ML20042F969
| ML20042F969 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Rancho Seco |
| Issue date: | 09/24/1979 |
| From: | Mattimoe J SACRAMENTO MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT |
| To: | Engelken R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION V) |
| References | |
| IEB-79-19, NUDOCS 9005100235 | |
| Download: ML20042F969 (4) | |
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$ACAApiNfC MuhlCIPAL UTiurY DISTRICT Q $201 3 RueM. Ses IREL Sacfaea% Cash Melk ill6149 Ull September 24, 1979 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Com:nission ATTN Mr. P. H. E :aelken. Director Region V of fli.e of Inspection & Enforcement 1990 Notth Californis Boulevard Walnut Creek Plaza. Suite 202 Walnut Creek, California 94596 Ba Doe.ket No. 50-312 Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station.
Unit No. 1 16R Bulletin 79-19 Dear Mr. Engelkaat ta response to 1&E Bulletin 79-19 (Packagias of low-imi radioactive waste for transport and burial), the Sacramento 14:nicipai Utility Dtw ct is hereby subsitting the plan of action and schedule for th. items requested, f
item 1 Maintain a current set of DOT and NRC regulations concerning the transfer, packaging and transport of low-level radioactive waste material.
Response
Current regulations concerning DOT and NRC requirements related to packaging and shipment censist of a Crasiano Tarif f (with changes) maintained in the Health Physicisth office and updated copies of 10 CTR located in the Administration Building Library and in the Chen Rad Supervisor's office.
Ites 2 Maintain a current set of requirements (license) placed on the vaste burial firm by the Agreement State of Nevada, South Carolina. or Washington be fore packagir,r, loelevel radioactive waste material for transfer and shipment t.
the Agreement State licensee. If a vaste collection contracter is used, obtain the appro-priate requirements from the contrac. tor.
Response
1.icense requircaents of a vaste burial site operator by the respective Agecenent l
State are held b) the llealth Physteint. We presently hold burial 11 cense requirc-l mente of the States of Yevada, Mhtngt >n, and South Carolina, sa supplied by NF.Co and Chsm Nuclear. A telephone request has been made to both orr,anizations to provide copics of future ch.mges to any lieenne requirements and letturs will be written to follow up.
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Mr. R. H. Engelken Page 2 September 24, 1979 Itaa )
Designate, in writing, people in your organisation who are responsibic ior the safe transfer, packaging and transport of low-level radioactive material.
Respons Adninistrative Procedure, AP.1, Responsibilities and Authorities, is presently In the context of this revision, the responsibility undergoing a major revision.
for safe transfer, packaging and transport of lev-level radioactive material will be assigned to the Cnemistry and Radiation Supervisor.
This revision will be completed by October 24, 1979.
Item 4 Provide management-approved, detailed instructions and operating reoceduree to all personnel involved in the transfer, packaging and transport of low-icvel radioactive esterial.
Special attention should be given to controls on the chemical and physical form of
- the low-level radioactive material and on the containment integrity of the packaging.
Response
Operatina prc:edures are presently beina reviewed with renoect to adeqi.aev for packaging and transport of radioactive material. We anticipate changes to esisting procedures and implementatien of new procedures can be accomplished by October 31, 1979, to encompass current waste handling operations. There will be oeveral additional procedures developed as vaste processing equipment is completcd and brou6 t into service during 1979 and 1980.
h Item 5 Provide training and periodic retraining in the DOT and NRC reccJatory require-seats, the vaste burial license requirements, and in your instructices and operating procedures for all personnel involved in the transfer, packaging and transport of radioactive material. Maintain a record of training dates, attendees, and subject material for future inspections by NRC personnel.
Response
Training has been provided to all members of the Chem-Rad group on current regulations in transfer, packaging and t ransport of radioactive material.
Upon comp 1ction of ' procedure reviews and changes (10-31-79), a retraining program wi'.1
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be conducted for that group. Periodic re: aining vill consist of review and i
uiscussion of changes to the procedures as they cor.e about.
Training j
dates, subject material and attendeem have been and will continue to be recorded, j
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Nr. R. M. gagelken Pese 3 Septe%er 24, 1979 l.
I; lf Ites 6' Provide training and patiot c retraining to those e aployees who operate the processes which generate wasto to assure that the volume of low-level radioactive waste is minimised and.; hat such waste is processed into acceptable chemical and h,
. physical form ft.! tensfer and shipment to a low-level radioactive waste brial factitty.
Response-Training of personnel to the goal of minimitin:', vaste volume and ensuring.
acceptable chemical and physical fore will be performed on several levels. All new personnel and those being provided annual retraining in Health Phpien Controls (in accordance with AP.700) will be briefed on the importance of reductica of volune and croper segregation of dry, liquid, etc. ' waste material. As procedures are generated with respect to Item 4 above, waste-handling personnel will receive training in' line with the requirements of this iter'..
