ML20138E722
| ML20138E722 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 05/26/1995 |
| From: | Weber M NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20138E446 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA-96-443 99990063-95-05, NUDOCS 9506060007 | |
| Download: ML20138E722 (3) | |
Text
...- - .-.- --- -_- . . . . . - - . - . - - - . . - . . . ~ - . . .-
a i i
l',
'U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [
i REGION III ;
i Report No.: 999-90063/95005(DRSS)
License No.: Non-Licensee Organization: Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NE0RSD)
Cleveland, Ohio Inspection At: NE0RSD Southerly Wastewater Treatment Plant (Southerly) '
6000 Canal Road Cuyahoga Heights, Ohio 44125 ,
Onsite Inspection Conducted: April 20, 1995 Inspector: N bb 5/35'/9r Michael F. Weber- Date Radiation Specialist Reviewed By: bl % I. .
([u[4r Wayne G. SVpkinski Date Senior Rad: ation Specialist Approved By: ef w& C/$//h fa Caldwell, Deputy Director Date vi on of Radiation Safety and Safeguards Insoection Summary Onsite inspection on April 20. 1995. and samole analysis throuch May 19. 1995.
(Recort No. 999-90063/95005(DRSS))
Areas Inspected: This was a special inspection requested by NE0RSD following the failure of the compression plug in the lateral sewer pipe at Advanced Medical Systems,1020 London Road, Cleveland, Ohio on April 10, 1995. The inspection consisted of the radiological analysis of sewer sludge and ash samples taken at Southerly.
Results: The radiological analysis conducted of the sewer sludge and ash
- samples did not identify any concentrations of cobalt-60 above the NRC Region III laboratory's minimum detectable activity, 0.4 picocuries per gram, in the eleven samples collected.
l t
(OG940001 W l . -
DETAILS i
- 1. Persons Contacted NE0RSD Southerly Wastewater Treatment Plant i
- Rich Connelly, Manager, Water Quality and Industrial Surveillance l Len Jufko, Supervisor, Water Quality and Industrial Surveillance I Southerly Workers
- Denotes those present during the May 19, 1995 exit meeting conducted j via telephone.
l
- 2. Backaround As a result of a Temporary Restraining Order issued by the United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio, NE0RSD was permitted to maintain a compression plug in the public sewers from Advanced Medical Systems' (AMS) facility at 1020 London Road, Cleveland, Ohio. . The plug was installed in the lateral sewer pipe leading from the facility to the city sewer to prevent wastewater potentially contaminated with cobalt-60 from entering the main sewer line owned by NE0RSD.
Sometime during the late morning or early afternoon of April 10, 1995, .. I the compression plug failed. This resulted in the discharge of a few
- thousand gallons of water from the AMS manhole and lateral pipe into the NE0RSD sewer line. At approximately 4:30 p.m. NE0RSD workers installed a new compression plug at the site of the original plug.
Subsequently, NE0RSD officials requested that NRC send an inspector to Southerly during the week of April 17 in order to collect and later analyze sludge and ash samples. The time delay was chosen by NE0RSD to maximize the probability that any cobalt-60 present in the discharged water at AMS would be present in sludge and ash samples at Southerly (i.e., the time delay accounts for the traversal time from AMS to Southerly).
- 3. Samplina 8.ocations and Analytical Results On April 20, 1995, three ash samples were taken from each of the three operating incinerators at Southerly. In addition, one sludge sample was taken from each of the two sludge conveyor belts. The sample analysis was conducted at the Region III laboratory using a gamma spectrometry system. The following table identifies the sample collection locations and the analytical results. As shown in the table, no samples were identified as containing cobalt-60 above the minimum detectable level, 0.4 picocuries per gram.
2
TABLE 1 LOCATION SAMPLE QUANTITY (gram) I RESULT 1 Incinerator 2 1 178.2 Co-60 <MDA 8
Incinerator 2 2 63.8 C0-60 <MDA Incinerator 2 3 95.2 Co-60 <MDA Incinerator 3 4 215.5 Co-60 <MDA Incinerator 3 5 281.7 Co-60 <MDA Incinerator 3 6 298 Co-60 (MDA Incinerator 4 7 114.2 Co-60 <MDA Incinerator 4 8 162.2 Co-60 <MDA Incinerator 4 9 177.2 C0-60 <MDA East sludge 10 352.9 Co-60 <MPA West sludge 11 308.8 Co-60 <MDA Analytical results for samples collected at the Southerly Wastewater Treatment Plant on April 20, 1995.
- 4. Exit Meetino An exit meeting was held by telephone with Rich Connelly, Manager of !
Water Quality and Industrial Surveillance at Southerly. A summary of :
the sample analytical results was discussed. Mr. Connelly, other i NE0RSD management, or NE0RSD employees did not identify any information !
provided during the inspection as proprietary.
l i
l
'The Minimum Detectable Activity (MDA) for cobalt-60 was 0.4 picocuries per gram for all samples collected.
- 3