ML20011D287
| ML20011D287 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 12/08/1989 |
| From: | Harold Denton NRC OFFICE OF GOVERNMENTAL & PUBLIC AFFAIRS (GPA) |
| To: | Stephen Burns, Lopezotin M, Scarborough J NRC |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8912260125 | |
| Download: ML20011D287 (2) | |
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION s
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December 8, 1989 NOTE TO: Steve Burns Marie Lopez-Otin i
Jack Scarborough Janet Kotra Comnissioner Remick's Office i
SUBJECT:
RESULTS OF MEETING WITH GEORGIA AND DOE OFFICIALS ONRADIATIONSTERILIZERS,INC.(RSI)IRRADIATOR j
u-This is.to inform you of the results of the meeting held on December 6,1989 at OWFN between the NRC staff, Georgia and DOE officials. See attached list of attendees.
The meeting was opened with Mr. James Setser, Chief. Program Coordination Branch, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, giving a brief sumary of the incident at the RSI 1rradiator facility, Dekalb County, Georgia.
a He stated that the State of Georgia has had an average of four individuals working on the RSI incident for the last 18 months, and he estimated that the RSI incident cost has exceeded 10 million dollars.. He further stated that State officials are very concerned about the lack of progress in source removal. Of the original 252 cesium capsules, only 93 have been removed and transported to the DOE facility at Hanford, Washington.
There are 159 capsules still at the site. The State of Georgia and NRC have been disturbed by the lack of progress being made by RSI to repair the nine RSI casks that were found leaking. This delay has necessitated looking at other options that will allow resumption of shipping the capsules. Secondly, the delay in DOE's report on the causes of the-capsule leakage has caused considerable skepticism on the part of the public. Third, Georgia expressed a need for help on site security control.
NMSS reported that they were all legitimate concerns and also mutual concerns.
Further, it was felt that repair of the RSI casks and getting the DOE Beneficial Use Shipping System (BUSS) cask certified by NRC and.
securing, in addition to the one 600 cask from GE, their two 1500 casks would be the key to getting the capsules removed.
(TheDOEBUSScask can carry 16 capsules at once).
Mr. Setser was given the assurance of the following actions:
1.
NRC agreed to accept a partial application on the DOE BUSS cask to facilitate the review process for certification.
2.
NRC agreed to meet with DOE to resolve technical questions associated with the NRC's certification of the BUSS cask.
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Contact:
Vandy L. Miller, SLITP Ext. 20326
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Addressees 2
3.
DOE agreed to evaluate site modifications to utilize the BUSS cask at RSI (i.e., movement of the cask by the crane on site, the mof opening space for lowering the cask into the irradiator pool).
4.
NRC informed Mr. Setser that they are within two weeks of finishing the review of the normal fors inserts for the RSI casks.
5.
DOE agreed to contact RSI on the status of the two RSI casks currently under repair.
6.
00E agreed to consider funding the necessary repairs to the remaining seven RSI casks in order to get them back in service.
7.
DOE will request their prime contractor, Westinghouse, to take the lead in negotiating with GE for use of i
their GE 1500 casks at the RSI facility.
B.
DOE agreed to have a security specialist conduct a security evaluation of the site.
Mr. Setser indicated that he was pleased with the anticipated action being planned or taken by both NRC and DOE to address the State's concerns.
He also indicated that the NRC may want to consider taking a regulatory action regarding the other two irradiator facilities, Applied Radiant Energy and Iotech, without the benefit of knowing the cause of the leaking capsule.
Mr. Setser further stated that he would inform the attendees at the monthly RSI meeting in Decatur scheduled for December 7,1989 of the l
State's concerns expressed at this meeting and the anticipated l
L actions planned by both NRC and DOE.
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Harold R. Denton, Director Office of Governmental and Public Affairs I
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