ML20033F433
| ML20033F433 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 01/17/1989 |
| From: | Vacca P NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20033D963 | List:
|
| References | |
| FOIA-90-29 NUDOCS 9003200455 | |
| Download: ML20033F433 (10) | |
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- N 1 ! 3G MEMORANDUM FOR: The Files b
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FROM:
Patricia C. Vacca a.'
Medical, Academic, and Commercial R
Use Safety Branch J
Division of Industrial and j
Medical Nuclear Safety, NMSS f
SUBJECT:
JANUARY 5, 1989 MEETIhG N
On January 5,1989, the Department of Energy (DOE) held a meeting at its offices in Germantown to discuss the current status of Waste Encapsulation and
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Storage Facility (WESF) sources of cesium-137 (Cs-137). The names of those who attended the meeting are shown in Enclosure 1.
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Westinghouse, a DOE contractor, has completed its evaluation of the status of WESF sources and whether they can be shi) ped as "special form" vs. " normal ci form".
WESF sources can be grouped in tie following categories:
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Category Special Form U
1.
Capsule known to be leaking No y
(1 as of 1/5/89) y 2.
Capsuleswithdeformation(e.g.,
No a
swellin
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1/5/89)g or bulging; 2 as of 3
3.
Capsules that may be overfilled No based on weight calculations fj 4.
Capsules made frora the same No batch as those in categories I and 2 (4 as of 1/5/89) 3 5..
sule No Cap (e.g.s with any other anomaly 8
, pittin weld records)g, questionable 3
)
6.
Cap (as ofsules not in Categories 1-5 Yes 1/5/89, 115 in Ohio n
and 170 in Gcorgia for a y
total of 285) x 3
00E provided a schedule (Enclosure 2) for shipping WESF sources from the two facilities of Radiation Sterilizers, Inc. (RSI). DOE hopes that, between January 5 and the end of the proposed period for shipping, it will have more 3
information on the cause of the failure, so as to be able to determine that y
some of the sources in Catecaries 2-5 can be shipped as special form.
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In response to questions, DOE indicated it had not addressed the issues G
relatedtotheWESFsourcesnowat10 TECH (Colorado)andAppliedRadiant U
Energy (Virginia). These latter two licensees operate in a manner different a
from RSI and their sources are not subjected to as much (if any) thermal a
cycling.
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With regard to RSI (Ohio), about 25% of the sources are now in shipping i.
casks. DOE plans to unload them, " gauge" them to determine if any are
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deformed and ensure that those sources to be shipped in RSI.1500 casks are
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in Category 6. _ RS! (Ohio) will need to seek an amst:dment to its license in s
view of the current schedule which envisions comp eting shipping the first 25%
1 of the sources from Ohio by mid. late February 1989, a date beyond that y
currently authorized on the license. A meeting participant (DOE or DOE 8
contractor) called Bruce Mallett on January 5 and informed him of the current 4
schedule shown in Enclosure 2.
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Patricia C. Vacca 1
Medical, Academic, and Commercial k
Use Safety Branch A
Division of Industrial and li Medical Nuclear Safety, NMSS
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Enclosures:
'i 1.
List of Participants j
2.
Cesium Capsule Shipping Activities M9 DISTRIBUTION:
0 IMNS Central File V:
NhSS r/f IMAB r/f PCVacca @ Co a{CHL W ')
J, MLamastra i
JAustin Y
GSjoblom h
RECunningham g
BMa11ett, RIII
.e VLMiller, GPA/SLITP
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WCline, RII Q
CMacDonald, SGTB 1
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,s DATE:1/l489 3
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Cesium Capsule Shipping Activities j
Level 0 January g
February March April i
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WESF Preparations 3
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Preparations to unload A 1/2e RSI-1500
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Surveillante Program A 2/15 Define progeam based on onsel enam data 77, a
shipping with GE-600 Cask Decatur
- Eight(apsules for l
A 2/15 Shi i
PP ng schadule dependent on OnNL programmatic needs 3
Remaining Decatur shipping van W *M after faiW dnism determied l
N.3 Capsules "D
Westerville
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Procedures & Training
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- i Commerue shipping 179 <apsules - 4 per month ontil alternate cask available shipments / month i
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Cesium Capsule Shipping Activities (Cont.)
