ML19291C408
| ML19291C408 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Wood River Junction |
| Issue date: | 11/07/1979 |
| From: | Devlin J, Gallina C, Woltner E NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19291C402 | List: |
| References | |
| 70-0820-79-13, 70-820-79-13, NUDOCS 8001240365 | |
| Download: ML19291C408 (6) | |
Text
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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT Region I Report No. 70-820/79-13 Docket No.70-820 License No. SNM-777 Priority 1
Category UR Licensee:
United Nuclear Corporation UNC Recovery systems Wood River Junction, Rhede Island G2894 Facility Name:
UNC Recovery Systems Investigation at:
Wood River Junction, Rhode Island Investigation conducted: June 25-26, 1979 Investigators:
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/d//#/'19 L. U. Gallina, Ph.U.,. investigation Specialist date signed b
l0 /C '79 E. F. Woltner, Safeguards Auditor date signed date signed date signed j/.
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// ! ' O 'i Approved by:
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J. W. Devlin, Chief, Security and Investigation date signed Section, Safeguards Branch Investigation Summary:
Investigation on June 25-26,1979 (Investigation Report No. 70-820/79-13)
Areas Investigated:
The investigation covered the area of Nuclear Material Transaction Reports at the UNC-RS site. The investigation involved 14 man-hours on site by one NRC investigator and one NRC inspector.
Results: The investigation resulted in one (1) item of noncompliance:
(Infrac-tion - failure to complete Nuclear Material Transaction Report on day of SNM shipment).
p 1795 M5 8001240 Region I Fom 143 (Rev. October 1977)
TABLE OF CONTENTS I.
Backgrgund A.
Reason for Investigation B.
Identification of Involved Organizations II. Summary of Findings A.
Investigation Findings B.
Management Meeting III. Details A.
Introduction B.
Scope of Investigation C.
Persons Interviewed During the NRC Investigation D.
NRC Findings and Conclusions IV.
Exhibits 1795 306 p'7
I.
Background
A.
Reason for Investigation On June 19, 1979, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Office of Inspection and Enforcement - Region I, was notified by Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) of Tuxedo, New York (Docket No.70-587) that a shipment of special nuclear material had been received from United Nuclear Corporation - UNC Recovery System (UNC-RS) (Docket No.70-820) on June 12, 1979, which was not accompanied by the required Nuclear Material Transaction Report (DOE /NRC-741).
After confirming the accept-ability of the shipper / receiver differences between the above referenced licensees, an investigation was initiated on June 25, 1979.
B.
Identification of Involved Organizations 1.
United Nuclear Corporation (UNC-RS)
UNC Recovery Systems Wood River Junction, Rhode Island 02894 A corporation licensed by the NRC to conduct activities associated with fuel recovery operations.
2.
Union Carbide Corporation (UCC)
P. O. Box 324 Tuxedo, New York 10987 A corporation licensed by the NRC to operate an industrial reactor facility associated with the production of radiopharma-ceuticals.
II. Sumary of Findings A.
Investigation Fi:. dings This investigation identified an infraction level item of noncompliance with respect to 10 CFR 70.54 insofar as a shipment of SNM was made by UNC-RS to UCC on June 12, 1979, and the required Nuclear Material Transaction Report (D0E/NRC-741) was intentionally not completed until June 19,1979, seven days after the shipment had been made (Details, Section D).
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4 B.
Management Meeting A management meeting was held with the licensee on June 26, 1979, in order to review the seriousness of the infraction identified and to review proposed corrective action.
The following individuals were in att'endance:
Dr. C. O. Gallina, Investigation Specialist, NRC Mr. E. F. Woltner, Auditor, NRC Mr. C. E. Bowers, General Manager, UNC-RS Mr. D. M. Schultz, Manager, Compliance, UNC-RS Mr. R. J. Gregg, Manager, Quality Assurance, UNC-RS III. Details A.
Introduction This investigation was initiated as a result of NRC-Region I being contacted by Union Carbide Corporation on June 19, 1979, stating that a shipment of SNM was received from UNC-se.:overy Systems on June 12, 1979, without the completed Nuclear Mate",21 Transaction Report (DOE /
NRC-741).
B.
Scope of Investigation This investigation included an examination of pertinent doceaents and records at the UNC-RS site, interviews and contacts with involved individuals, and observations by the NRC investigators.
C.
