PNO-IV-99-042, on 990929,for Docket 4009048,transportation Incident Occurred Near Cisco,Ut,Involving Truck Transporting U Contaminated soil.Exclusive-use Truck Carrying About 20 Tons of Matl Tipped Over,Spilling About Half of Contents
| ML20212H589 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 04009048 |
| Issue date: | 09/30/1999 |
| From: | Robert Evans, Spitzberg D NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| PNO-IV-99-042, NUDOCS 9910010202 | |
| Download: ML20212H589 (2) | |
S:pt;mber 30,1999 ]
.% u-PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE PNO-IV-99-042 This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety or public inte; rest significance. The information is as initially received without verification or evaluation, and is basically all that is known by Region IV staff in Arlington, Texas on this date.
Facility Licensee Emeraency Classification International Uranium (Usa) Corporation Notification of Unusual Event White Mesa Mill Alert Blanding, Utah Site Area Emergency General Emergency X Not Applicable [ Aoh[ ll l
Subject:
TRANSPORTATION INCIDENT ON PUBLIC HIGHWAY INVOLVING SHIPMENT OF CONTAMINATED SOIL On September 29,1999, at approximately 9:00 p.m. MDT, a transportation incident occurred near Cisco, Utah, involving a truck transporting uranium contaminated soil. An exclusive-use truck carrying about 20 tons of the material tipped over, spilling about half of its contents. The contaminated soil was being shipped in an intermodal container from the )
rail transfer station in Cisco to the International Uranium Corporation White Mesa Mill in Blanding, Utah. The container was open at the top but was covered by a tarpaulin. The incident occurred when the truck driver veered off the road to avoid oncoming traffic and a was unable to recover. The truck tipped over, spilling roughly 10 tons of material. The accident occurred on a remote, lightly traveled state road near Cisco, off Interstate 70 near Exit 112. There were no injuries, and the truck was not seriously damaged. 1 l
The Grand County, Utah, sheriff's department and the trucking company (Tri-State Motor l Transit Co.) initially responded to the incident. The spilled material was covered with a 4 plastic cover and was secured pending cleanup. The trucking company later brought in a second, empty container and retained the services of a third company to clean up the spill.
The cleanup was completed about 2:30 a.m. on the morning of September 30.
Approximately 10 cubic yards of material was recovered along with 3-5 yards of virgin soil.
The material was then returned to the loading site near Cisco. The site o'the spill and all equipment used to cleanup the spill has since been surveyed by the licensee's Radiation Safety Officer and been determined to be free of contamination. In addition, soil samples have been taken in the spill area for analysis by the licensee. The contaminated material involved in the incident was being shipped from the Ashland 1 site located near Tonowanda, New York. This is a Department of Energy Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial l Action Program (FUSRAP) site undergoing remediation by the Army Corps of Engineers.
Under NRC Source Materials License SUA-1358, the licensee is authorized to receive and !
process this material as alternate feed material for recovery of its uranium content. The ;
average concentration of uranium in this material is normally 0.06 percent by weight.
The State of Utah has been notified. The Region IV office will monitor the licensee's actions.
i 9910010202 99n930 o N-I 9-042 PDR 010028 \b
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. . , . - PNO-IV-99-042 '
l- RIV received notificati:n of this incid:nt by tha NRC Operations Cintsr who w s inform:d by the trucking company. Region IV has informed OSP and the EDO Coordinator.
This information has been discussed with the licensee and the State of Utah and is current
, aspf 2:00 p.m. September 30,1999.
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Contact:
D. Blair Spitzberg' (817)860-8191 Robert Evans (817)860-8234 t-l l
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