ML20236C721
| ML20236C721 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 03/07/1989 |
| From: | Thompson T, Jason White NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20236C714 | List: |
| References | |
| REF-QA-99990001-890308 99990001-89-01, 99990001-89-1, NUDOCS 8903220289 | |
| Download: ML20236C721 (6) | |
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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION I Report No. 99990001/89-001
'i Docket No. 99990001 i
Licensee: James River Corporation (General Licensee)
J Facility Name: James River Graphics Group i
Inspection At:
South Hadley, Massachusetts Inspection Conducted: January 30, 1989 Inspectors: /r 7[fT m
/Thon'as K. Thompson dath Health Physicist Appr.oved by: [
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7/ff o
ohn R. 7 nite, Chief
/ date '
Nuclear Materialc Safety Section C Inspection Summary:
Inspection on January 30,1989 (Report No. 99990001/89-0M Areas Inspected:
Special announced inspection of circumstances surrounding the loss of licensed material, including notification, review of leak test records
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and a tour of the facility.
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Results:
In the areas inspected, one apparent violation was identified:
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licensed material was disposed of in a manner not authorized by 10 CFR 31.5 x
(c)(8) (paragraph 3); and one apparent deviation from a written commitment was l
identified:
corrective actions described in a letter to the NRC dated on October 26, 1988 were not fully implemented.
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8903220289 890308 REG 1 QA999 EMVJRCC 99990001 PDC L
ENCLOSURE (1)
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DETAILS
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Persons Contacted 1
-James River Corporation d
1 John C. Cuthbertson, Director, Environmental Affairs,
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James RiverLCorporation j
- Jeffrey M. Collins, Safety Manager, (James River Graphics Group).
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- Alfred T. Dilascia, Vice President and; Executive' General; Manager, i
(James River Graphics Group)
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- denotes attendance'at Exit Meeting-2.
Description'of Activities and Organization ej
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The inspection took place at cae of James ' River' Corporation's. Specialty 1
Paper Divisions, ' James River Graphics Group, South Haaley, Massachusetts.
The Graphics Group possesses a general _ license to possess and use Am.241-static elimination bars and Kr-85 thickness gauges,.There are 38 static elimination bars and 5 Kr-85 thickness gauges on site at the South Hadley, Massachusetts. facility.
Each. static eliminator-contains approximately 22.5' millicuries of Am-241.
No violations were identified.
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Notification of Loss of Radioactive Material Region I received notification from the licensee on October 11, 1988 that-a static eliminator bar containing 22.5 millicuries of-Am-241 was missing-from its control.
The device was one of three which had been mounted on a paper coatiiig machine.
Twc of the three devices had been identified by contractor personnel and removed prior.to the disassembly and scrapping of the machine.. The contractors apparently failed to ' recognize the machine contained a third static elifainator.
Consequently, the remaining device and the machinery were taken to the Browning-Ferris Industries (BFI) landfill in.Chicopee, Massachusetts for disposal on October 4, 1988.
On October 11, 1988 the licensee determined, as a result of an inventory..
check that the static eliminator.had been accidentally scrapped and, notified-NRC' Region I of.the event. On instructions from the Regional Office, the
' licensee initiated action to determine the location where the. scrap.was i
' buried in the landfill.
The licensee contracted a health physics consultant-to assist in-finding the device.
The chronology of events relative to this matter is included as Attachment 1.
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.l The loss of control of byproduct material and. subsequent transfer to an
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unauthorized recipient is an apparent violation of 30 CFR 31,5(c)(8).
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Corrective Actions Review and Facility Tog In accordance with instructions from NRC Region I, the Safety. Manager suomitted a written report dated October 26, 1988, to the Regional Office.
A copy is included as Attachment 2.
The rep 9rt detailed the circumstances surrounding the lo>s of control ard subsequent transfer of the material to an unauthorized recipient, the 8FI landfill, and reported corrective actions taken to prevent recurrence An NRC Inspector visited the South Hadley facility on January 30, 1989 to review the effectiveness of the licensee's stated corrective actions.
