ML20151Y116
| ML20151Y116 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | University of Buffalo |
| Issue date: | 10/13/1977 |
| From: | Bidinger G, Liza Cunningham, Higginbotham L NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| PNO-77-182, NUDOCS 9809180112 | |
| Download: ML20151Y116 (1) | |
Text
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W f /294 PRELIMENARY NOTIFICATION UCtabw IJ. Iw/
PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE--PNO-77-182
_This p_reliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of an event of
_POSSIBLE safety or public interest significance.
The information presented is as initially received without verification or evaluation
_and is basically all that is known by IE staff on this date.
Facility:
Nuclear Science and Technology Facility State University of New York Buffalo, New York (DN50-57)
Subject:
RELEASE OF LIQUID RADI0 ACTIVE EFFLUENT IN EXCESS OF 150 TIMES THE VALUES SPECIFIED IN 10 CFR 20 FOR AN UNRESTRICTED AREA On October 4,1977, an IE inspector confirmed that leakage from the PULSTAR reactor had increased to a rate in pxcess of 500 gallons per day. The licensee could not adequately identify the flow path that the leakage was taking, and accordingly could not assure that the effluent was not being released to an unrestricted area.
Isotopic analysis indicates that the radioactive concentration of the water being released was in excess of the regulatory limits, established by 10 CFR 20 for an unrestricted area, by a factor of approximately 150.
On October 7, 1977, the licensee committed to the Director, Region I, that the continued release of radioactive effluent in excess of the
!p concentrations established by 10 CFR 20 would be halted by 4:00 p.m.j October 8,1977, and that a report would be made to Region'I by that i
time describing the action taken and its effectiveness.
An Immediate Action Letter was dispatched on October 7, 1977.
9 There has been no media interest so far, but due to a similar occurrence a year ago, interest may develop. The State of New York had been g
informed. A press release is not planned by the NRC at this time.
g Region I (Philadelphia) received notification from the Operating e
Reactors Branch on or about September 28, 1977.
As a result of
__ d the D0R notification, the inspector confirmed on October 4, 1977 that there was an apparent release in excess of the regulatory limits of 10 CFR 20.
Subsequently a specialist was dispatched to the facility on October 5, 1977 to clarify the details of the release.
The licen-mE see reported by telephone on October 7,1977 that the reactor was l
3' shut down on that date and on October 8,1977, that the leak had been
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halted.
Contact:
GHBidinger. IE x28188 LJCunqingham, IE x28188 LBHigginbotham IE x28098 I
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3 Distribution:
Transmitted H St /.'3 4 ;
Chairman Hendrie Commissioner Bradford I 8 k Commissioner Kennedy S. J. Chilk, SECY C. C. Kammerer, CA l7:
Comissioner Gilinsky
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L. V. Gossick, ED0 E. G. Case, NRR Region 1 /.*3 f
.S. H. Hanauer, EDO
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J. J. Fouchard, PA 4m,mSSBldg//3 (MAIL) l W. G. Mcdonald, MIPC ' : '
"C. V. Smith, NMSS R. J. McTiernan, 0IA d