ML20137G390

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Agrees That Insp Findings at Facility Raised Significant Generic Issues Concerning NRC Public Health & Safety & Security Requirements at Nonpower Reactors.Generic Anomalies Should Be Resolved as Soon as Possible
ML20137G390
Person / Time
Site: Dow Chemical Company, 05000000
Issue date: 06/15/1978
From: James Keppler
NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To: Howard E
NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE)
Shared Package
ML20136D183 List: ... further results
References
FOIA-85-256, FOIA-85-258, FOIA-85-259, FOIA-85-261 NUDOCS 8508270288
Download: ML20137G390 (7)
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Text

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pa ssow O UNITED STATES O

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0, NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

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          • June 15, 1978 L MEMORANDUM FOR: E. Morris Howard, Director

.g Division of Safeguards Inspection, IE FROM: James C. Keppler, Director

SUBJECT:

PHYSICAL PROTECTION OF NON-POWER REACTORS

(

r,v This refers to your May 19, 1978 memorandum concerning Dow Chemical Company.

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. We fully agree that our inspection findings at the'gresearch reactor

., have raised significant generic issues concerning the NRC public health and safety and security requirements at non-power reactors.

We feel most strongly that NRR should promptly and clearly define the level (s) of protection required at non-power reactor facilities and initiate, in a timely fashion, any appropriate security plan g modifications necessary to establish the required level (s) of l7 protection. As you are aware, at the present time security plans for non-power reactors are not based on the prevention of a Part 100 release and do not address, in most instances, the theft of SNM to

,s any great extent.

While we note that the problem is currently being explored by NRR, lT* we encourage that the generic anomalies brought to light by the Dow case be resolved as soon as possible.

t i James G. Keppler

  • Director 8508270288 850712 0

J PDR FOIA KOHN05-256 PDR

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1.temo 'Ib Files Review and Inspection of the D:ra-Uellman 'Ihorium Sludge Pile, Bay QLty,1.'ichigan.

From: J. A. Finn and W. Grant Period of Review: August 31, 1977 to Septenler 20, 1977.

N

_ REASON R1R Rl"IIFist The State of 1.'ichis an raised sono questions aho:t the existing sluire pile.

Review of the history of the pile, and insnecti-n of t.he pile were conineted. Dow and ".* ell-an rep-e :entatives were 1ntervicued, the pile was visited cnd rr.diation neasu ements and site samles were taken. .

MISTRY De"en er 195(- Licence I?o. C02782 issoci to Don fer use nt .ridland cnd Day Olty, Picidgan, and at Iladi::cn, Illinois, e

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l' Fel:-m T 1,1961, Dow trant."er- i the 3.y Sty plcnt and 1^f3 rounds of thori - te ".11-an Bronze and Alu-inu : Co-nany..lI 7:e11 man's license ("o. "-L539) did not n' t!.*rize use at Pay i

City and I!ellman war so notified. 3.1 l

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" arch 10, 1961, license S-N136 issurd to i"ellnan, authorizing use of theriun at Bay City. License STF-136 (!beket LO-1790) issued 3/21/61 (?) to T?ellman Bronze ani Alu-inum Co pany (hter chanced to Y!ellman Tbmaries Corporation)- authorized use of thorium for making magnesiun-therium alloy at 801 Andre Street, Day r'.ity, P,ichigan. 'Ihis facility was fomerly operated by the !!etal Eroincts Thirion, Dow Cnemical Company, and con"rised some 16 bhildir.cs (In a 25-acre cite. Approxi-ately 650 !bw

., Che ical e ployees transferred to '7ellnan.

