ML20032E621

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IE Insp Repts 50-295/81-25 & 50-304/81-21 on 810824. Noncompliance Noted:Metal Bin 213 in Shipment of Low Specific Activity Waste Leaked
ML20032E621
Person / Time
Site: Zion  File:ZionSolutions icon.png
Issue date: 09/11/1981
From: Book H, Skov D, Thomas R
NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV)
To:
Shared Package
ML20032E602 List:
References
50-295-81-25, 50-304-81-21, NUDOCS 8111200747
Download: ML20032E621 (5)


See also: IR 05000295/1981025

Text

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U.S. NUCLEAR RELJLATORY C0".MISS10ft

OFFICE OF lt4SPECTION AND CNFORCEMENT

REGION V

Report No. 50-295/81-25; 50-304/81-21

Docket No. 50-295; 50-304

License No. DPR-39; DPR-48

Safeguards Group

Licensee:

co omrealth Edison Company

Post Offic,e Box 767

,

Chicago. 11

6Qb90

Facility Name: J.J.eduqlgar_ Power I?lant

inspection at:

Richland, Washington

._

Insyection concocted:

August 24, 1981

_

Inspector:

$ e/sys

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Da

D. Skov, Radiation Specialist

Approved bf:

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R. D. Thomas, Chief) Materials Radiation

Date Signed

Prptection Section

Approved by:

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!i . E. Book, Chief, Radiological Safety Branch

Date Signed

Summary:

I,nspec tion of A rius t 24, 1981 (Report No. 50 .235L81-211_10-304/81-21)

As part of the inspection conducted August 24-28, 1981 of the Washington Burial

Site, a shipment of waste receivec o n August 21, 1981 from Commonweal th

Edison was inspected August 24. 1981, the results of which are detailed in

this report.

Resuly:

One item of noncompliance with DOT /NRC regulations was identified.

It appears that that NRC Region III Of fice, the State of Nashington, and the Depart-

ment of Transportation are the appropriate organizations to take enforcement

action.

8111200747 811105

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gDRADOCK 05000295

RV FORi1 219(2)

PDR

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_ DETAILS

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Persons Cantacted

,

Vernon Apple, Site Manager, L.S. Ecology, Inc.

Floyd Dickson, Padiation Control and Safety Officer,

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U.S. Ecolngy, Inc.

Rebecca Cropper, Radiation lechnician, U.S. Ecology. Inc.

Rob. Rittenburg, Radiation Technician, U.S. Ecology, Inc,

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Leo Mainhouse, State of Washington, Department of Social and

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Health Services

Suzanne Hille.an, State of Washington, Department of Soci,al and

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Hesith Services

Sherman Miller, Senior Staff Engineer, Rad Wasta Management,

Commonwealth Edison

Rock Aker, Health Physicist, Connonwealth Edison

Gary Geer, Rad Waste Planner, Comnonwealth Edison

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Background

As part of the low-level waste inspection conducted during August 24-28, 1931

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at Richland, Washington, a shipn:ent of waste received on August 21, 1981

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from Commonwealth Edison Co., Zion, Illinois was examined on August 24, 1981

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for NRC/ DOT compliance.

This shipment was identified by the State of

,

Washington inspector on August 21 as containing one metal box which was

leaking "a small amount" of liquid material from the bottom of the

container.

Inspection of this container and the remainder of the shipment

was performed by the NRC insoector on August 24, 1931.

,

The instrument used for the radiation survey was a Xetex Model 305B,

serial number 8355, due for recalibration on October 10, 1981.

A check

for removable radioactive contamination was performed on a wipe with a

Nuclear Measurement Corp. Model PC-55 proportional counter.

Inspection

Licensee-Shipper:

Commonwealth Edison Co.

101 Shiloh Blvd.

Zion, Illinois

Docket Nos. 05000295

05000304

4

Shipment Inspected:

August 24, 1981

Carrier:

Home Transportation Co.

,

Trailer No.:

442250

Freight Bill No.:

T02-002957

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The shipment consisted of ten metal boxes containing Radioactive

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Material, Low Specific Activity, NOS, and was assigned to be under

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exclusive use.

(See Appendix A)

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2.

An inspection or survey of the trailer by the NRC inspector was not

possible since unloading of the shipment occurred August 21, 1981.

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3.

Observation of metal box 213 of this shipment indicated a slight

leakage of liquid material along the bottom seam (see Appendix B,

photographs 1 and 2).

The leakage increased when the box was

til ted forward by a fork-lif t truck. The inspector observed approximately

one drop of clear liquid leakage per minute.

This appears to be an item of noncompliance with 49 CFR 173.392(c)(1)

which requires that radioactive material mest be packaged in a

manner which precludes any leakage of contects under the normal

condition of transport.

The State of Washington specific license issued to U.S. Ecology

authorizes 0.5 percent or one gallon (whichever is less) by volume

of free standing liquid in solid waste packages received for burial.

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The metal box was not opened so that it was not possible to establish

the quantity of contained liquid.

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4.

Although loss of radioactive material from the package was not

confirmed using NRC analysis of a wipe taken of the liquid appearing

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outsida of the container, such confirmation was made from a wipe

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analyzed by U.S. Ecology which gave the following results:

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Cs-137

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35 picocurie

Co-60

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84 picocurie

Cs- 134

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24 picocurie.

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5.

Radiation survey of the leaking metal box indicated a maximum

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exposure rate of 1.2 mr/hr at the surface.

6.

On August 26, 1981, licensee representatives visited the burial

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site to inspect the leaking container.

The licensee concurred

,.

in the observation that the container was not leak tight and explained

that the leakage problem was possibly due to a faulty weld which

may have gone undetected by a lack of adequate quality control

shipping procedures.

They also theorized that water may have

been trapped in valves and pipes which were packaged as radio-

active waste.

They further stated that the amount of water in

this case would not have exceeded about a pint.

The licensee

admitted that no absorbent was used to retain residual liquids

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within the container.

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7.

Communication by phone on August 31, 1981 between E. Lee Gronemyer,

Transportation / Waste Management Unit, Department of Social and

Health Services, Suate of Washington (206-753-3462) and the Region V

Office revealed that the State of Washington would proceed to ban

the licensee from the Burial Site for the violation.

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