The i
l inspector observed that corrective actions specified in the licensee's letter were deficient as follows:
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The licensee had committed to properly label all devices that contained radioactive material.
However, out of ten radioactive devices observed during a plant tour, two were not labeled as containing radioactive material.
Two other devices had labels, but they were covered over by black tape in one case and by a metal suoport bracket in another.
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The licensee had committed to establish a "new, altered equipment and process safety checklist". However, the safety Manager was unaware of any "new, altered equipment and process safety checklist". _The only checklist which existed was developed April 18, 1986, Attachment 3.
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The licensee indicated that an element of the Radiatior. Device Control System, the Monthly Safety Audit program, would provide for corrective action to prevent recurrence.
However, the current Monthly Safety Audit i
program did not contain any attributes designed to detect and correct the potential for improper control and disposition of radioactive material.
Further, during a plant tour the inspector also noted an Ohmart gauge which was marked as containing radioactive material, but which was not included on the licensee's current inventory.
The Safety Manager was not aware of the gauge or if it contained radioactive material.
The inspector asked that the Safety Manager determine the status of the device and report the findings.
On February 9, 1989, the Safety Manager reported that the nuclear source l
in the Ohmart gauge was removed for disposal in 1981 by Radiac Research Corporation. The source was Kr-85.
The inspector informed the Safety Manager that the radioactive markings on the gauge should be removed.
The inspector noted that while the gauge did not contain a radioactive source, this instance exemplified that the licensee was still not cognizant of the-I status of devices which may contain radioactive material.
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4 While no violations of regulatory res irements were identified, the licensee's u
failure to establish and implement the corrective actions described in its letter to the NRC dated October 26, 1988 represents a deviation from a written commitment.
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Records Review During the course of the inspection on January 30, 1989, the inspector reviewed the leak test reports and inventory for all the nuclear gauges used at the South Hadley facility.
No violations were identified, i
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Exit Interview The inspector met with persons denoted in' paragraph 1 at the conclusion l
of the inspection on January 30, 1989.
The inspector summarized the purpose and scope of the inspection, the apparent violation and deviation.
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CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS 1968 - 22.5 millicurie Am-241 static eliminator source was sold to the Scott Paper Company in South'Hadley, Massachusetts by Herbert Company, New York 1978 - Scott Paper Company was acquired by the James River Corporation and j
l renamed as James River Graphics which is a part of the Speciality 1
l Paper Division.
q October 4, 1988 - Paper coating' machine containing.the missing static eliminator,
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and two others, was disassembled by a' contractor.
- The contractor originally understood that only two static H
eliminators were on the machine.
- The contractor removed two static eliminators and placed them in a shielded storage container.
- The remaining machine parts were placed in a debris pile and l
marked for disposal.
October 11, 1988 - James River Graphics, Safety Manager was informed by their Engineering Department of the possible loss.offone static eliminator.
- The Safety Manager notified NRC Region I October 12, 1988 - The' Safety Manager searched their warehouse and plant but could not locate the static eliminator.
- The Safety Manager determined through conversation with the contractor who performed the paper coating machine disassembly that.the static-eliminator was sent to the Browning - Ferris Industries (BFI), Chicoppe, Massachusetts landfill.
October 22, 1988 - The Safety Manager toured the BFI Landfill with a Consulting Health Physicist.
The landfill' operator. indicated they could probably locate the area of disposal of the: contractors scrap within an area-100' x 100'.
The Consulting Health Physicist took surveys using a Ludlum Model 3 survey instrument with a 43-1 probe attached. :No contamination was detected in the areas. identified as being probable locations of the static eliminator.
Rubbish compactors and their' wheels were checked and found'to be free'of contamination.
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1 October 26, 1988 - The Safety Manager sent NRC Region I a written report on the event and a corrective action summary.
January 30, 1989 - NRC Region I inspector visited the South Hadley facility to perform a special inspection to review the corrective action implementation.
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