ML20217F320

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Provides Corrected Date of 970917 to Preliminary Analysis Re Risks to Us Steel Mills of Radioactive Sources & Devices Being Mixed W/Recycled Metal Scrap
ML20217F320
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Issue date: 09/17/1997
From: Lubenau J
NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
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NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
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NUDOCS 9710080113
Download: ML20217F320 (10)
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Text

rM N

Y September 4, 1997 (Corrected September 17, 1997) j TO:

Files FROM:

JoelLubenau(

-RE:

Risks to U.S.

Steel Mills of Radioactive Sources and Devices Being Mixed With Recycled Metal Scran This preliminary analysis is based mainly upon data for the period I

1994 to June 30, 1997 derived from the data base on radioactive materials reported found in recycled metal scrap tl.at is maintained by Jim Yusko, PA.

This database includes data on the steelmaking industry dating from 1983 but the 1994 - June, 1997 time frame was selected as being the most representative of recent experience by the U.S.

steelmaking industry, partly because it is recent and partly because-it. includes data contributed by the Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA).

Information on the-U.S.

steelmaking capacity-was provided by -Christina Bechak,- Vice-president, SMA and was derived from the 1995 Association of Iron and Steel Engineers (AISE) Directory of iron and steel plants.

This analysis is preliminary and has not been subject to independent review.

Accordingly, it should be used with appropriate caucion.-

The analysis relates only to radioactive materials subject to the Atomic Energy Act ("AEA materials") and to the U.S.

steelmaking

industry, o Based upon SMA and AISE information, there are about 150 mill sites in thefu.S. operating steelmaking_ furnaces that use ferrous scrap, i.e., electric are furnaces -(EAFs) and basic oxygen furnaces (BOFs).

While there are additional steelmaking facilities in the U.S. whose operators may not be included in the SMA or AISE lists, these listed sites represent the bulk of the U.S.

steelmaking capacity and consumption-of ferrous scrap for steel making.

o There are approximately 2 million licensed sources and devices-containing AEA materials in the U.S.5 o Each year, about 200 AEA sources and devices are reported to the

~

-l'.5 million of these are held under NRC and Agreement-State general licenses,. see NUREG 1551.

About'800,000 are held under NRC and Agreement State specific licenses, see memo to file from J.

Lubenau dated September 1, 1997, subject: Derivation of estimates of number of_ radioactive devices in U.S.

containing AEA material under license.

Given the uncertainties of these estimates, the total is rounded off to one significant figure, or, 2,000,000.

1 9710000113 970919 i PDR ORG EFQIAEA:

i PDR

4 NRC or the Agreement-States-as lost or stolen.* This is a 10 loss rate.

1 o Each-year, about 8 AEA-scurces-or devices are reported found in l --

metal scrap or melted by U.S. steelmakers (Table 1).'

This means 4%_of the AEA sources and devices reported lost by licensees are discovered by U.S.

steel makers, o Each year-there is about a 1 in ' 19 risk that an AEA source or device will-be in metal scrap received by U.S.

steelmaking site.'

o Each year there is about a 1 in 7 risk that one will not be detected and consequently will be melted.5 o As a result, each year there is about a l in 100 risk that a U.S.

8 See SECY-95-053, subject:

Revised abnormal occurrence reporting criteria, attachment 3.

This figure, 200, is a low estimate.

Licensees who report losses of licensed material must know a) that they possess licensed material, b) the material has been lost or stolen, c) that there are requirements to report the loss and d) that - they make the report.

If any one of these conditions is not met, NRC or the Agreement State does not get a report.

Since most general licensees are not routinely inspected (and they possess three-quarters of the sources), there is no regulatory program backun to ident.ify unreported general licensee losses.

3 Additionally, each year about 9

sources or devices

- containing radium are found in metal scrap received by U.S. steel milla._ Other radioactive sources and devices containing AEA and

-radioactive materials are also found by metal scrap processors.

Some additional reports of radioactive sources or devices found in metal-scrap do not identify the radioisotops,

  • 8 AEA sources and devices reported found each year'by 150 U.S.

steel-making sites.

