ML19256B744
| ML19256B744 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Pennsylvania State University |
| Issue date: | 08/10/1979 |
| From: | Grier B NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | Cunningham R PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV., UNIVERSITY PARK, PA |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7908280272 | |
| Download: ML19256B744 (1) | |
Text
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UNITED STATES Sn nrog o
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMisslON y,
g REGION I O
C 631 P AR K AVENUE f
KING OF PRUS$1 A, PENNSYt.VANIA 19406
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August 10, 1979 Docket No. 50-05 The Pennsylvania State University ATTN:
Dr. Richard G. Cunningham Vice P.esident for Research and Graduato Studies University Park, Pennsylvania 16802 Gentlemen:
Enclosed is IE Bulletin No. 79-19, which requires action by you with regard to your reactor and/or facility (ies) with an operating license.
Should you have questions regarding this Bulletin or the actions raquired of you, please contact this office.
Sincerely,
> N fdhV Boyce H. Grie Director
Enclosures:
1.
List of Bulletins Issued in Last Six Months cc w/encis:
R. W. Granlund, University Health Physicist 7g08280 n '/q 9
A
ENCLOSUP" l UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT WASHINGTON, D.C.
20555 IE Bulletin No. 79-19 Date: August 10, 1979 Page 1 of 3 PACKAGING OF LOW-LEVEL RADI0 ACTIVE WASTE FOR TRANSPORT AND BURIAL Descripcion 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 Agreement States of Nevada, South Carolina, and Washington.
On July 10, 1979, the Governors of the three states notified NRC Chainnan Hendrie of the serious and repeated disregard for rules governing 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 igniting 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, Mree 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 fonnaldehyde) from a reactor facility.
The Governor of the State of Nevada ordere( 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 Violation to a reactor facility proposing a $10,000 fine for truck contamination resulting from improper closures on 55-gallon drums of LSA material and for improper loading of the drums on the vehicle.
These are a few examples of shipments DUPLICATE DOCUMENT which did not fully meet NRC, DOT and A developed to protect the health and saf three States with licensed burial facil Entire document previously is not rectified, they may have to init entered into system under:
three burial sites by violators.
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