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RSI-1500 Cask Option g
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o Detatur Shipping plan to be developed after failure mechanism deterenined alternate cask available f,
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Analytical 5upport 7
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Test Report (WHC)
A 1/20 e
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A 3/17 -
'o Corrosion Analysis (PNL) 2, 2/13
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December 7, less C
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'l Mr. John E. Baublitz NE-20 l
h Department of Energy n
E-435 Germantown Bldg.
l Germantown, MD 20545 t
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Dear Jacks A
My concern over the severity of the leakage from the WESF I,/
j capsules has increased by several orders of magnitude
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since I have heard of the swollen capsules in Decatur.
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It has been reported that two (2) capsules have expanded in diameter greater than 1/4".
It is also believed that g
this expansiott has occurred since July.
A careful review of the July videos will confirm this.
Additionally, I i
)3 have heard that there were 2 or 3 other capsules which
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were *.ight 13tting into the sipper, indicating possible j
swelling.
d There are currenths no plausible explanations for this swelling.
One thing however is sure, and that is that neither RSI nor DOE vould want a capsule to rupture in the storage pool.
This will happen if the swelling continues q
in these capsules.
The two swollen capsules have been individually isolated.
How many more are in the process R
of swelling is not known.
The ability to individually p) isolate additional swollen capsules is limited to two (2).
Il I believe it to be imperative that the WESF capsules be 7.1 removed from both Westerville and Decatur immediately.
l
- DOE, NRC and RSI were prepared to ship the capsules last p
October.
Internal DOE decisions stopped the shipping 3
schedule.
The reasons are not clear to both NRC and RSI.
9 N
If DOE persists in not shipping the capsules, I think that j
immediate action should be taken to isolate these capsules v.
to prevent massive contamination of one or both RSI W-facilities.
1 1
One method of doing this is to construct shielded storage E
pools adjacent to both facilities.
The capsules can be Q
transferred to these pools using RSI's Series 1500 casks.
The storage pools would be designed with provl water de-lonization, filtration, and cooling. yions for Adequate shielding would be included to protect personnel exposure in the event of the catastrophic failure of one or more of c
these capsules, k
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Radiation Sterilizers, Inc.,46721 Fremont Boulevard, Fremont, CA 94538 (415) 770 9000 4
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John E. Baublitz Department of Energy c.
Page 2 l$
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N To date only about 8 curies of Cs-137 have been released.
j If the expansion mechanism continues, it will only be a i
fj natter of time before the capsule (s) rupture.
Each of the j
249 capsules contains about 50,000 curies.
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?J RSI cannot survive having two of its facilities shut down.
'i The evidence to date points toward a capsule fabrication
)
y problem.
Yet DOE's position is "we can't be sure until f,f all the information is in."
I'm afraid that may be too 1;
late.
The most recent data that swollen capsule 1504 is j
not now leaking should convince most that this is an internal capsule failure.
8 DOE must take immediate action to remove the WESF capsules
)
from both RSI facilities before catastrophe strikes.
4 4
I avait your immediata response.
C y
Sincerely, c
8 Allan Chin Vice Chairman c
i cc:
J. Clouser, RSI J-Setser, GA j
H. Thompson, NRC L
R. Starostocki, DOE B. Mallett, NRC 0
J.N. Grace, NRC Y.
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w Westinghouse Hanford Company 1
s P.O. Box 1970 Richlan:!. WA 99352 7,
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a November 16, 1988 8857166 y'l Mr. R. E. Gerton, Director Waste Management Division U. S. Department of Energy 9
Richland Operations Office l$l Richland, Washington 99352 J
Dear Mr. Gerton:
e j
THERMAL ANALYSIS FOR CESIUM CAPSULES IN 1500 SERIES SHIPPING CASKS i(,$
At the joint DOE, NRC, WHC meeting in Washington D.C. held on November '3, 1988, representatives from NRC Region III requested information concerning thermal analysis work done on cesium capsules stored in the 1500 series 1
shipping casks, w
j -
Attached is a copy of Document Number SD-WM-TI-203, "Results and Analysis for Thermal Testing of Cesium Capsules in 1500 Series Shipping Cask".
1 This document should satisfy the NRC Region III request.
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Yours very truly, n'
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J.4-W. M $hTauder, Manager J
Site Services r,;.
W mjC 9
h,l-Attachment Sl DOE RL - A. W. Kellogg, AMO Operations Officer (w/o attachment) s I
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