ML20033E042
| ML20033E042 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 01/17/1990 |
| From: | Cunningham R NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | Chin A STERIGENICS INTERNATIONAL (FORMERLY RADIATION STERILI |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20033D963 | List:
|
| References | |
| FOIA-90-29 IEIN-89-082, IEIN-89-82, NUDOCS 9001300340 | |
| Download: ML20033E042 (1) | |
Text
p.'E : i.~n' t Mh...: d. 1:, d. " !.M.s
' / n,. ~ ' i [, 7 JiE.7, M.i.
.'.23"
.e k
j N 87 W l
Radiation Sterilizers, Inc.
ATTN: Mr. Allan Chin 7
4020 Clipper Court j
Fremont, CA 94538 1
C
Dear Mr. Chin:
- )
d I am responding to your comments on NRC Information Notice No. 89 82, entitled g
"Recent Safety-Related Incidents at large Irradiators," in your letter dated December 21, 1989.
I can assure you that the purpose in sending this p.
i information Notice was to alert other large irradiator licensees of potential 4
safety problems.
A Regarding our account of the use of the demineralizer/ pool water monitoring h
system to identify leaking cesium.137 source capsules in Event No. 2, you stated that information contained in the first and second paragraphs was not true.
In the first paragraph we indicated that contaminated pool water a
remained undetected because the pool water monitoring system associated with the demineralizer was not in use. The second paragraph states that if tie
+
demineralizer had been operated continuously, pool water contamination could 4
have been detected earlier.
In the latter paragraph, we also refer to the j
demineralizer/ pool water monitoring system as a single unit. We considea pool r
b water monitoring coupled with operation of the demineralizers as a sing 1r unit since without this combination, the detection system is not adequate to mtet p.
the objective of early. warning of source leakage.
1 7
By issuing this Information Notice we sought to make other irradiator licensees s
aware of several recent safety.related incidents at irradiators, which included reliance on pool water monitoring systems associated with demineralizers and a
contractor cuality assurance. We believe the brief surenaries were accurate in describing the basic facts of each incident.
There was no attempt to place j
blame nor defend actions.
4 Sincerely,
?.
x passant sisa.or g
Richard E. Cunningham, Director 3
Division of Industrial and i
Medical Nuclear Safety Office of Nuclear Material Safety 3
and Safeguards a)
DISTRic4 TION XETTert IMNS Central Files NRC File Center j
IMAB r/f NMSS r/f REcunningham
'A GSjoblom JEGlenn MLamastra
?.,,
PCVacca p]
- See previous concurrence lc i
/
0FC:
IMAB /
1AS.
- 'IMAB
- DD/IMN5
- D/p5
,g p
............f )........: F.L
.......@EGlenn 1
7...,
NAME:AHuffert:ck/ht :M ams ra
- 1 Cunni gham l
1 DATE: 01/17/90
- 01/1I/90
- 01/12/90 :01/p/00
- 01//f/90 1
NFIC]A RECORD COPY l
k
$ V
~
.