ML19344A898
| ML19344A898 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 06/26/1980 |
| From: | Pappas H NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | Wright G ILLINOIS, STATE OF |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8008220491 | |
| Download: ML19344A898 (2) | |
Text
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gnana70 UNITEo STATES 9
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGloN ill O
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'f 799 ROOSEVELT ROAD GLEN ELLYN, ILUNOIS 601M JUN ? 6 G80 State of Illinois Department of Illinois ATTN:
Mr. Gary N. Wright, Chief Division of Nuclear Safety 535 West Jefferson Street Springfield, IL 62761 Gentlemen:
The enclosed IE Information Notice No. 80-24 dated May 30, 1980, titled, "Lcv-Level Radioactive Waste Burial Criteria" was sent to the following licensees on June 25, 1980:
American Electric Power Corporation Indiana and Michigan Power Company D. C. Cook 1, 2 (50-315, 50-316)
Commonwcalth Edison Company Dresden 1, 2, 3 (50-10, 50-237, 50-249)
Quad-Cities 1, 2 (50-254, 50-265)
Zion 1, 2 (50-295, 50-304)
Consumers Power Company Big Rock Point (50-155)
Palisades (50-255)
Dairyland Power Cooperative LACBWR (50-409)
Dow Chemical Company (50-264)
Iowa Electric Light and Power Company Duane Arnold (50-331)
Iowa State University (50-116)
Michigan State University (50-294)
Northern States Power Company Monticello (50-263)
Prairie Island 1, 2 (50-282, 50-306) i 6008220Idf/
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JUN 2 6 860 i
State of Illinois Ohio State University (50-150)
Purdue University (50-182)
Toledo Edison Company Davis-Besse 1 (50-346)
University of Michigan (50-002)
University of Missouri Columbia (50-186)
Rolla (50-123)
University of Wisconsin (50-156)
Westinghouse Nuclear Training Reactor (Zion)
(50-087)
Wisconsin Electric Power Company Point Beach 1, 2 (50-266, 50-301) l Wisconsin Public Service Corporation l
Kewaunee (50-305)
Sincerely, l
"Y 2
Helen Pappas, Chief Administrative Branch
Enclosure:
IE Information l
Notice No. 80-?4 cc w/ encl:
Mr. D. W. Kane, Sargent
& Lundy Central Files Reproduction Unit NRC 20b Local PDR NSIC TIC Y
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UNITED STATES I
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION o
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WASHINGTON, D. C. 20665 May 30, 1980 Gentlemen:
Enclosed is IE Information Notice No. 80-24
" Low-Level Radioactive Waste '<.! rial Criteria." If you generate low-level radioactive waste which is to be disposed of by eventual burial at one of the three comer.-ial burie.1 facilities in the States of Nevada, South Carolina, or Warhington, you should review and abide by the criteria for low-level radiotetive waste fonn as established by each burial site.
If yo a desire additional information regarding this matter, please conta:t the Director of the appropriate NRC Regional Office as specified l
in Ap'pendix D,10 CFR Part 20.
l Sincerely.
l r
l lames H. Snieze lirector ivision of Fuel Facility and Materials Safety Inspection Office of Inspection and Enforcement
Enclosure:
IE Information Not' 9 No. 30 24 i
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SSINS: 6870 Accession No.: 8005050047 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATONY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT WASHINGTON, D.C.
20555 May 30, 1980 IE Information Notice No. 80-24 LOW-LEVEL RADI0 ACTIVE WASTE BURIAL CRITERIA This Notice Supersedes Enclosure #1 to IE Information Notice 79-21, September 7, 1979 IE Information Notice No. 79-21, " Transportation and Commercial Burial of Radioactive Material" alerted licensees to the concern expressed by the Governors of the Agreement States of Nevada, South Carolina and Washington over the repeated disregard by waste generators and shippers for the rules governing shipments of low-level radioactive wastes to their burial facilities.
That Notice also provided information regarding the regulatory requirements for packaging, transportation and disposal of radioactive material.
Enclosure
- 1 to the Notice was a summary of the low-level radioactive waste burial criteria for the three burial sites as of July 11, 1979.
Since the issuance of IE Information Notice 79-21, there have been a number of changes to those criteria.
An edited and updated version of Enclosure No. I to that Notice has been prepared and is hereby reissued as IE Information Notice No. 80-24.
These criteria have been reviewed with state officials and the burial site operators.
It is important to note that administrative and shipper certification requirements associated with the burial sites are not reflected in the enclosed criteria.
These requirements are frequently revised, as are the specific details on packagings, waste form and volumes.
It is imperative, therefore, that shippers confirm the latest requirements directly with the waste disposal collectors and site operators.
