ML20202G299

Notice of Violation from Insp on 971125-980120.Violations Noted:Certificatee Conducted Operations Involving Unsafe Volume Drums for Storing Seal Parts,Contaminated W/U Enriched to Greater than 1.0 Weight Percent in U-235

ML20202G299
Person / Time
Site:	07007001
Issue date:	02/12/1998
From:	NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:
Shared Package
ML20202G267	List: ML20202G263 ML20202G299 ML20202G318
References
70-7001-97-14, NUDOCS 9802200104
Download: ML20202G299 (3)

Text

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NOTICE OF VIOLATION i 1

United States Enrichment Corporation Docket No. 70 7001L

- Peducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant Certificate No. GDP 1 n  ;

. During an NRC inspection conducted from November 25,1997, through January 20,1998, three  ;

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violations of NRC requirements were identified. In accordance with the " General Statement of i Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions," NUREG 1600, the violations are listed below.

Technical Safety Requirement 2.4.4.4 requires, in part, that moderation control be 1.

maintained when deposits of UO 2F, [ uranyl oxyfluoride) in a pipe or component listed in -

sTSR 2.4, Appendix A, are estimated to be greater than safe mass as determined by TSR 2.4, Appendix B, and the uranium assay is greater than 1.0 weight percent.

. Technical Safety Requirement 2.4, Appendix A, lists process gas coolers as applicable equipment. Technical Safety Requirement 2.4, Appendix B, identifies 264 pounds as the safe mass limit for deposits of 2.0 weight percent material.

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, Surveillance Requirement 2.4.4.4-1 requires, in part, that the curtificatee verify that -

coolant pressure is greater than the building RCW [ recirculating cooling water) pressure L each shift when a UO F, deposit greater than safe mass 9xists and the RCW is not l drained.

Contrary to the above, on March 12,1997, the certificatee had data indicating the n - presence of a UO2 F deposit in the Process Gas Cooler for the Number 1 Dual Speed - .

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, Purge and Evacuation Pump in Building C 335 (operating at up to 2.0 weight percent) l ' which was over 600 pounds and exceeded the safe mass limit of 264 pounds,- but did not

, verify that coolant pressure was greater than the building RCW pressure each shift while j.

the RCW was not drained until January 15,1998.- On January 15,1998, the certificatee -

re-evaluated the mass of the deposit in the process gas cooler and determined that the

, deposit did exceed the safe mass for that location.

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This is a Severity Level IV violation (Supplement VI). (VIO 70-7001/97014-01)

2. Technical Safety Requirement 3.112, requires, in part, that all operations involving uranium enriched to 1.0 weight percent or higher and 15 grams or more of uranium-235 be performed in accordance with a dooumonted nuclear criticality safety approval.

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Control 18 of Nuclear Criticality Safety Approval GEN-15, "On-Site Generation, Handling, l Accumulation, Staging, Transportation, and Storage of Fissile or Potentially Fissile Waste i

Up to a Maximum of 5.5 Weight Percent Enrichment," approved September 12,1996, requires that portable containers used within an FCA [ Fissile Control Area) shall be

- limited to a maximu,n size 5.5-gallon capacity unless approved otherwise by NCS

[ Nuclear Criticality Safety).

Contrary to the above, portable containers with capacities greater than 5.5 gallons were e used within Fissile Control Areas and not approved by Nuclear Criticality Safety in the following examples:

• A)- On November 25,1997, a portable laundry cart which had a capacity greater than 5.5 gallons was discovered in a Fissile Control Area in Building C-400; and 9002200104 990212 PDR ADOCK 07007001 C PDP re---e+ m- -- ,-o y-e -n-,w--+-ee -m, .,-y.---,-,- -,rm-,v , , , , - y -m im ~. - - ,e ,-- e,- ,,,- e

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Notice of Violation - 2.

B)_ On December 1,1997, a portable vacuum cleaner which had a capacity greater -

than 5.5 gallons was discovered in a Fissile Control Area in Building C-720.

This is a Severity Level IV violation (supplement VI). (VIO 70-7001/97014-02)

3. L Technical Safety Requirement 3.11.2,' requires, in part, that all operations involving uranium enriched to 1.0 weight percent or higher and 15 grams or more of uranium-235 be based upon a documented nuclear criticality safety evaluation and performed in accordance with a documented nuclear criticality safety approval.

Contrary to the above, from March 3 until December 11,1997, the certificatee conducted

- operations involving unsafe volume drums for storing seal parts, contaminated with eranium enriched to greater than 1.0 weight percent in uranium-235, without a documented nuclear criticality safety evaluation or approval for the drums.

This is a Security Level IV violation (Supplement VI); (VIO 70-7001/97014-04)

Pursuant to the provisions of 10 CFR 76.70, United States Enrichment Corporation is hereby -

required to submit a written statement or explanation for the violations to the U.S. Nuclear RegulatoryCommission ATTN: . Document Control Desk, Washington, D.C. 20555 with a copy to the Regional Administrator, Region lil, and a copy to the NRC Resident inspector at Paducah, '

within 30 days of the date of the letter transmitting this Notice of Violation (Notice). This reply should be clearty marked as a " Reply to a Notice of Violation" and should include for each violation: (1) the reason for the violation, or, if contested, the basis for disputing the violation, (2) the corrective steps that have been taken and the results achieved, (3) the corrective steps that will be taken to avoid further violations, and (4) the date when full compliance will be -

achieved. Your response may reference or include previously docketed correspondence, if the correspondence adequately addresses the required response, if an adequate reply is not

. received within the time specified in this Notice, an order or a Demand for Information may be

' Issued as to why the Certificate should not be modified, suspended, or revoked, or why such other action as may be proper should not be taken. Where good cause is shown, consideration

- will be given to extending the response time.

" The NRC has concluded that information regarding the reason for Violation 70-7001/g7014-04,

- the corrective actions taken and plannad to correct the violation and prevent recurrence, and the date when full compliance will be achieved is aircady adequately addressed in the response letter from the United States Enrici, ment Corporation dated January 22,1998. However, you are -

required to submit a written statement or explanatior, pursuant to 10 CFR 76.70 if the description therein does not accurately reflect your corrective actions or your position. In that case, or if you choose to respond, clearty mark your response as a " Reply to a Notice of Violation," and send it to the address identified above within 30 days of the date of this letter transmitting this Notice.

If you contest this enforcement action, you should also provide a copy of your response to the Director, Office of Enforcement, United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.

Because your response will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR), to the extent possible, it should not include any personal privacy, proprietary, or safeguards information so that it can be placed in the PDR witnout redaction. If personal privacy or propristary information is

Notice of Violation 3 necessary to provide an acceptable response, then please provide a bracketed copy of yout response that identifies the information that should be protected and a redacted copy of your response that deletes such information. If you request withholding of such material, you mull specifically identify the portions of your response that you seek to have withheld and provide in detall the bases for your claim of withholding (for example, explain why the disclosure of information will create an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy or provide the information required by 10 CFR 2.790(b) to support a request for withholding confidential commercial or financialinformation). If safeguards information is necessary to provide an acceptable response, please provide the level of protection described in 10 CFR 73.21.

Dated at Lisle Illinois this 12 t hay o,f February 1998 1