number 2-9066, and the shipper's number was G10523. The shieeing eacers did include the newly recuired certification, which was examined by the State inspector. Mr. Bump stated that the form was completed properly. Emergency procedures accoroanied the shipment, as did a certificate from the consignor (W. R. Valentine, Chief, Nuclear Operations Branch of Todd Research, Galveston, Texas) stating that he understood ~the conditions of NECO's license. A Radioactive Shipment / Transfer Record dated July 25, 1979 showed the following survey results: On Contact At Six Feet Less Than: Front 0.1 0.1 Results in Back 0.2 0.1 mr/hr Right Side 0.1 0.1 Left Side 0.2 0.1 Occupied Area 0.05 Although the NRC did not have jurisdiction over this shipment, surveys were made by the NRC inspector. Results are indicated below. Measurements made with instrument or probe at the surface of the trailer. Readings are in mr/hr. Dici/ Master TA PUG-IAB, P-7 Probe Front 0.1 0.025 Back 0.1 0.05 Right Side 0.4 0.1 Left Side 0.2 0.1 Occupied Area 0.0 0.0 The digi / master exposure ratemeter is NRC 2000356 calibrated in June 1979 and due for recalibration on September 15, 1979. The TA PUG-IAB instrument and probe was discussed previously. ,,,.,. o e i ~ r t.13s ' - m ~~p.
_4_ Two swipes each were taken of the surface of two drums on the shipment (four swipes total). The swipes were given a preliminary check at the time of the inspection with the TA PUG-IAB and P-7 probe. They were recounted on July 28, 1979 using the NRC PC-55 gas flow proportional counter. Results showed no significant removable contamination above background level. Barrels that were examined by the inspectors were labeled " Radioactive LSA." A newspaper article concerning the Governor's Order to reopen the site is attached as Annex C. Attachments: Annex A-C k i $'..)k .a ~.w.
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Las VeJa* Review-Journal-1B Wednesday, July 25,1979 Beatt 'l nuclear dump' site 's g- .ng ,~ ' ia ;e*O4 ay, . w.,, e. s The Rrm is expressing intereTL in ~ sumer's Power, Palisad'es Piant, Co I opening a plant in North Las Vegas CARSON CITY (AP)- A contro-versial nuclear dump at Beatty, one of vert, Mich. three in the nation, was ruopened There was also a May 13 fire at the industrial area. Both governors were critical of the Tuesday by Gov. Robert List after he Beatty plant, about 150 miles north of NRC, but an NRC official countered was assured of tougher federal con-Laa Vegas, involving a truck carrying that a major reason for tax enforce-trol + to stop problems such as leaky waates from firms and hospitals in ment has been understaffed, under-South rn California. trained state agencies which havetak-l w w,te i.outainera. List issued an executive order spell-Spokesmen for Nevada, South Car. ing out strict new conditions for ship-olina and Washington recently urged en over regula tion of wastes. List's executive order states that ments of the low-level radioactive ma-the NRC and Department of Trans. any generator of nuclear wastes must terials from industries, hospitals and portation to upgrade their controls, get a compliance certificate from Ne 4 List said Nevada had made such re- ~ other generators of such waste. He added that the Nuclear Regula-quests on " numerous" occasions bet vada if the wastes are~ headed for. tory Commission and federal Depart-fore but got no action until the Beatty Beatty, and shipments must be in-ment. of Transportation promised to shutdown was ordered. spected before entering Nevada. improva controls over packaging and; List and Arizona Gov. Bruce Bab-He sahi any broker shipping the-transport of the wastes and'to strictly ; bitt also joined in a recent call fcr wastes must inspect the loads and-i enfore existing requirements.' ~, ? tougher rules, saying nuc ear m ehaps l i make sure there ar > no violations of j The Beatty dump, operated by Nu: in both those states underscored bu rules. And any truckers hauling the 1 clear Engineering Co. Inc., was closed "reaucratic confusion. Ioads must make sure warning si:*r.a j July 2. The other states with such In Arizona's case, radioactive'triti. are posted on their rigs and that. the-{ dumps areSouth Carolina and Wash-- um was released from a firm making materials for luminous wrist watches. loads are secured properly. 1 List closed the dump after the dis-The firm. American Atomics,recently The NRC already has agreed 'toi ington. covery of leaking waste containers on agreed to abandor. the plant and move send an inspection 'e'am to make rega. I a truck which had come from Con-outof Arizona.- lar site inspections at both source gen. I - " " ' ^ erators and. collectors of nuclear ^ " wastes. The' federal' agency also promised I strong enforcement action against vio d lators, and said reports of the inspecJ $ gT tion team would be made available to ] v d fL statesinvolved. f a ut . A 1 ANNEX C .o ~.;,. ~~~ M 7sW_.}}