ML19322C506

Forwards List of Preliminary Foreign non-Russian Nuclear Incidents

ML19322C506
Person / Time
Site:	Crane
Issue date:	08/08/1979
From:	James Shea NRC OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS (OIP)
To:	Gilinsky V NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
References
TASK-TF, TASK-TMR NUDOCS 8001170835
Download: ML19322C506 (4)

Text

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fe' ORA'IDUM FOR: Corm 11ssioner Gilinsky Tw 1

FROM:

James R. Shea, Director Office of International Programs

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Executive Director for Operations (signed) T. A. Reb g

SUBJECT:

LIST OF FOREIGN REACTOR INCIDE!!TS r

Recently, in discussions of the list of Soviet nuclear incidents, SECY-79-416, you suggested to Joe Lafleur that a list of other (non-U.S.S.R.)

foreign incidents;would also be useful.

I 'am enclosing a preliminary list of such incidents.

These two foreign incident' lists will be combined with r

1 known U.S. incidents in a worldwide list for use by the THI-2 investigations.

n I will attempt to keep the foreign lists updated as more infomation comes to our attention.

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We are currently preparing lists.of, foreign incidents that 'either havel influenced NRC regulatory. activities or that had. characteristics in common f

iwith TMI-2. The enclosed Tistais of nuclear incidents that either made. _

worldwide news, or are considered to have fairly < serious safety. implications,

or both.

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Enclosure:

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List of Foreign Reactor Incidents' cc: Chairman Hendrie

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Da te Place Cause/ Damage '

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,,' cledn-dp;99any'P(rene'iv'M; $g 'hT P %nailenexcept~ f' T 1952 Canada 7

safety circuit' failure-com, plex.

n (NRX)

Q.M. - Dump o f D 0 modera tor.

w' doses, highe's ts '

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ed? N ilu' clear 3 Reactor Safety 2

Core badly damaged, removed,

.17, r;Imost lcss thani a M0iv. 'or' Tech. ; Info.,iU replaced.

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L i 'fAS!!.1250;;

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Windscale,'

,Wigner energy release, P.- none serious.

1957 England U-burning triggered.by nuclear R - wides'pread radio-G 3

Same as above.

overhea ting,

Q.fl. - Flooding w/ll 0.

Severe core damage; activigy,' milk over 2

700 mi area destroyed; 4

. reactor not rebuil t.

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i Jan. 21, Lucens, Vaud,

1) CD

2) th$ coolant was released.

' fluclear. Safe ty2 Vol. 1r 1969 Swl tzerland D 0 moderator tank.

2

. No.1, dan-Feb,.1975 (Expe'rimen tal) ruptured and about 500 gal, of deuterium spilled.

3) a fuel element was damaged.

Large releases $o'f ' radioactivity c-@

in reactor cavern & into caverns g@

adjacent l'o reactor cavern.

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Penetra ted control room but. readings C

U=S) next day showed that contamination d

was equal to the maximum pennissible k:=$

~d levels for continuous operatioii, Radioactivity expelled into the g

air was maintained within the, limits.

gy) arescribed for normal operatioing

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$16 Ixposure to public at level neg-W ligibic compared with that duelto

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' natural radioactivity,

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,1 Date Place Cause/ Damage Radiation

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't Oc t. 17, St.1.auren t 1, Fuel mel tdown during a machine-

- Mos t 'of contamination Jiuclear Safety,

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1969 France controlled refueling operation trapped in the diagrid il Vol.'12, a t powe r.

and heat exchangers.

Jan-Feb, 1971 Top of diagrid at accident was60-200 Rems /hr.

3 months la ter,15-20 L

Rems /hr.

June 4, Cadarache Incident in the cooling loop; No consequence to personnel 1

1979 Iluclear Center, Safety devices functi.oned normally and caused no release of 6/4/79 Cable to IP, '

France w/ shutdown of the nuclear reaction radioactive liquid to the 1

(Experimental) and startup of emergency cooling.

environment.

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.i Date Place Cause/ Damage Radia tion Reference Jan. 13 Gundremmingen Breakdown of the 220-KV electric

. None to the environment.-

State Depar'tment cables H

1977 J'

power system leading offsite due f

in insulators.

Sa fety f

valves of primary system opened i

,i.e and released large amounts of steam into the safety contain-l ';,

ment of the reactor.

Sa fe ty

?I valves damaged during fluid discharge.

3 Jan. 5, Jaslovske.

According to the report URC has, Two workers were suffo-Charter 77 Document on 1976 Bohunice filler got into the loading cated by the escaping Czechoslovak Nuclear Czechoslovakia mechanism and prevented safety carbon dioxide.

The Program and Alleged emplacement of a new fuel element.

radioactive gas was Accidents.

(Charter 77 The element, under pressure of 6 MPa syphoned off into is dissident group of (60 at) was shot out of the reactor accident gas tanks, Czechoslovakia.)

F followed by radioactive coolant where af ter a short (carbon dioxide) into the area of drying-off period, it Czechoslovakia local the reactor.

Order was issued for was released through newspaper report. No abandoning the premises.

filters into the air.

official report available.

Feb. 24, Same place in Careless assembly of fuel element Leaking radioactive tritium Same as above 1977 Cz'echoslovakia and error in its loading resulted was brought through aircon-in overheating of the primary ditioning system into the circuit.

licat damage of the fuel operation rooms.

Af ter the O

element and violation of the reactor was shutdown, part caisson piping caused leakage of of the activated steam from the WE) carbon dioxide and deuterium and, secondary circuit was released thus, contamination of the entire into the air. Also, a certain O'FE)

- primary Circuit.

The overheating amount of activated solution l

violated the tightness of the steam was released into j

'l generator and part'of the secondary the sewage system and contaminated

,l i circuit was contaminated.

the creek in the neighboring y

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village, Zikovce.

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P July 28 Pickering Station.

Feedwater pump failed and

• Have requested more 1977*

Ontario, Canada auxiliary pumps not available detailed information of l

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this incident

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