ML19256C820
| ML19256C820 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 02/05/1979 |
| From: | Higginbotham L, Metzger J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| PNO-79-021, PNO-79-21, NUDOCS 7910120495 | |
| Download: ML19256C820 (1) | |
Text
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PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION February 5,1979 PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE -- PNO-79-21 This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of an event of POSSIBLE safety or public interest significance.
The information presented is as initially received without verification or evaluation and is basically all that is known by IE staff as of this dat.:.
_ FACILITY:
W. R. Grace Company Chattanooga, Tennessee
SUBJECT:
DERAILMENT OF RADI0 ACTIVE SAND SHIPMENT A flatbed railcar carrying two enclosed truck trailers of monozite sand containing low specific activity thorium derailed at approximately 8:00 p.m. Friday, February 2, in an Atlanta railroad switchyard. The shipment entered the United States at the Port of Charleston, South Carolina from Australia and was enroute to the W. R. Grace Company in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The derailment caused the railcar to overturn into a raised railroad fillsection and one truck trailer ruptured.
The sand was packaged in poly-paper bags.
Some of the bags were punctured and loose sand snilled into the fillsection.
Radiation levels of the sand were determined to be 10-20 mr/hr on contact with less than 1 mr/hr at six feet. The sand from both trucks is being reloaded into other trailer trucks with loose sand and residual contaminants being loaded into drums.
Post accident clean-up is being performed and the shipment is expected to continue on to the W. R. Grace facility during the afternoon of February 5.
An IE inspector, State of Georgia officials, and D0T representatives responded to the scene of the derailment by 9:30 p.m. on February 2.
There was extensive local media interest in this event.
A news release is not planned by the State of Georgit or the NRC; however, both are responding to public inquiries.
Personnel from the State of Georgia are at the scene of the accident and plan to monitor the reloading operation.
Region II ( Atlanta) received initial notification of this occurrence by telephone from the Associated Press at 8:25 p.m. on February 2.
This
'nformation is current as of 9:00 a.m. on February 5.
Cantact: JRMetzger, IE x28188 LBHigginbotham, IE x28188 Distribution:
Transmitted H St /I dF Chairman Henarle Commissioner Bradford S. J. Chilk, SECY Commissioner Kennedy Commissioner Ahearne C. C. Kammerer, CA Commissioner Gilinsky (For Distribution)
Transmitted: MNBC 'I d O P. Bldg lI N J. G. Davis, IE L. V. Gossick, ED0 H. R. Denton, NRR Region T ll @-l H. L. Ornstein, ED0 R. C. DeYoung, NRR J. J. Fouchard, PA R. J. Mattson, NRR N. M. Haller, MPA V. Stello, NRR (MAIL)
R. G. Ryan, OSP R. S. Boyd, NRR J. J. Cummings, 01A H. K. Shapar, ELD SS Bldg _f M Q R. Minogue, SD 14 7
10 L7 W. J. Dircks, NMSS PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION
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