ML19331C150
| ML19331C150 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07001311 |
| Issue date: | 08/10/1979 |
| From: | Seyfrit K NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV) |
| To: | USAF ACADEMY HOSP., COLORADO SPRINGS, CO |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19331C151 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8008140221 | |
| Download: ML19331C150 (1) | |
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o, T s11 AYAN Pt.AZA oRIVE, SulTE 1C00 AnuncToN, TEXAS 76012 August 10, 1979 5 NS- /sc6 AIR FORCES OEPARTMENT OF THE uaAF ACADEMY MOSd!TAL 03Af ACADENY CO 80840 4
Gentlemen:
Enclosed is II Bulletin No. 79-19, which requires action by you with regard to your NRC license.
Should you have questions regarding this Bulletin or the actions required of you, please contact this office.
Sincerely,
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4
- Mk Karl V. Sey:rs.t Director
Enclosures:
1.
' 2.
List of Sulletins Issued in Last Si:c !!onths G
800814 0 2.'.7_ h
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT WASHINGTON, D.C.
20555 IE Bulletin No.' 79-19' a
Date: August 10, 1979 Page 1 of 3 PACKAGING OF LOW-LEVEL RADI0 ACTIVE WASTE FOR TRANSPORT AND BURIAL Description of Circumstances:
Low-level radioactive vaste 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 Chairman Hendrie of the serious and repeated disregard for rules governing the shipments of low-level radioactive vastes to tnese burial facilities.
Examples of violations of Agreement State, DOT and NRC rules follow:
Improperly packaged uranium fines igniting packaged liquid scintillation vials in combustible vaste 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 ures formaldehyde) from a reactor facility. The Governor of the State of Nevada ordered the drums to be shipped out of the state and tt.e 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 dcin; the package inspection program between April 10 and July 5,1979, by the A;st eement State of South Carolina, at the Barnwell, South Carolina 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 contamina-tion resulting from improper closures on 55 gallon drums of LSA material and for improper loading of the drums on the vehicle.
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IE Bulletin No. 79-19 Date:
August 10, 1979 Page 2 of 3 Sources of Information:
The DOT regulatory requirements can be found in 49 CFR Parts 170-179.
The NRC regulatory requirements can be found in 10 CFR Parts 19 to 71.
The NRC regu-latory requirements for Agreement State licensees in non-agreement states are in 10 CFR Part 150. Copies of the regulations may be purchased from the Superintendent of Document; U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.
Information about licensing requirements for NRC packages can be obtained from the NRC Transportation Branch (301-427-4122).
Information about DOT packaging and transport requirements can be obtained by calling the DOT Office of Hazardous Materials (202-426-2311).
Action To Be Taken By Licensees:
To assure the safe transfer, packaging, and transport of low-level radioactive waste, each licensee is expected to:
1.
Maintain a current set of DOT and NRC regulations concerning the transfer, packaging and transport of low-level radioactive waste material.
2.
Maintain a curr at set of requirements (license) placed on the waste burial firm by the Agreement State of Nevada, South Carolina, or Washington before packaging low-level radioactive waste material for transfer and shipment to the Agreement State licensee.
If a waste collection contractor is used, obtain the appropriate requirements from the contractor.
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3.
Designate, in writing, people in your organization who are responsible for the safe transfer, packaging and transport of low-level radioactive material.
4.
Provide management-approved, detaile/. instructions and operating procedures to all personnel involved in the tranaier, packaging and transport of low-level radioactive material.
Special attention should be given to controls on the chemical and physical form of the low-level radioactive material and on the containment integrity of the packaging.
5.
Provide training and periodic retraining in the DOT and NRC regulatory l
requirements, the waste burial license requirements, and in your instruc-tions and operating procedures for all personnel involved in the transfer, packaging and transport of radioactive material. Maintain a record of training dates, attendees, and subject material for future inspections by NRC personnel.
6.
Provide training and periodic retraining to those employees who operate the processes which generate waste to assure that the volume of low-level
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radioactive waste is minimized and that such waste is processed into acceptable chemical and physical form for transfer and shipment to a low-level radioactive waste burial facility.
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