No written response to this Information Notice is required.
l l
Enclosure:
Low-Level Radioactive Waste Burial Criteria, March 10, 1980
IE Inf rmation N:tica No, 80- 24 Enclosura il LOW-LEVEL RADI0 ACTIVE WASTE BURIAL CRITERIA March 10, 1980 WASTE FORM SITES
(
South Carolinal Nevada 2 Washington 3 l
l
- 1. Liquid scintillation Disposal not Disposal permitted but Disposal permitted but fluidspacgedin2x permitted liquid scint. fluids specific approval of must be in vials.
absorbents required absorbents Specific approval required for absorbents
- 2. Other liquids packed in 2x Not Permitted Not Permitted Permitted, but no free absorbent for immobilization standing liquid (1% by volume)
- 3. Unpackaged bulk solids Permitted, but Permitted, but Not Permitted (e.g. ores, rubble) specific approval specific approval required required
- 4. Solidification media of aqueous and organic liquids.
a) cement, urea formaldehyde Permitted but Permitted /no free Permitted Dow media, Delaware custom currently no standing liquid.
media, Asphalt acceptable solidi-Urea formaldehyde fication agents for not permitted oils or organic solutions are known b) other Not permitted Permitted Permitted i
18arnwell, S.
C., operated by Chem-Nuclear 2 eatty, Nevada, operated by NEC0
)
8 3 anford, Washington operated by NEC0 Liquids or vials of liquids alternated with layers {iof absorbent form the most effective packaging.
ff 4
(2x absorbent transit).t the totfth the site operator for additional packaging requirements.I absorb nt volume must equal 2x the total liquid volume present means tha Check w
9 LOW-LEVEL RADI0 ACTIVE WASTE BURIAL CRITERIA WASTE FORM SITES South Carolina 1 Nevada 2 Washington,3
- 5. Radiol'ogical hazard greater Permitted Permitted Permitted than chemical hazard unless specifically approved
- 6. Py ophoric material Not permitted unless Not permitted unless Not permitted unless specifically approved specifically approved specifically approved by operators of the by operators of the by the officials from burial facility.
burial facility Washington State
- 7. Biological wastes (e.g.,
Permitted, but slaked Permitted Pemitted with lime in carcasses)packedin lime must be used to special packaging and equivalent to 2x preserve the carcass shipping absorbent
- 8. Oil Content Not more than 1%
No specification, No specification, until absorbed oil by case by case basis after 12/31/80 - 1% by volume volume
- 9. Dewatered resins and filter Permitted until Permitted if solidi-Permitted until 6/30/81 media 6/30/81, then solidi-fied, no free standing fication is required liquid
- 10. Evaporator bottoms Must be solidified Must be a solid dust be solidified with with agents listed agents listed in item 4 in item 4
. LOW-LEVEL RADI0 ACTIVE WASTE BURIAL CRITERIA WASTE FORM SITES South Carolina I Nevada 2 Washington 3
- 11. Kr 85 and Xe 133 Permitted in DOT pkg, Permitted in DOT pkg, Pemitted in DOT 1.5 atm, 100 C1/pkg 1 atm, 100 Cf/pkg, pkg,1.5 ats,100 1000 Ci in special pkg.
Ci/pkg.
- 12. Curie content per package Special if >
Special if > 1600 Special handling for radiation control and 2500 C1.
Ci for dispersed or for large quantities.
handling.
if > 50 Ci for sealed sources.
13.' Transuranics greater than Not permitted Not permitted Not permitted except 10 nanocuries/ gram Am-241 smoke detectors
- 14. SNM package content Up to 350g of U-235 350 g U-235 or 100 g U-235 or (covered by NRC 200 g U-233 or 60 g U-233 or license) ratio < 1.
ratio < 1; 200 g Pu
< 15g[ cubic ft
- 15. DOT containers as received Permitted Permitted, but with Permitted, but the at the site.
the following excep-following exceptions tions: cardboard, begin 3/31/80: card-fiberboard, and paper board, fiberboard, and paper E
_4_
LOW-LEVEL RADI0 ACTIVE WASTE BURIAL CRITERIA WASTE FORM SITES South Carolina I Nevada 2 Washington 3
- 16. Liners removed fron D0T Permitted but pkgd.
Permitted Permitted shipping containers in containers with no chemical, galvanic or other reaction.
- 17. Discrete Ra sources Not permitted Up to 1 Ci Permitted
- 18. Free standing liquids in Un til 12/31/80, Not Permitted Less than 1% by items 4, 9, and 10 1% by volume and volume until non-corrosive 12/31/80 i
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UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMulJSION F
7 W ASHING TON. D. C. 20555 Posv AGE Ano FEES PA4D OFFICI AL SUSINESS U s. NUCLE A R RE GUL A TOR Y PE N ALYY FOR PRIV ATE USE. 83?$
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May 30, 1980 1
Gentlemen :
Enclosed is IE Infcnnation Notice No. 80-25, " Transportation of Pyrophoric Uranium." If you generate and dispose of pyrophoric forms of uranium metal in your licensed operations, you are advised to carefully consider ti.e information in this Notice.
