PNO-I-93-058, on 931027,licensee Discovered Two Broken 100 Milliliter Vials of Yellow Powder (Believed to Be Yellowcake) at Corporate Ofc in Syracuse,Ny.No Personnel Contaminated.State of Ny Notified

PNO-I-93-058:on 931027,licensee Discovered Two Broken 100 Milliliter Vials of Yellow Powder (Believed to Be Yellowcake) at Corporate Ofc in Syracuse,Ny.No Personnel Contaminated.State of Ny Notified

ML20059C924
Person / Time
Site:	Nine Mile Point
Issue date:	10/28/1993
From:	Boyle M, Norris B NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:
References
PNO-I-93-058, PNO-I-93-58, NUDOCS 9311020060
Download: ML20059C924 (2)

DCS No: 50220931027 Date: October 28,1993 w ~

PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE PN1-9358 This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety or public intemst significance. The information is as initially received without verification or evaluation, and is basically all that is known by the Region I staff on this date.

Facility: Licensee Emergency Classification:

Niagam Mohawk Power Corp. Notification of Unusual Event Nine Mile Point 1 Alert Oswego, New York Site Area Emergency General Emergency X Not Applicable Docket No.- 50-220 License No.. DPR-63 Event No.- None Event Location Code: OTH

Subject:

MEDIA INTEREST - VIALS OF URANIUM AT CORPORATE OFFICES About 12:00 noon, On October 27,1993, the licensee discovered two broken 100 milliliter vials of yellow powder (believed to be yellowcake) at the corpomte office in Syracuse. The vials were in the auditorium, in a walk-in closet used for storage of files and displays, and were labeled " Niagara Mohawk Mining Company." A radiation protection (RP) team from the Nine Mile Point (NMP) site was sent to the corporate offices to contain and evaluate the spill. The spill was confined to the closet and a portion of the auditorium. The auditorium is about 750 squam feet, % tile and % carpet. Direct frisk readings indicated 35,000 cpm Beta, with detectable Alpha. Airborne samples showed some short half-life isotopes. The licensee concluded that this was radon. There were no personnel contaminations.

NMP RP staff will clean up the spill this morning.

The vials appear to be part of a Niagara Mohawk public affairs "show and tell" presentation. The resident inspectors were infonned that there may be other similar displays within the Niagara Mohawk organization. Tim vials of uranium are licensed under the uranium mine license.

The resident i::spectors are follovcing the .;leanup activities. The State of New York and local county officials were entified by the licensee. The licensee informed the NRC that neither group responded to the spill site.

This preliminary notification is issued for infonnation only. No further action by the staff is anticipated.

Region I received initial notification of this occurrence by telephone fmm the NMP Senior Resider Inspector on October 27,1993, about 2:00 pm. This information has been discussed with the licensee, and is current as of 8:00 am on October 28,1993.

CONTACT: Michael L. Boyle, SC Barry S. Norris, SRI l (215) 337-5128 (215) 342-4041 9311020060 931028 1{0 .

PDR 18cE PND-I-93-058 PDR 010022 Q\)

3 DCS No: 50220931027 Date: Octoter 28,1993 a

ERELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE PN1-9358 >

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