PNO-III-86-123, on 861027,television Station Received Anonymous Call Re Obstruction of Burlington Northern Railroad Track Which Serves as Route for Reactor Spent Fuel Shipment.Barricade Found & 39-ft Section of Track Missing

PNO-III-86-123:on 861027,television Station Received Anonymous Call Re Obstruction of Burlington Northern Railroad Track Which Serves as Route for Reactor Spent Fuel Shipment.Barricade Found & 39-ft Section of Track Missing

ML20215N149
Person / Time
Site:	Monticello
Issue date:	10/27/1986
From:	Axelson W, Creed J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:
References
PNO-III-86-123, NUDOCS 8611040366
Download: ML20215N149 (1)

PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE--PNO-III-86-123 Date Octobtr 27, 1986 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: Northern States Power Company Licensee Emergency Classification:

Monticello Notification of an Unusual Event Monticello, MN 55362 Alert Site Area Emergency Docket No. 50-263 General Emergency X Not Applicable

Subject:

APPARENT SAB0TAGE OF RAIL LINE At approximately 5:15 a.m. (CDT), October 27, 1986, a Minneapolis, Minnesota, television station received an anonyrrous telephone call stating that a Burlington Northern Railroad track was obstructed about 35 miles southeast of the Monticello Nuclear Power Plant. The caller also stated that there should be no more shipment of nuclear waste. (The rail line is the NRC-approved route for shipments of spent reactor fuel from Monticello to the General Electric Company storage facility in Morris, Illinois. A series of shipments is underway --

the rail cars carrying the shipping casks are visible at the plant site.)

The local police investigated the threat and found no obstruction. However, at about 9:00 a.m. the engineer of a loaded freight train found a barricade that included a hand painted sign stating " Track Out." He removed the barricade and passed through the area at low speed. The engineer observed that a section of track was missing ahead, but was unable to stop. The engine derailed, but none of the cars left the track. The 39-foot section of rail had been unbolted, the spikes pulled, and the rail, weighing over 2 tons, had been moved aside.

A sign painted on a nearby bridge stated: Stop Radwaste Shipments.-

The incident is being investigated by the railroad, local police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Region III (Chicago) has notified the NRC Information Assessment Team.

Connissioner's Assistants were briefed on October 27, 1986.

The State of Minnesota will be notified. The licensee received a letter from the State Government requesting that the shipment be delayed and the licensee agreed.

Region III was notified of the incident by the Headquarters Duty Officer at 11:15 a.m.

(CDT), October 27, 1986. This information is current as of 8 a.m. (CDT), October 28, 1987.

$bu f CONTACT: J}.R. Creed FTS 388-5643

[AI. AUY L. Axelson FTS 388-5612 DISTRIBUTION:

H. St. ED0 NRR E/W Willste Mail: ADM:DMB Chairman Zech PA IE' NMSS DOT:Trans only Comm. Roberts ELD OIA RES Comm. Asselstine AE0D d Comm. Bernthal Conn. Carr SP f. N Regional Offices f%\

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CA RIII Resident Office PDR Licensee: Od -(Corp. Office - Reactor Lic. Only) 8611040366 861027 Region III PDR I&E Rev. November 1985 PNO-III-86-123 PDR