PNO-III-87-148, low But Detectable Levels of I-131 Measured from Sample of Sewage Sludge Analyzed for Radioactivity,Per Resident 871125 Request.Second Sample Collected & Measured on 871202.No Evidence of Abnormal Releases from Plant

PNO-III-87-148:low But Detectable Levels of I-131 Measured from Sample of Sewage Sludge Analyzed for Radioactivity,Per Resident 871125 Request.Second Sample Collected & Measured on 871202.No Evidence of Abnormal Releases from Plant

ML20236W050
Person / Time
Site:	Davis Besse
Issue date:	12/03/1987
From:	Schumacher M, Shafer W, Wiedeman D NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:
References
PNO-III-87-148, NUDOCS 8712070246
Download: ML20236W050 (2)

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PRE 11MINARY NOTfFICAT10N OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE--PNO-III-87-148 Date December 3, 1987

' This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety or public interest significance. The information is as initially received without verification or evaluation, and is basically all that is known by the Region III staff on this date.

Facility: City of Toledo Licensee Emergency Classification:

Toledo, OH Notification of an Unusual Event Alert Non-licensee Site Area Emergency General Emergency X Not Applicable

Subject:

SEWAGE SLUDGE WITH LOW LEVELS OF 10 DINE-131 On about November 25, 1987, a resident living near the Davis-Bessee Nuclear Power Station requested that the plant analyze a sample of sewage sludge which had been recently applied to adjacent farmland.

The utility analyzed the sample for radioactivity and found normal background levels for most isotopes, but measured low but detectable levels of iodine-131. A second sample was collected and measured on December 2, 1987. (Using a counting technique intended for water, the utility measured 0.4 picocuries per milliliter for one sample and 0.1 picocuries per milliliter for the second. As a comparison, the limit for release of liquids containing iodine-131 to an unrestricted area is 0.3 picocuries per milliliter.)

Toledo Edison Company informed Region III (Chicago) of its findings or December 2. The utility has also notified the State of Ohio and the City of Toledo, the source of the sewage sludge.

There is no evidence of any abnormal releases of radioactivity from the plant which would account for the presence of iodine-131. The preliminary belief is that the iodine-131 is from sanitary sewage discharges by medical facilities served by the Toledo sewage treatment system. Such discharges, which are permitted under specific limits in NRC regulations, would tend to concentrate in the sewage sludge.

City representatives informed Region III that sludge is routinely applied by the city to land as fertilizer under control conditions.

DISTRIBUTION:

H. St. NMBB P_hillips E/W Willste Chairman Zech AE0D NRR UIX NMSS Comm. Roberts ARM 01 Comm. Bernthal ED0 AirRights Mail To:

Comm. Carr PA SLITP g / J., DCS (Original)

Comm. Rogers OGC DOT (Trans. Only)

SECY OGC-H FAX T0: Nicholson Lane Regions CA INP0 PES Region I GPA NSAC Region II ACRS Licensee Region IV

l. PDR Resident Inspector Region V HQS. Operations Officer g///

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$ o g 46 871203 Rv to ber 1987 PNO-III-87-148 PDR 7

F PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE--PNO-III-87-148 Date December 3, 1987

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Additional samples of the sludge are being collected by the utility, accompanied by the NRC resident inspector, on December 3. In addition to the sludge samples, soil samples are being ,

collected from nearby land to assure that the iodine-131 is restricted to the sludge. These  !

samples will be analyzed by the utility, the State of Ohio, and Region III. j 1

Region III will continue to monitor this matter and provide its findings to the City of i Toledo and the State of Ohio. I Both the State of Ohio and the City of Toledo have been informed of the sludge analysis results.

Region III was initially informed of the sludge analysis by Toledo Edison Company at about 6 p.m. on December 2, 1987. This information is current as of 2 p.m., December 3, 1987.

CONTACT: M. Schumacher D. WiW eman

{dD W. Shafer lY FTS 388-5614 FTS 388-5616 FTS 388-5656 /.

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