Outage control trainina, e,1ven to Ches-Rad personnel vill receive special mention of weste volww and for:
l control consistent with A1. ARA.
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Ites 7' gatablish 'and imple=ent a management-controlled audit function of al1~ transfer, w
pchgine and trar.:p:rt setiviti:: t; provide a* wave ehnt p**ane*1, ine ruc-l tions and procedures, and process and transporc equipment are functioning te L
ensure safety and compliance with regulatory requirements.
Response
21, 1979, the chairman of the Management safety Review Co-nittee On August assigned the responsiblJ.ity of establishing, implementing and perforning the L
audit function of all transfer, packaging and transport activities to the Quality Assurance Department. A revision to QCI-2 SMUD Nuclear Operations gatablishment and Quality Assurance Audit Program, is presently in progress.-
isplementation will be completed no later than October 9, 1979.
Iten a Perform, within 60 days of the date of this bulletin, a management-controlled i
audit of your activities associated with the transfer, packaging and transport of low-level radioactive waste. Maintain a record of all audits for future (Note: If you have an estabitehed audit inspections by NRC or DOT inspectors.
l function and have performed auch an audit of all activities in Items 1-6 within
-the past six months, this audit requirement is satisfied.)
, Response-As stated in the renpone to Item 7, a progran wf11 be established and toplemented by October 9. 1979.
The perfonnance of the initial audit by that date will
-raet the requirements of this item, i.e., to be performed.within 60 days of the date of the bulictin.
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_Q Mr. R.1W. gngelken Page 4-September 26, 1979 I
ltes 9 Provide answers for _1978 and for the first sta monthe of 1979 to the following
'queettets:.
'1.-
Row many low-level radioacti"e vaste shipments 414 yee_aske? What was the volume ef low-level radioactive waste shipped?
=(Power reacter licensees sho report thie information in accordance with Techateal'Speelfications do not need to respead to this question.
U2. What was the quantity (curies) of low-level radioactive' waste shippedt-
' What vets the major isotopes in the low-level radioactive vaatet
, (Power reactor licensees who report this information in acco* dance with r
Technical Specifications do not need to respond to this question.)
3.
Did you generate liquid low-level radioactive wastet If the answer is "yes,"
what process was used to solidify the liquid wastet
Response
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This information is reported in accordance with our Technical Specifications.
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Ne * ** 'r r-:t ier, it r:perted it. secorda..w. i tt. w w. T=61,uis.1 3pecification=.
j 3.1 'Yes, low-level liquid radioactive waste was generated. Rancho Seco ships all low-level liquid of fsite for' ultimate disposal.- During the first h lf a
of 1978, liquid waste was shipped to Beatty, Nevada, for solidification (com:nt) and burial. During the latter half of 1978 and first half of 1979, our liquid shipments were sent to Calveston, Texas, for storage. treatment and release. This van contracted through NEco, with no solidification process necessarily invoked under the contract.
Respectfully submitted..
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JpJ. Mattimoe Acsistant General > tanager and Chief Engineer JJM RJR:HHijim
-cs: Director I&E U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Consnission Washington, D. C.
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$$ltis Ho: 6820 UNITED STATES HUCLEAR REGULATORY C0tHIS$!ON OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT WASHit;GTnH, D.C.
20$55 August 10, 1979 IE Bulletin No. 79-19 PACKAGING 0F LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE FOR TRANSPORT AND BURI A Description of Circumstances:
Low level radioactive waste is that waste which can be transferred and shipped to one of three waste burial facilities which are located in and licensed by On July 10 the Agreement States of Nevada. South Carolina, and Washington.
1979. the Governors of the three states notified NRC Chairman Hendrie of th
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serious and repeated disrecard for rules covernine the shipments of low-level radioactive wastes to these burial facilities.
Examples of violations of Agreement State. 00T and HRC rules follow:
Improperly packaged uranium fines igniting packaged liquid scintillation vials I
in combustible waste is believed to have caused a fire and destruction of a truck at the Beatty, Nevada burial facility on May 14, 1979.
t On July 2,1979, three of twelve steel containers shipped to the Beatty buriai The material was facility were found to be leaking radioactive material.
described on the bill of lading as beino a solid inorganic salt (evaporator The concentrates solidified with urea formaldehyde) from a reactor facility.
Governor of the State of Nevada ordered the drums to be shipped out of the state and the burial facility was temporarily closed.
On July 30. the first shipment inte the reopened Beatty facility contained free liquid in " Solid" material. The radioactive contents were sand filters used at an intitu leaching process at a uranium mill.
