ML20198A686

Insp Rept 70-0925/74-06 on 741219-20.No Violation Noted. Major Areas Inspected:Ground Outside Pellet Mfg Bldg within Licensee Perimeter Fence

ML20198A686
Person / Time
Site:	07000925, 07001193
Issue date:	01/22/1975
From:	Hind J, Peck C NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:
Shared Package
ML20198A623	List: ML20198A618 ML20198A651 ML20198A657 ML20198A669 ML20198A686 ML20198A699 ML20198A708
References
FOIA-85-647 70-0925-74-06, 70-925-74-6, NUDOCS 8605210187
Download: ML20198A686 (7)

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RO INVESTIGATION REPORT NO. 74-06

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DIRECTORATE OF P.EGULATORY OPERATIONS REGION III

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Subject:

Kerr-McGee Nuclear Corporation Cimarron Facility Uranium Plant License No. SNM-928 (Docket No.. 070-925)

A number of low-enriched uranium dioxide pellets and

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pellet fragments were found by employees of the licensee on the ground outside the pellet manufacturing building but within the licensee's perimeter fence.

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Period of Investigation:

December 19-20, 1974

/!2 z[7T Investigator:

/j C. C. Peck, Chemist

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Haterials and Plant Protection Branch

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. A. Hi,nd, Chief (Date) terials and Plant Protection Branch O pI 6.f v5 O(t

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i REASON FOR INVESTIGATION Following a telephone communication on December 17, 1974, in which the licensee reporte,d the discovery of several low-enriched uranium pellets on the ground outside the manufacturing building, RO:III conducted an investigation on December 19-20 to learn the facts associated with this finding.,

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SUMMARY

OF FACTS At about 1:20 p.m. on December 16, 1974, two employees of the Cin rron facility found several low-enriched uranium dioxide pellets and pellet fragments on the ground near the Safeguards office building. The finding prompted a thorough search of about 7500 square feet of area which resulted in the retrieval of pellet material equivalent to about 25 pellets,.all within the perimeter fence of the Cimarron facility, but the major portion outside the protected area fence that surrounds the 4

uranium manufacturing building.

Licensee management was unable to determine the reason for the presence of uranium pellets in the unusual locations, but concluded that the cause could not have been accidental. RO:III was notified of the incident on December 17, 1974. The Oklahoma City office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation was also notified. There was no release of information to the news media according to licensee management, but on December 19 there were references to the pellet incident in newspapers and on television news broadcasts in Oklahoma City and elsewhere.

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DETAILS Personnel Contacted Six members of management employed at the Kerr-McGee Cimarron facility were contacted during the investigation.

Sources o.f Information Information contained in this report was obtained through interviews with licensee management and observations by the AEC investigator.

Pertinent Tacts At about 1:20 p.m. on December 16, 1974, the Safeguards Analyst employed by the licensee discovered several uranium dioxide pellets and pellet He and the fragments on the ground near the Safeguards office building.

Contracts Supervisor initiated a search resulting in the retrieval of sbout a dozen pellets in the vicinity of the Safeguards office and about three pellets and fragments at another 1ocation about 75 feet distant

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from the first finding.

The licensee's Health Physics personnel using instruments conducted a 1

I systematic search of about 7500 square feet of an area which included the locations where pellets were originally found and the roofs of the Safeguards office building and an adjacent administrative office building.

The search was made on December 17-18 and resulted in the finding of additional material in the original two locations and some pellets in a The attached drawing shows third location midway between the first two.

the locations at which pellets were found and the area surveyed.

All three locations in which pellets were found are within the perimeter fence of the Cimarron facility. An inner fence or protected area fence surrounds the Uranium f acility and two of the pellet locations are These two locations are the Safeguards office outside this fence.

The building and the grassy area close to the protected area fence.

other area, near the door of the administrative office building, is within the protected area fence.

After all the pellet material had been collected by the Contracts The total weight was equivalent Supervisor it was examined and weighed.From identifying letters stamped on th to about 25 pellets.

the pellets, it was determined that the material was from a current production lot and a lot whose production had recently been completed on The table below summarizes the quantities of material December 10, 1974.

found:

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U-23'5 Wt(g)

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2 1.98% Enriched 164 144 2.9 12.6 i

100 88 2.6 7.7 2.96% Enriched

- 52 46 1.2 est..

4.0 Unknown Enrichment

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Totals 316 278 6.7 24.3 i

The Contracts Supervisor stated that there was no accidental means by which the material could have been transported from its normal location within the uranium manufacturing building to the outside locations where Others with whom the matter was discussed confirmed this it was found.

statement but could offer only speculation to explain the incident There are two doors on the pellet manufacturing building which serve primarily as emergency exit doors and which are located within a hundred These doors are feet of all three locations where pellets were found.

The single personnel door through which employees normally unlocked.

The Security normally exit and enter the building is under 24-hour guard.

Supervisor stated that all employees are routinely being surveyed by 3

Bealth Physics technicians on exiting the building at shift change to a

prevent the possibility of uranium facility employees leaving the building This survey had been in effect for about in a contaminated condition.

two weeks prior to the discovery of the pellets outside the building.

The Contracts Supervisor said that soon af ter the finding of the pellets, supervision of the uranium facility had conducted a search for any means by which pellets could have been shot or propelled to the locations The search disclosed only a small device in the where they were found.

form of a handgun made of pipe fittings and a spring and held together I

An effort to use the device disclosed that it would with plastic tape.

propel a pellet less than three feet. The Superintendent of the uranium He said that although facility explained the presence of this object.

i be had not known of its existence, several supervisors and operators had l

He said that it was ' common knowledge that the device known it existed.

bad been made by an inventive employee about two years ago, then had been abandoned and left in a maintenance cabinet where it had been fo i

during the search.

The Cimarron Facility Manager told the investigator early on December 19 that the FBI office in Oklahoma City had been informed of the pellet He also said that news media had not incident in addition to RO:III.

However, evening newspapers and television news broadcasts been informed.

in Oklahoms City on December 19 referred to the pellets as well as to l^

other incidents that 1. recently occurred at the Cimarron Facility.

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In a final discussion of the incident with the Cima'rron Facility Manager and others of his staff, the investigator stated that no AEC regulation appeared to have been violated and that there had been no threat to public hestth and safety.

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Attachment:

Map showing Pellet locations 0

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