5 All of the SMA U. S. members who are steelmakers perform radiation monitoring of incoming ferrous scrap.-

It is believed that most, if not all, of the other steelmaker members do the same.

Over the-period 1994 - June 30, 1997, there were 24 det. ;tions of AEA material and 4'meltings of AEA material (i.e.,

sources that were.not detected) by U.S.

sNel mills or a ratio of 1 to 7.

The results-of the recent field study of metal scrap radiation dertion systems sponsored by SMA clearly demonstrated that these syc a while very sensitive rand clearly providing a significant degree of protection, cannot provide 100% protection, see " Data analysis, Steel Manufacturers Associatior, test of scrap monitoring systems, Koppel Steel, Koppel, PA. Septnaber 23 - October 4, 1996" available from Health Physics Associates, Inc. Lenhartsville, PA.

2 l

I 1

-5 steel mill.will melt an AEA source or device.'

o Alternatively-stated,: the 10 annual-rate of loss of-licensed-AEA -

sources-and devices results in an annual risk of 10 8 for a-U.S.

steelmaking site:of malting a AEA source or-device.

o Each year about 200 AEA sources and devices are reported lost, about 8 will show up at U.S.

steelmaking sites and 1 to 2 will

?

-escape detection and-be-melted.

Table 1

-AEA Materials Found by U.S. Steelmakers in Metal Scrap i

AEA Materials Found X3Ar But Not Melted AEA Materials Melted Total AEA

-94 8

2 10 95 6

-0 6

96 6

0 6

l

'97*

4 2

6 l

Totals-24 4

28

' Notes

  • Through June 30, 1997 A. printout of the reports in the Yusko database of radioactive sources and devices reported found.8'. metal-scrap is attached.

Table 2 Yusko 8 August 1997 db Events Included in Table 1 1994 853z melt Auburn-NY Cs-137 933 Nucor TX Am-241 945-

.Nucor TX Am-241

' In.the historical time period, 1983 to June 30, 1997 there were 18 meltings of AEA material in 150 U.S.. steel mills, see:

" Radioactive Materials in Recycled Metals - An Update" by Lubenau and Yusko,-.in press.

This works out to a 0.00889 or l'in 112 risk.

- For the time period under review, 1994 to June 30, 1997, there were

= 4 meltin a of AEA materials which is equal to a similar annual risk s

of 0.00762 or 1 in 131.

3 i-

de s

f

960-
-Nucor-TX Cs-137' 985-Nucor SC-

-AmBe

=

-1010; melt US-Pipe &-Foun:CA Cs-137 1039

-US Steel- _

-IN Co-60 1045

?loridaiSteel TN' DU-1047' Structural Met TX -

Cs-137-

-1072' Structural Met TX Co.0 1995 11137 Huron Steel MI Co 1182 Steel of WV WV' Cs-137 4

-1192 Florida Steel NC Kr-85 i

1556 Newport Steel KY Kr 1745 Florida Steel NC-Co-60 1826 J&L Specialty PA Cs-137 1996 1845_

Schnitzer-CA Cs-137~

-1854 Colorado Fuel CO Cs-137:

-1860 Washington

.PA DU 1869

Huron Valley MI Cs-137 1904 Nucor AR

-U-235 1944 US Pipe & Foun AL Cs-137 1997 (June 30) 2041 Huron Valley MI Cs-137:

-2056 Shefield Steel OK; Cs-137 2088 -

Northwestern-IL Cs-137 2078 melt Bethlehem PA' Co-60 2079-Washington

.PA

- DU -

2102 melt

_ Kentucky Elect KY' Cs-137-I

- ' The contaminated steel was discovered by a Bethlehem Steel plant in PA.

The contaminated steel was made at the WCI mill in OH.

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UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION n

j wAsnisc10N, O C 20555-0001 QN r

/

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lW5 W JI 1'll 79P0 3

0FFICE OF THE S(CRETARY MEMORANDUM TO:

James M. Taylor Exe ut ve Director for Operations

.I.*--

PROM:

Jo n C.

y e, Secretary

SUBJECT:

TAFF REQUIREMENTS - SECY-96-221 IMPROVING NRC'S CONTROL OVER, AND LICENSEES' ACCOUNTABILITY FOR, GENERALLY AND SPECIFICALLY LICENSED DEVICES and BRIEFING ON CONTROL AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF LICENSED DEVICES, 2:00 P.M.,

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1996, COMMISSIONERS' CONFERENCE ROOM, ONE WHITE FLINT NORTH, ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND (OPEN TO PUBLIC ATTENDANCE)

The Commission has approved the staff proposal contained in alternative number 3 to develop an action plan to address the issue of device accountability and control.