Forty-three shipments with sixty-three deficiencies were observed during the package inspection program between April 10 and July 5.1979, by the Agreement The shipments
$4 ate of South Carolina, at the Barnwell, S.C. burial facility.
were fece reactor, medical, industrial and military facilities.
On June 28, 1979, the Federal Highway Administration issued a Motice of Violation to a reactor facility proposing a $10,000 fine for truck contamina-tion resulting from improper closures on SS-gallon drums of LSA material and for improper loading of the drums on the vehicle.
These are a few examples of shipments of radioactive material to burial facilities which did not fully meet NRC, DOT and Agreement State requirements The which were developed to protect the health and safety of the public.
Governors of the three States with licensed burial facilities have indicated that if the situation is not rectified, they may have to initiate actions which would deny use of the three burial sites by violators.
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August 10, 1979 1E Sulletin No. 79-19 Page 2 of 3
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Sources of Information:
170-179. The NRC The 00T regulatory requirements can be found in 49 CFR Parts The NRC regu-regulatory requirements can be founa in 10 CFR Parts 19 to 71.
latory requirements for Agreement State licensees in non-agreement states are Copies of the reculations may be purchased from the in 10 CFR Part 150.
Superintendent of Documents. U. 5. Goverment Printing Office. Washincton.
0.C. 20402.
Information about licensing requirements for NRC packages can be obtained from Infermetion about 00T packagine the NPC Trarsportatien S sneh (301 s2M102).and transport requirement Materials (202-426-2311).
l Action To le Taken By Licensees:
To assure the safe transfer, packaging and transport of low-level radioactive waste, each licensee is expected to:
Maintain a current set of DOT and NRC regulations concerning the transfer, packaging and transport of low-level radioactive waste asterial.
1.
p Maintain a current set of requirenents (license) placed on the weste p
burial fire by the Agreement State of Nevada. South Carolina, or 2.
ii.n'iington before packaging low-level radioactive weste material for L
If a waste transfer and shipment to the Agreement State licensee.
collection contractor is used, obtain the appropriate requirements from the contractor.
Designate, in writing, people in your organization who are 3.
material.
Provide management-approved, detailed instructions and operating procedures to all personnel involved in the transfer, packaging and transport of 4.
Special attention should be given to low-level radioactive materiel.
controls on the chemical and physical form of the low-level radioactive asterial and on the contaiment integrity of the packaging.
Provide treintaa and periodic retraining in the 00T and NRC regulatory requirements, the waste burial license requirements and in 5.
Maintain a record of packaging and transport of radioactive material. training dates, att NRC personnel.
Provide training and periodic retraining to those employees who operate the processas which generate waste to assure that the volume of low-level 6.
radioactive waste is minimized and that such waste is processed into acceptable chemical and physical form for transfer and shipment to a low-level radioactive waste burial facility.
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Auoust 10, 1979 IE Bulletin No. 79-19 Page 3 of 3 7.
Establish and implement a management-controlled audit function of all transfer, packagino and transport activities to provide assurance that personnel. instructions and procedures, and process and transport equip-ment are functioning to ensure safety and complignce with regulatory requirements.
Perfonn, within 60 days of the date of tnis bulletin. a management-controlled 8.
audit of your activities associated with the transfer, packaging and trans-port of low-level radioactive waste. Maintain a record of all audits for future inspections by NRC or DOT inspectors. (Note: If you have an estab-11shed audit function and have performed such an audit of all activities in items.-6 wi-hin tr.e ast six -,nths, this a.dit requirement is satisfied.)
9.
Report in writing within 45 days, your plan of action and schedule with regard to the above items. In addition, provide responses to the three Reports should be submitted to the Otractor of the questions below.
appropriate NRC Regional Office and a copy should be forwarded to the NRC Office of Inspection and Enforcement. Division of Fuel Facility and Materials Safety inspection. Washington. 0.C.
20555.
Provide answers for 1978 and for the first six months of 1979 to the following questions:
1.
How many low-level radioactlve waste shipments did you make? Wat wet the volume of low-level radioactive waste shipped?
(Power reactor licensees who report this infonnation in accordance with Technical Specifications do not need to respond to this question.)
2.
What was the quantity (curies) of low-level radioactive waste shipped? What were the major isotopes in the low-level radioactive weste?
(Power reactor licensees who report this infonnation in accordance with Technical $pecifications do not need to respond to this question.)
3.
Did you eenerate liquid low-level radioactive waste? If the answer is 'yes.' what process was used to solidify the liquid waste?
Licensees who do not generate low-level radioactive waste should so indicate in their responses and do not need to take other actions specified in the above items.
Approved by GAO, 2186225 (R0072); clearance expires 7-31-80.
Approval was given under a blanket clearance snecifically for identified generic problems.
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