(In acco-dance with an er,reement with Dow, tboriu bearing cl: ire tys was transferred to Tw at a nearby site at Pay 5ty. IA cense tio. STN527 (Docks t LO-17) issued to Dow Che=ical artho:iner storace at the site. Dow etoppei accenting sluice transfere so t tir in 1971 l

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7te11 an nurchased racilities, Iowa, in Createn fro, Hills "ecanna

'bmpany late in 1971 and the llills-1ternnna lic ence (STIL h33, Docket h0-56h) tras transferrut January 7,1972 to 17ellman b y Amendment No.2 on 4

Production in Bay City was stonned in Septe b i

m er 1971 and a skeleton crevt was left to transfer enginment and unused th Crenton facility. orium to the facility.- N Thorium sindge was buried at the Pay City On 1. larch 7,1972, a survey of the Day City f acility was conducted by G. Iloyte MQpnie and T. Jordon Powells41 -

This was mb93 tted by '?c11 nan to TIl by letter dated Apri3 , Ih 1972,$!1 reques ting ter-inntion of license no. STn-136 License ST"-136 vias t terminated by letter fren D:1 datei l'ay 12

,1972.]/ \

The '."h3 pole renort references a letter dated S entenber 2, 1970, from James camburn (Sta+.e of I?ichigan) to S

. J. Cimnons docunmenting a disnocal "aracement". rl tharium in the sludge an 8 The lette?~~~discucces 0 5' e tates that that conc entration is exe pt .

from registration. t IMiPE'cr/6 Y On Seoteber 30, 1977, Recien 3 representativet vis it ei Dort, l'idlard,tn dinensa the Bay City cite. :tatus of the therinn alnire et Dow's l

On October 1,1977, the Day City *itec virc .

e vi it d raiit.t$cn ncasu re r:nte were made cnd atoil, er cluige and w ca anler were taken.

The nn plen vere taken at locations whe c

') ort tand the State of I'ichi; an lnd nrevicutiv camnled. h e s

S47nlee were annlyr.ei et Arron::e IL-tienal Ir'b ,

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- -- -- . - - , .m--.-_.v_my. ,-.-,--..,.-s_.,__._.r..,., _..m._, , . . , - - ,__m.,.._, _._~.,-...m..r m--..r. 1w_ m--.

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SI TE~ DESCRt P770 N Dow's Pay City pronerty is located north cf Pay City andofeast the Socinaw River.

Access to the property is contm13ed partially by a cyclone fence with guarded rates and cartially by the Saginaw River.

The thorium sluire is contai ned in a cincle area on this property and is currounded by a single vtire fence.

The area is pos ted u

" Caution Radiation Area" and "On tion Radioactive 1/aterial The area is natrolled coveral tires each day.

The sluire " pale" conciets of nyncrous individual niles, each representing a dunncter load.

Dow representatives ctaten tha t some s1'tige had been dumped at another loration en the clie lut vtas later moved,to the sing 3c location.

The pile includes sorn non-tborium Fearing cludge.

The cite is annmximately 1h niler fron the nearect residential area.

Radiation measu"emente stere rnde ty e Merion 3 representative usin<

a Victorcen 'ihyac III GI! eurvey retor vtith cloacd vrindo'er. The near'nenents agreed 'nith thoco raie prencualy by the licenree (Dnyt) .

At the fenceline (cincle vtire renac) raiint$ e n levels varied from nent- v.1 th back~ound of 0.03 tr/hr to 0 3 nr/hr, a level of at the noction of the pile.

2 r/hr FU W '.

;nnnenrxn L., - u 4 Direct measure ente on the pile choard levels un to h rr/hr.

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s t2IIIPITS 1.

Decerptc from the 1!nrch 9-In, IM1 incpectirn

2. of Dow.

Ltr Eber Price to '"elle.nn dtd January 5 1962

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Insoection of Dow, April 1959- describes Pay cit y unace.

Report dated April 5,1972 of survey ofy Eny Cit Wr$ 11 ties by T. J. Ibwell and G. licyte Vlhipple.

5.

Letter datei septeri er 2,1970 /

n fron James e -burn (.9 tate of Ltichigan) to 5. J. Simmons, L'c11 man Dynamics 6 .

Letter dated April lh,1972- Simmons n (Fellnn o TUL,/.*M

)t requesting ter-dnation of License SW136 ani releas e of Pcy City facilitice (Ylellman) for unrcctrict o uve.

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Irtter dated l'ay 17, 1972, R. L. Imyfieli t to ('thA ~ )

' cil-nn Dynn-des ter-Jnating Licence SW136

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% report dntei Anril 23,1971 entitled FLYaluation cf Ny City Storage of !!acnceinn Thorin, 3nirc" 9.

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