ML20249B371
| ML20249B371 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 03/12/1976 |
| From: | Roy G, Galen Smith, Thompson D NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| PNO-76-037A, PNO-76-37A, NUDOCS 9806220372 | |
| Download: ML20249B371 (2) | |
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PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION - NOT FOR PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
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March 12, 1976 PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE --PNO-76-37A l
This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of l
POSSIBLE safety or public interest significance. The information presented is as initially received without verification or evaluation g
and is basically all that is known by OIE staff as of 8:00 a.m. on date of this notification.
IT SHOULD BE SPECIFICALLY NOTED THAT THIS l
NOTIFICATION MAY CONTAIN INFORMATION THAT LATER MAY BE DETERMINED TO BE INACCURATE OR INCONSISTENT. AN OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT _
NOTIFICATION OF AN INCIDENT OR OCCURRENCE (BLUE SHEET) SUBSEQUENTLY WILL BE ISSUED IF WARRANTED.
Facility:
Nuclear Engineering' Company, Inc. (NECO), Beatty, Nevada Waste Burial Facility
Subject:
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL REMOVED FROM LICENSEE PREMISES This infuzmation supplements information contained in PN 76-37 dated March 11,.'976.
on March 11, 1976, an NRC Order was issued suspending License No. 04-03766-01 which authorized Nuclear Engineering Company (NECO) to bury special nuclear materials gear Beatty, Nevada.
Interviews with NECO employees by NRC inspectors confirmed that there has been removal of potentially contaminated equipment and materials from radioactive waste shipments received at the NECO Beatty site by NECO employees. This has been a fairly common practice and has been taking place for several years.
In July 1972, Nevada became an agreement state and all AEC authorized activities at the site were i
transferred to Nevada jurisdiction except activities involving special i
nuclear materials which was retained under AEC/NRC jurisdiction. These removal activities apparently began and became common while the operation was under the jurisdiction of the AEC, not the state.
1 Surveys have found tools, plywood, metal tanks and laboratory equipment I
that came from the burial site at several homes in the Beatty area.
Beatty is a community of about 800 population with about 200 residences.
l Alpha contamination, such as may originate from special nuclear material, has been identified in the community on three items of laboratory equipment. A number of metal containers (6 feet diameter and 8 feet high) from the NECO site have been identified at various locations in and around j
Beatty.
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Continued March 12, 1976 Page 2 PNO-76-37A
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..p w u NRC investigators are at other NECO sites under NRC license (Sheffield, Illinois under NRC jurisdiction only; Richland, Washington under agreement 5.:
state and NRC jurisdiction).
Based on investigation results additional NRC actions uill be taken as appropriate. The agreement state of Kentucky which has jurisdiction over the Maxey Flats, Kentucky, NECO operation is being kept informed.
q An NRC public announcement will be made on Friday March 12, 1976.
Extensive publicity is anticipated.
Contact:
GHSmith, IE x27261 GWRoy, IE x27353 DThompson, IE x27541 Distribution:
Chairman Anders Commissioner Mason S. J. Chilk, SECY Commissioner Gilinsky Commissioner Rowden G. F. Murphy, JCAE Commissioner Kennedy C. C. Kamerer, CA L. V. Gossick, EDO J. G. Davis, OIE J. A. Harris, PA B. C. Rusche, NRR J. La Fleur, ISP T. J. McTiernan, AIA i
e K. R. Chapman, NMSS H. K. Shapar, ELD Luge #14 [
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4 a-PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION - NOT FOR PUBLIC DISCLOSURE 4
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