Sincerely, t
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J H. Sniezek airector Division of Fuel Facility and Materials Safety Inspection Office of Inspection and Enforcement
Enclosure:
IE Information Notice No. 80-25 J
8 i
x SSINS No.: 6870 Accession No.:
UNITED STATES 8005050046 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT WASHINGTON, D.C.
20555 May 30, 1980 IE Information Notice No. 80-25 TRANSPORTATION OF PYROPHORIC URANIUM
-Background From time to time NRC has received reports of transportation incidents involving the shipment of uranium in a pyrophoric form (capable of spontaneous ignition).
These forms generally include finely divided metallic saw turr,ings and chips, sawdust, and abrasive saw sludge.
Moisture in the form of water or machining coolants is usually present on the finely divided material, contribu-ting to its reactivity due to the radiolytic decomposition of the water reacting with the base metal to create hydrogen gas.
Hydrogen gas generation and reactivity will vary with the particle size (surface area to volume ratio) of the fines, free moisture content, and age of the material.
Although the exact reaction kinetics of finely divided pyrophoric metals is not well under-stood, past industry experience has indicated that extreme care must be exercised in the proper storage and transportation of such pyrophoric forms of uranium so as to preclude spontaneous ignition.
Fires resulting are extremely difficult to extinguish using such convential fire extinguishing agents as C0 foam, and dry chemical.
Water, if used in very large volumes or by total km,mersion can be ef fective.
Water used as a fine spray, however, can be extremely dangerous, actually causing a more violent reaction due to the radiolytic breakdown of the water from the extremely high temperatures.
Further, such fires also create an inhalation hazard due to'the dispersion of airborne uranium as particulate matter.
Transportation Regulations Although the Department of Transportation (00T) regulations in 49CFR do not provide specific provisions for packaging and shipment of pyrophoric uranium, in 49 CFR 172.101, there does appear a proper shipping name: " Uranium _ metal, pyrophoric", under the radioactive material hazard class.
This indicates that such. materials.are to be labelled as both a radioactive material and a flammable solid.
Under the column " packaging", S172.101 then makes reference to the requirements for low specific activity and fissile radioactive materials.
The only other relevant provision of 49CFR, albeit, a very. important one is 49 CFR 173.21(b): under " Prohibited packaging", which reads:
"(b) the offering of any package or container of any liquid solid cr gaseous material which under conditions incident to transportation may polymerize j
(combine or react with itself) or decompose so as to cause dangerous evolution of heat or gas is prohibited.
Such materials may be offered for transportation when properly stabilized or inhibited.
Refrigeration may be used as a means
,i:
IE Information Notice No. 80-25 May 30, 1980 Page 2 of 3 of' stabilization only when approved by the Bureau of Explosives".
- However, the DOT regulations require no specific methods of stabilization of pyrophoric uranium prior to shipment.
Shipping Practices In the earlier years of the nuclear industry many-shippers of'ered pyrophoric uranium for transporation in steel drums, in which the turnings, chips or sludge was submerged under mineral oil.
This method has the distinct safety problem of allowing a pressure buildup of hydrogen gas within the drum.
This may cause a personnel hazard upon opening the drum, and a rossible explosive release-and/or ignition of the hydrogen gas.
In some cases, venting devices have been used or-holes have been drilled in drum lids to allow continuous venting of hydrogen gas.
However, this poses problems also, especially in confined or closed spaces, such as a closed highway van.
Currently, most shippers of pyrophoric uranium have elected not to transport such materials submerged under oil.
Instead, one the following alternatives is used:
1.
Conversion of the material to a non pyrophoric material in a oxide form by incineration prior to shipment.
2.
Mixing of the pyrophoric material in a hardened matrix of concrete, with a high concrete to turnings ratio.
Such mixing appears to stabilize the material so as to preclude any significant gas generation.
3.
Mixing of the pyrophoric material in a solidified plaster-of paris type matrix.
(This method may not eliminate gas generation and may not sufficiently " stabilize" the material.
A shipment-of such material was involved in a May 14, 1979 incident at the Beatty, Nevada waste burial facility.
During this incident fire destroyed a vehicle containing such uranium wastes, along with other wastes containing flammable scintillation fluids..The exact cause of the fire is uncertain, however, the extremely reactive nature of the pyrophoric materials present undoubtedly contributed to the severity of the fire).
Proposed DOT Regulations In. order to more clearly specify safety provisions for packaging and transport of pyrophoric materials, DOT has recently proposed (Jan 8, 1979 44 F.R. 1852, Part II) new criteria for description, classification and packaging of "pyrophor'ic radioactive materials".
