PNO-II-85-104, on 851105,operations at Sites Shut Down Due to Flooding of Equalization Ponds,Containing Radioactive Matl Concentrations.Security Surveillance Doubled.Controls Initiated to Assure Process Liquid Waste Not Released

PNO-II-85-104:on 851105,operations at Sites Shut Down Due to Flooding of Equalization Ponds,Containing Radioactive Matl Concentrations.Security Surveillance Doubled.Controls Initiated to Assure Process Liquid Waste Not Released

ML20198E114
Person / Time
Site:	BWX Technologies, 07001201, 07000824
Issue date:	11/05/1985
From:	Cline W, Kahle J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II)
To:
References
PNO-II-85-104, NUDOCS 8511130166
Download: ML20198E114 (2)

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[7 g November 5, 1985

, PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE PNO-II-85-104 This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety or public ' interest significance. The information is as initially received without verifi-cation or evaluation, and is basically all that is -known by the Region II staff on this d:tt.

FACILITY: Babcock and Wilcox Company Licensee Emergency Classification:

Naval Nuclear Fuel Division Notification of Unusual Event Docket No. 70-27 Alert Commercial Nuclear Fuel Plant Site Area Emergency l

Docket No. 70-1201 General Emergency Lynchburg Research Center X Not Applicable Docket No.70-824 Lynchburg, Virginia

SUBJECT:

ONSITE FLOODING A Regional security inspector reported that access to the Babcock and Wilcox (B&W) plants was impossible this a.m. due to flooding of the highway leading to the plants. Contact with plant personnel revealed that operations at B&W - Naval Nuclear Fuel Division (NNFD),

Commercial Nuclear Fuel Plant (CNFP) and Lynchburg Research Center (LRC) were shut dcwn at 12:30 a.m. last night. B&W reported that the B&W-NNFD waste treatment plant and tank farm ware flooded to approximately six inches. Equalization ponds (about 2,000,000 gallons) containing radioactive material concentrations on the order of 3 X 10 ' microcuries per

-milliliter radioactive materials were flooded. It is anticipated that uranium concen-trations.well below 10 CFR 20 limits of 3 X 10 5 microcuries per milliliter will therefore

.b:s released to the flood water. . All other B&W facilities are at a higher elevation, and

.therefore there is no danger to other plant facilities and licensed materials because of the flooding. Security surveil" lance has been doubled at the facilities. Maintenance personnel are at the site maintaining surveillance over equipment. Licensee personnel stated that positive controls are being initiated to assure that process liquid waste will not be released to the waste treatment plant. The flooding of the James River is antici-pat:d to crest at about 2:00 p.m. today. Region-based inspectors are in the area and are Att;mpting to interface with licensee representatives. Region II continues to monitor the situation. The Commonwealth of Virginia and the IAT have been notified.

RIgion II received initial notification of this event by telephone from a Region-based inspector at B&W NNFD on November 5 at 8:00 a.m.

There has been media attention to the general flooding conditions in the Lynchburg, VA, crea.

-This information is current as of 1:30 p.m. (EST) on November 5.

Contact:

J. Kahle, 242-5566 W. Cline, 242-2665

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