ML19263E966
| ML19263E966 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Idaho State University |
| Issue date: | 08/10/1979 |
| From: | Seyfrit K NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV) |
| To: | Coulter B IDAHO STATE UNIV., POCATELLO, ID |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7908160060 | |
| Download: ML19263E966 (1) | |
Text
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r August 10, 1979 In Reply Refer To:
Docket No. 50-284 Idaho State University ATTN:
Dr. Byron Coulter, President Pocattello, Idaho 83201 Centlemen:
Enclosed is IE Bulletin No. 79-19, which requires action by you with regard to your reactor facility with an operating license.
Should you have questions regarding this Bulletin or the actions required of you, please contact this office.
Sincerely, I
t
- fyg Karl V. Seyfrit Director
Enclosures:
1.
List of Bulletins Issued in Last Six Months 79 0816 o D 60
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 RADIOACTIVE WASTE FOR TRANSPORT AND BURIAL Description of Circumstances:
Low-level radioactive waste is that waste which cca 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 Chairman 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, 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 truck at the Beatty, Nevada burial facility 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 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, South Carolina burial facility. The sh-ipments 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 contamina-tion 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 of facilities which did not fully meet NRC, which were developed to protect the hea' DUPLICATE DOCUMENT Governors of the three States with licer that if the situation is not rectified, Entire docinnent previously would deny use of the three burial site entered into system under:
ANO MO S O7 OS /6-No. of pages:
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