ML20246K577

Reactive Insp Rept 50-352/89-14 on 890629.Violation Noted. Major Areas Inspected:Circumstances Surrounding Shipment of Seavan to Quadrex Recycle Ctr

ML20246K577
Person / Time
Site:	Limerick
Issue date:	07/07/1989
From:	Bores R, Joseph Furia NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:
Shared Package
ML20246K550	List: ML20246K546 ML20246K577
References
50-352-89-14, NUDOCS 8907180210
Download: ML20246K577 (3)

See also: IR 05000352/1989014

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U. S. NUCLEAR RIUJIA'IORY OCPMISSION '

REGION I'

Report No. '89-14

. Docket No. 50-352

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License No. NPF-2

Priority

Category

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Licensee: miladelphia Electric C%npany

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P. O. Box 7520

Philadelphia, PA 19101

Facility Name:

Limerick Generatirri Station Unit 1

Inspection At:

Sanatoga, Pennsylvania

Inspection Corrlucted: June 29, 1989

Inspectors:

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J. T. Furia, RadiatioWinlint, ERPS

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Approved by:-

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R. J. Bores, Chief, Effl@tdJRad1 Mon

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PIctection Section, FRSSB, IIES

Inspection Summary: Reactive Inspection on June 29,1989 (Inspection Report

Number 50-352/89-14)

Areas Inspected: Reactive announced inspection of the cirum=L:uci:s surrounding

the shipnent of a SeaVan to the Quadrex Recycle Center.

Inspection Results: Within the areas reviewed, one violation (Transportation)

.was noted.

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8907180210 99o71g

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1.

Personnel Contacted

• L. Wells, Supervisory Physicist, Radwaste Services

• J. Keenan, Nuclear Quality Assurance Engineer

• D. Neff, Licensing Engineer

.* J. Campanini

• K.Przeworsk1,TechnicalAssistant,RadwasteServices

PhyEicist, Corporate Radwaste Section

• M. Christinziani, Tedinical Support Superintendent, Health Ihysics

• Denotes those present at the exit meting on June 29, 1989.

2.

Purpose

h e purpose of this reactive inspection was to examine the circumstances

surmniing the shipment of a loaded SeaVan by the licensee to the Quadrex

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Recycle Center, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Upon receipt of the shipment at Quadrex,

external radiation levels were found at the botta of the trailer used to

transport the SeaVan in execss of those set forth in 49 CFR 173.441. Towards

this end, the inspector reviewed all available records of this shipment, and

Wgent actions taken by the licensee.

3.

Chronology of Events

On June 29, 1989, the ingw+e conducted a reactive inspection of the records

for a shipraent of radioactive material as described below.

On June 20, 1989, the liransee shipped a SeaVan containing bagged trash and a

B-25 container to the Owirex Recycle Center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Quadrwx

was contracted to sort tha waste material, compact loose trash, decontaminate

roccverable items, and dispose of the resultant radwaste.

The B-25 container held a Reactor Water Cleanup Pump 1rpeller Blade which was

placed in a 55-gallon drum with lead blankets above and below the impeller blade

to act as shielding and to fill the void spaces within the drum. S e drum was

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braced within the B-25 container to prevent tipping during transport. Prior to

loading the SeaVan, on May 31, 1989, the licensee surveyed the top of the 55-

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gallon drun, ard found a maximum contact radiation level of 1.4 Roentgens per

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hour (R/hr). We top and sides of the B-25 container had a myimnm contact

radiation le,rel of 160 millircentgens per hour (mR/hr). he licensee did not

survey the bottom of the 55-gallon drum nor the bottom of the B-25 container.

Prior to shipment to Quadrex, the licensee surveyed the flatbed trailer on which

the SeaVan was lmded and fourd a maximum contact reading on the bottora of the

trailer of 190 mK/hr. Licensee procedures in effect on June 21, 1989 allowed

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release of a vehicle as long as the contact radiation level was less than the

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U.S. Department of Transportation limit of 200 mR/hr (49 CFR 173.441(b)(2)) .

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On June 21, 1989 at 1645 hours0.019 days <br />0.457 hours <br />0.00272 weeks <br />6.259225e-4 months <br />, the trailer was surveyed upon arrival at

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Quadrex. 'Ihis survey showed a maximun: contact radiation level, on the bottom of

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the trailer, of 250 mR/hr. 'Ihis is an apparent violation of 49 GR

173.441(b)(2), which requires, in part, that at no time during trano rart ray the

external radiation level on the surface of a transport vehicle carry

radioactive materials (includirg the top ard bottom of the vehicle) exceed 200

mR/hr (50-352/89-14-01).

At 1000 hours0.0116 days <br />0.278 hours <br />0.00165 weeks <br />3.805e-4 months <br /> on June 22, 1989, Quadrcx left a message for a member of the

licensco's staff to call them regarding the SeaVan shipment. At 1500 hours0.0174 days <br />0.417 hours <br />0.00248 weeks <br />5.7075e-4 months <br /> on

June 22, 1989, a licensee representative spoke with the Quadrex staff and was

informed of the results of the incoming survey. 'Iho licensee then notified the

NRC Resident Inspector.

On June 26, 1989, a representative of the licensee spent the day at the Quadrex

Recycle Center conductirq surveys of the SeaVan and its contents. 'Ihe Quadrex

staff had already removed the SeaVan from the trailer, and thus the licensee was

unable to duplicate this survey result. Maximum contact radiatic1 levels of

1100 mR/hr under the B-25 container aM 500 mR/hr under the SeaVan were noted by

the licensee's representative.

Subcequent to this event, the licensee has revised a plant procedure (HP-715) to

lower the release limit for vehicles carryirq radioactive materials from 200

mR/hr to 160 mR/hr.

4.

Exit Interview

'Ibe @r met with licensee representatives denoted in Section 1 at the

conclusion of the inspection on June 29, 1989. 'Ihe inspator summarized the

scope of the inspection and the irqxction findirgs. At no time durirg the

inspection were written materials given to the licensee by the inspector.

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