ML20249A543

PNS-78-036:on 780720,licensee Reported That Preliminary Investigation of Localized Contamination Incident Discovered on 780719,has Led to Belief That Contamination May Have Been Deliberate

ML20249A543
Person / Time
Site:	07000734, 07000134
Issue date:	07/21/1978
From:	Howard E, Mccormick R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE)
To:
References
PNS-78-036, PNS-78-36, NUDOCS 9806170033
Download: ML20249A543 (1)

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J PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION July 21,1978 l PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF SAFEGUARDS EVENT-- PNS-78-36 This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE l

national security or public interest significance. TMc information presented

_is as initially received without verification or evalddtion and is basically all that is known by IE staff as of this date.

Facility: General Atomic Company Docket No.70-734, License No. SNM-696 l La Jolla, California

Subject:

Localized Contamination Incident l

At approximately 4:10 PM PDT, July 20, 1978, the licensee reported that

their preliminary investigation of a localized contamination incident l discovered at 10

30 AM, July 19, 1978, has led them to believe that the i contamination may have been deliberate and, hence, is of security l interest. The tentative investigative results indicates the material was originally located in a glovebox situated within the material access l area (MAA), removed from the glovebox, and transported to another area within the MAA and deliberately dispersed.

The amount of material involved is estimated at 500-700 grams of an intermediate material used in the fabrication of HTGR Fuel. The material, uranium-thorium carbide coated with graphite, contains approximately 1~ 20% uranium. No airborne contamination was evident although individuals

! who may have been exposed to the contaminated area are being checked for I ingested particulate.

I A Region V security inspector is on the scene. Additional information h will be provided as it becomes available. /

IAT was notified.

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No media interest is evident. No press release is planned. k The State of California has been notified.

Region V (San Francisco) received this notification from the licensee at 4:10 PM PST on July 20, 1978.

, g C_ontact: RG'icCornick, IE x28080 ENHoward, IE x27650 N a.

$ Distribution: Transmitted H St #/c Ap.

R Chairman Hendrie Commissioner Bradford Commissioner Kennedy S. J. Chilk, SECY C. C. Kammerer, CA

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