These proposed criteria are quoted in Enclosures 1 & 2.
Summary j
Iniview of the above, NRC licensees-who generate pyrophoric forms of uranium int their licensed: operations-are cautioned to carefully consider the require-ments of-49 CFR 173.21(b) to properly " stabilize" such materials prior to
=
n IE Information Notice No. 80-25 May 30, 1980 Page 3 of 3 of'ering them for transport.
The methods which have apparently been the most satisfactory are:
1.
Incineration to a non pyrophoric oxide (will require specific approval pursuant to 10 CFR 20.305); or 2.
Mixing and solidifying in a large matrix of concrete.
Questions about this Information Notice can be directed to NRC Headquarters, Office of Inspection and Enforcement, Division of Fuel Facilities and Materials Safety Inspection, Washington, D.C. 20555 (Attn: Sr. Transportation Specialist) 301-492-8188.
J h..1.
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ENCLOSURE I PROPOSED DOT REGULATORY REVISION ON PACKAGING OF PYROPH0RIC URANIUM i 127.119 Authorised packaging-py ro-als, as referenced in f 172.101 of this phoric radmacthe materials.
subchapter, and which are also not fis-(a) Pyrophoric (materials which are sile radioactive materials and not in capable of spontaneous ignition) radio-quantities exceeding A.
must be actite ma t t rials, as referenced in packed in suitable inside packagings of
{ 172.101 of t his subchapter, and earthenware, glass, metal or compati-which are not fissile radioactive raate-ble plastic and suitably cushioned with rials and not in quantitles exceeding a material which will not react with A, per package, must be in packages of the contents. Inner packagings and such a dcsign and constructed of mate-cushioning must be enclosed within an rials that will not react with nor be de-outside packaging of wood, metal, or composed by the contents. Contents plastic. The package must also meet must be in solid form, and:
the applicable test requirements of (1) Contained in one or more scaled f 127.611 without leakage of contents.
and corrosion resistant innermost re-For shipment by air, the maximum mptacles with positive closures (fric-quantity in any package may not rion or slip fit covers or stoppers are exceed 11.3 kg (25 lbs).
not authorized);
(2) Dry of water and f ree of any con-taminants which would increase the reactivity of the material; and (J) Made inert to prevent self-Igni-tion during transport by either:
$1) Mixing uith large volumes of in-ertin;; natorials such as graphite or sard. or other suitable inerting materi-al. or blended into a matrix of har-dened concrete; or
(!!) l'illing the innermost receptacle with an appropriate inert gas.
tbl In addition to the applicable re-quirements of $ 173.24 of this sub-cha pt(r-(1) Each innermost sen!ed receptacle mud contsin not more than 4.5 kg (10 lbs..) of materials;
'2) Each innermost receptacle must be further enclosed within an outer wonW 11 or inetal packacing with non-(ombotible cushionmg material post-tiotied on all sides between the intier rectptacle and outtr enclosure; (38 Ine loaximum net weight of the comruts may not exceed 34 kJ (75 lbs.); and.
(4) The package must be capable of passing ti.e test conditicns of { 127.611
- without leakage of contcn'.s.
Federal Register, Part II, January 8,1979, page 1864 l.
ENCLOSURE II m
(7)
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Hastnum met ilmantity Packagtnr, In one package Water shipments Labels (s)
(a)
(b)
(a)
(b) f^)
(b)
(c) a/ '
liasardous materiale descriptions Hasard required passenger carry-W/
and proper shipping names class (if not Specific" ing aircraft or Cargo Pas-excepted)
Enception require-railcar only Cargo enter Other requirement A
e ments afecraft vessel vessel Urantum hexafluoride, fissile Radioactive Radioactive 127.211 127.117
- 1. 2
- 1. 2 (containing more than 0.7% U-235) material and I?7.50 1 corrosive
+
Urani sm hemailuoride. Inw spec ifl(
R.ed ioac t i ve Radinartive
! ? I. 2D I 127.211 I. 2 I. 2 activity (containing 0.7% or less m.eterial and U-235) corrosive Uranium metal pyrnphorte st ad ioac t ive Rad inac t i ve Noe 1.*l.III Ferhidden t e.r h ld f en
- 1. 2
- 1. 2 mater 641
,ind Fl.smmahl.
I solid l
Uranyl nitrate henabydrate R.sdin.ec t ive Rad inac t i v.-
127.20) 127.
1
- 1. 2
- 1. 2 solutton m.eterial and corrngive Uranyl nitr.ste. so!!d R.linactive Radioactive hns I ? 7. 8.' l turbid.h u 2% lbh
!. 2
- 1. 2 Separate Inngi-rutcrial and tudinally by
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