The Commission disapproved the staff's recommendation to conduct a pilot program in FY 1998 at this time and will reconsider any proposed pilot programs when a detailed action plan is provided to the Commission.

The staff should also advise the Commission on options to pay for an enhanced NRC regulatory program including the availability of external funds, or whether consideration needs to be given to exploring with Congress the possibility of removing specific program costs from the NRC's user fee base (e.g., orphan source recovery fund).

(EDO)

(SECY Suspense:

3/28/97)

The action plan should provide sufficient details to manage and track all actions associated with this issue and should address:

1)

The staff's position (accepting, rejecting, or accepting in part) on each of the working group's recommendations, and the basis for that position.

SECY NOTE:

THIS SRM AND THE COMMISSION VOTING RECORD CONTAINING THE VOTE SHEETS OF ALL COMMISSIONERS WILL BE MADE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE 5 WORKING DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS SRM.

SECY-96-221 WAS PREVIOUSLY RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC ON NOVEMBER 13, 1996.

W M&

s'

,1

  • 2)

The proposal by Ms. Aldrich to require specific licenses for the more hazardous devices now available under a general license, and address whether this proposal would lead to greater harmonization of U.S.

regulations with those of other countries.

3)

Any additional recommendations from the staff that were not addressed in the working group report (such as proceeding with or dropping the air gap rule),

including the above information on resources and reprioritization for each staff recommendation.

l 4)

The NRC and Agreement State resources needed to implement each. working group recommendation (including those that the staff has accepted in part or rejected).

5)

Whether NRC resources are currently budgeted.

If resources are not currently budgeted, then the staff should describe the activities that would have to be reprioritized to carry out the actions.

Resource estimates for each year and for maintenance of the developed system after the plan has been completely implemented should be included.

The staff should strive to develop the most cost-effective plan possible.

6)

The staff's position on the Agreement State compatibility issue raised by the working group, and make a recommendation on the appropriate level of compatibility for each requirement that the staff recommends adopting.

7)

The action to quantify the risks associated with unaccounted-for devices.

Specifically the staff should plan to proceed with establishing the probabilities associated with devices being lost, devices causing exposure to members of the public, devices entering the metals manufacturing stream, devices being smelted, and other incidents the staff recommends analyzing.

8)

A mechanism for identification, control, storage, and proper disposal of orphan sources, including a funding plan for such contingencies.

9)

A rulemaking plan.

The action plan should include a specific action to develop a rulemaking plan to address these device accountability and control issues, along with a schedule for the rulemaking process.

10)

When each accepted action would be started and completed.

1

(*

, The. actions in the staff action plan should be tied to the primacy of risk, with higher-risk issues receiving higher priorities, faster schedules, and more immediate resources than lower-risk issues.

The staff should consider the need for initiating this effort in advance of the completion of the rulemaking.

Because it is unlikely that the staff will be able to quantify these risks at the time tue action plan is provided 5

to the Commission, the staff should base the action plan recommendations on the staff's own general experience with the associated risks.

In developing an action plan,-the staff may propose pilot programs.

If the staff suggests a pilot program for any of the issues, the staff should describe the pilot program and how the pilot program will be limited.

The staff should be specific about what the-pilot-program is expected to accomplish, when it will be started and completed, and what resources will be required.

If a pilot program is su7gested, it should be of the minimal length of time necessary to demn".atrate that there are no significant unforeseen difficulties in the prompt implementation of the staff's proposal.

cc:

Chairman Jackson Commissioner Rogers Commissioner Dicus Commissioner Diaz Commissioner McGaffigan OGC OCA-OIG Office Directors, Regions, ACRS, ACNW, ASLBP (via E-Mail) i r

- - -

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