PNO-III-87-156, on 871208,three Containers of Radwaste Opened by Licensee & Contractor.Caused by Illegibly Labeled or Unmarked Containers.Radwaste & Chemical Waste Shipped from Licensee on 871221.Surveys Show Area Now Decontaminated

PNO-III-87-156:on 871208,three Containers of Radwaste Opened by Licensee & Contractor.Caused by Illegibly Labeled or Unmarked Containers.Radwaste & Chemical Waste Shipped from Licensee on 871221.Surveys Show Area Now Decontaminated

ML20234A818
Person / Time
Site:	03028641
Issue date:	12/21/1987
From:	Hind, Mallett, Sreniawski NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:
References
PNO-III-87-156, NUDOCS 8801050341
Download: ML20234A818 (2)

PRELIMINMV NOTIF.lCATIGN OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE--Pi40-III-87-156 Date December 21,198 mfg 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.

l Facility: Department of the Air Force Licensee Emergency Classification:

License No. 42-23539-01AF Notification of an Unusual Event l Wright-Patterson Air Force Alert Base Permit Site Area Emergency General Emergency X Not Applicable s ,

Subject:

SHIPMENT OF RADI0 ACTIVE WASTE On December 21, 1987, 23 containers of radioactive and chemical wastes were shipped from

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio with the radioactive wastes going to licensed disposal sites in South Carolira and Washington. The material had been inventoried and repackaged by the licensee's contractor, Chem-Nuclear Systems, inc. The shipment included about 200 microcuries of americium-241 contamination in structural material from the building where americium-241 spills occurred in September and October 1986. The building was dismantled.

Three containers, either illegibly labeled or unmarked, were opened by the licensee and its contractor under strictly controlled conditions on December 8,1987. One container did l contain sealed americium-241 smoke detector sources, a form authorized by the NRC license.

l The other drums contained waste material permitted by the license. The procedures for opening the drums were reviewed by the NRC and drums were externally surveyed by the NRC and its consultant prior to being opened.

A Region III (Chicago) radiation specialists monitored the shipping preparations on December 20-21, 1987. A State of Ohio representative was present on December 21.

The site of the building where the spills occurred was surveyed by the NRC in October 1987 and by an NRC contractor, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, in November-December. These

, surveys determined that the area had been decontaminated to below the NRC's criteria for releases for unrestricted use. The surveys also confirmed that a nearby area, used as a Boy Scout campground, was free of any radioactive contamination. (The individuals involved in the September 1986 contamination incident had stopped at the area after the spill occurred.)

The container involved in the 1986 spills remains on site, repackaged and in a secure, restricted area. It is expected to be shipped in early 1988 to the Department of Energy for storage and eventual disposal.

DISTRIBUTION:

H. St. NMBB Phillips E/W Willste Chairman Zech AEUU hRR DTK NMSS Comm. Roberts ARM 01 Comm. Bernthal ED0 Mail To: 7/g Comm. Carr PA AirRightsN SLITP DCS (Original) f' Comm. Rogers OGC DOT (Trans. Only) -

SECY O\

OGC-H FAX T0: Nicholson Lane Regions l CA INPO RES Region I GPA NSAC Region II ACRS Licensee Region IV PDR Resident Inspector Region V HQS. Operations Officer Al/f

@]41 871221 PHO-III-87-156

• P.be, Region III Rev. November 1987

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PRELIMhtARY NOTIF.lCAT10N OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE--PNO-III-87-156 Date December 21, 1987 The licensee has also informed Region III personnel that the final analysis had been completed for an internal exposure of americium-241 by an individual invovled in the October 6, 1986, spill. The analysis determined that the individual received an internal deposition of 8.1 nanocuries, which exceeds the NRC quarterly limit of 3.8 nanocuries. (This exposure had previously been reported to the NRC, but the final evaluation had not been completed.)

This information had been provided to the State of Ohio.

There has been local news media interest in the waste shipments.

This information is current as of 1 p.m., December 21, 1987.

j .[oL h/h.)('

CONTACT: S 1 Ma ett "$ Hind FT 388-5611 FTS 388-5612 FTS 388-5510 1

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