ML19261F329

RO on 770713:Tri-State Motor Transit Co Driver Observed Radwaste Leaking from Container on Truck While at Rest Area. Caused by Pinhole Leak in One Liner.Truck Returned to Station Site

ML19261F329
Person / Time
Site:	Three Mile Island
Issue date:	07/07/1977
From:	Herbein J METROPOLITAN EDISON CO.
To:
References
GQL-0867, GQL-867, NUDOCS 7910250790
Download: ML19261F329 (4)

Text

~NRCconM 295 U.s. NUCLE AR REGULATOP9 A MISs* lo N ooc 5E NUMBER (2 76) [ ^[

' NRC DISTRIBUTION ron PART 50 DOCKET MATERIAL INCIDENT REPORT TO: FROM: DATE OF OoCUMENT Wetropolitan Edison Company 7f7/77 Mr. J. P. O'Reilly " "

J rb in 14f 7 ETTER NOToRI2ED PROP INPUT F ORM NUMBER oF COPIES RECEIVED i IGINAL C LASSIF # E O

• oL S C RIP TION ENCLoSU RE Consists of a non-reportable incident on 6/13/77 concerning a truckdriver, who i was transporting a shipment of eight (8) '

fifty (50) cubic foot linears of radwaste l from TMI, noticing some liquid dripping off the truck bed....... 3 PLANT NN4E: DO NOT RD10Y-4 l

i Three Mile Island Unit No.1 , 01.yLEDGED RJL 7/14/77 (3-P)  :

NOTE: IF PERSONNEL EXPOSURE IS INVOLVED l SEND DIRECTLY TO KREGER/J. COLLINS

. i FOR ACTION 4INFORMATION '

nas.seu enrvv. n / f>, t I w/ 1 FYR rnp arTTont bbd Y '

fTc A99T_*

~

p m INTERNAL DISTRIBUTION

[ Den #TT F M i uc unn ,

T er (O VTPF ecuporDFR /IPPOLITO unitetnM sn1.,,, - cm EDTVFR

'ZM T n n' Dt"T rn M A'sif fTD i TrnFROM T T C F'IMf ?T , ,

RATR RTTan vnt f VFD /RfMcM VWTnTP/ f_ cnf T TN9 DnqA

, , EXTERNAL DISTRIBUTION CONTR OL NUMBER T pnn Ha uer s bun ri c rTC.

L1482 056 ,.

? Y - -

\n I ACRS (16) SENT AS C AT ,B ' 1 MM i l } /T ,

791025g 7p ,

Nc._,,,,,..., #

g. , . __.

/

ff ~f"2 G: - . - . - -

METHOPOLITAN EDISON COMPANY _ _.

POST OFFICE BOX 542 READING. PENNSYLVA NI A 19603 TELEPHONE 215 - 929 3601 July 7, 1977 GQL Of -

elegu}QCG.OCC)'k- -

>y

%gsys -3 1 a

~

Mr. J. P. O'Reilly, Director -

[' ,

Office of Inspection and L.forcement, Region I s N/

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Ccmmission 631 Park Avenue k.'._

Q v

,-h King of Prussia, PA 19h06

Dear Sir:

Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 (TMI-1)

Docket No. 50-289 Operating License No. DPR-50 The following infor=ation is being submitted for your general information, since neither the TMI-1 Technical Specifications nor Federal regulations require the reporting of the incident described herein.

On June 13, 1977, at about 1930, the TMI-l Shift Foreman on duty was informed by a Tri-State Motor Transit Co. official that a

, company truckdriver, who nas t:ansporting a shipment of eight(S) fifty (50) cubic foot liners of radvaste from TMI, noticed scme liquid dripping off the truck bed. The driver had stopped at Rest Area 3h on Interstate 80 to check the truck tire air pressure, while enrcute to the federal licensed low-level radvaste burial facilities at Sheffield, Illinois.

.: about 2025 the TMI-l Superintendent and the Health Physics Foreman on duty called the truchdriver to get further details. The driver informed them that the liquid had stopped dripping and had settled in about h small pools on the pavement. The truck was parked away from other vehicles. The driver was advised to stay in the area and wait for the station Health Physics (HP) technicians.

1482 057 7 7 1 ?-5 C I :.

. ~ ,

Mr. J. P. O'Reilly, Director July 7,1977 GQL 0867 The Pennsylvania Civil Defense and Mr. Thomas Gerusky of the Pennsylvania Department of Enviren= ental Resources, Bureau of Radiological Health, were then informed of the situation. Mr.

Gerusky told Met-Ed that he vould be in charge at the scene. At approximately 20h5, two Health Physics Technicians and the Health Physics Foreman on duty departed for the truck site. The TMI-l Superintendent called Mr. Paul R. Nelson, USNRC Region I, shortly afterwards and reported the incident. Mr. Nelson later ic. formed Met-Ed that Messrs. Charles Gallina and Robert McClintock were driving to the scene.

Upon arrival at the truck site, the Met-Ed EP team surveyed the parking area and found no re=cvable contamination. One area, less than one square foot, showed 0.16 =r/hr fixed contamination. No leakage was noted from the truck bed. The EP technicians found that one of the liners had a small pinhole leak. The technicians placed a plug in the liner pinhole to stop any further leakage.

Absorbent =aterial was affixed to the truck bed underbody as an added precaution. Atte= pts to decentaminate the read surface were unproductive. All the cleaning materials were collected and packaged.

Mr. Gerusky then talked with the Unit Superintendent and stated that he was satisfied that the truck site was safe and that no further action was necessary, the centaminated area fixed radiaticn level, 0.16 =r/hr. , being less than the 2 =r/hr. unrestricted area permissible level.

The truck was returned to the station site. While enroute to the station three stops were made to assure no further leakage. On arrival at the station the truck was surveyed by Messrs. Gallina and McClinteck and locked inside the protected area.

The cause of this occurrence has not yet been cc=pletely ascertained.

An initial formal investigation by Station personnel and a meeting of Engineering =anagers has indicate d that the following are potential probable causes of the leakage:

1) the lack of a liner leak check prior to filling with the solidified radvaste constituents.

2) An incomplete internal liner coating which permitted corrosion of the mild steel container. This may have been accelerated by the acidic nature of the solidification material which consists of urea formaldehyde and sodium bisulfite which is used as a catalyst.

3) An unusually 1cng storage time pricr to shipping after solidification.

This was estimated as 98 days and contributed to the proble:

by permitting additional time for acid attack of the mild steel container.

1482 058

.Mr. J. P. O'Reilly, Director July 7, 1977 GQL Cc67 A follow-up information report will be sent +o you by 7/30/77 informing you of the progress of cur investigation and the steps we have taken and are in the process of taking to prevent a future similar occurrence.

Sincerely, b

f J. G. Herbein Vice Fresident JGH:JMC:rk 1482 059