Persons Directly Interviewed During the NRC Investigation C. E. Bowers, General Manager, UNC D. M. Schultz, Manager, Conpliance, UNC R. J. Gregg, Manager, Quality Assurance, UNC D. A. Daigler, Quality Assurance Engineer, UNC T. Itteileg, Nuclear and Industrial Safety Technician, UNC L. Heinz, Material Accountability Clerk, UNC D.
NRC Findings and Conclusions NRC-Region I was notified by a representative nf Union Carbide Corpor-ation (UCC) on June 19, 1979, that a reportable shipment of SNM had been received from UNC-RS at Wood River Juncti]n, Rhode Island, on June 12,1979, which was not accompanied by a Nuclear Material Trans-action Report (Form DOE /NRC-741). The UCC representative stated that 1795 dOF 90'
5 he had contacted UNC and received confirmation that a DOE /NRC-741 had not yet been completed because of a plant shutdown. The transaction involved was ZWT-ZWN-166.
Subsequent to this notification, NRC-Region I contacted UNC and confirmed that the shipment was made on June 12, 1979, but that the DOE /NRC-741 was not prepared until June 18, 1979 because no one was available to prepare the form and it was not signed until June 19, 1979, 7 days following the shipment. UNC's measured values for the material trans-ferred were recorded and compared to UCC's values. This comparison indicated that the shipper / receiver (S/R) difference was not significant according to the criteria of 10 CFR 70.58(g)(3) since the S/R did not exceed 50 grams.
Due to the unusual circumstances surrounding the transfer, including potential noncompliance with 10 CFR 70.54, an investigation was initiated on June 25, 1979.
The investigators examined all relative packaging, surveys, and transfer data with respect to the shipment which left the UNC-RS site on June 12, 1979, and found that with the exception of the DOE /NRC-741 being delayed, no irregularities had occurred.
The investigators noted that two cans containing SNM had been prepared for shipment on June 7, 1979, and sealed in larger containers on this date.
One of the shipments had been made on June 12, 1979, as stated above, and the second shipment was scheduled to leave the UNC-RS site on June 26, 1979.
The investi-gators examined all pertinent packaging, survey, and transfer records for this second shipment and found them to be in order.
The investigators inte: viewed the individual amployees involved in the initial transfer in order to determine if the apparent noncompliance was inadvertent or willful. The Manager of Quality Assurance stated that the material accountability clerk just couldn't get to filling out the appropriate forms before the shutdown.
The clerk, however, stated that she realized that the forms were required, that they might not be filled out in time.
She stated that she contacted DOE to inform them of the potential delay and then asked the Manager of Quality Assurance if she should stay to get the form finished as far as she could with the remaining information to be filled in just prior to shipment. According to the clerk, the Manager of Quality Assurance told her not to bother filling out the forms due to his belief that a four day delay was not a long time.
The investigators informed management representatives that the failure to complete the required material transfer form (DOE /NRC-741) was an infraction level of noncompliance with respect to 10 CFR 70.54, which requires that each licensee who transfers special nuclear material 1795c M 90
6 complete a Nuclear Material Transaction Report on Fonn DOE /NRC-741 on the same day the material is shipped. The investigators stated that the seriousness of this item was due not to any compromise with respect to the security or accountability of the material, but rather the apparent willful nature of the noncompliance. This later aspect of the noncom-p(UNC) to W. G. Martin (y the licensee in a letter from C. E. Boes liance was confirmed b NRC) dated June 22, 1979 (Exhibit I), which stated that "the delay was intentionally taken by an accounting repre-sentative to facilitate UCC's schedule."
The investigators also tock exception to the licensee's statement in the same referenced letter which stated that the DOE /NRC-741 form was
" mailed in adequate time to allow receiver reconciliation and compliance within the historically - acceptable ten-day period." The investigators stated that the form was required to be completed and signed on the day _ the material was shipped and that the 10 day accounting peiiod stated in 10 CFR TC54 applied only to the receiver in order to allow confirmatory measurements to be made. The investigation emphasized again that no 10 day accounting period had ever been accepted with respect to the shippers Nuclear Material Transaction Report and that prior contact with DOE did not mitigate the licensee's responsibility to comply with NRC requirements.
The investigators also reviewed the corrective action prepared by the licensee in his letter dated June 22, 1979, in order to prevent future noncompliance and had had no further questions in this area.
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