NUREG-1392, Responds to Re Use of DOE Wesf Capsules at Iotech,Inc Facility.Nrc Will Notify Licensee Promptly of Decision Re long-term Suitability of Capsules for Commercial Use Once DOE Completes Failure Analysis

Responds to Re Use of DOE Wesf Capsules at Iotech,Inc Facility.Nrc Will Notify Licensee Promptly of Decision Re long-term Suitability of Capsules for Commercial Use Once DOE Completes Failure Analysis

ML20055E224
Person / Time
Issue date:	06/27/1990
From:	Carr K NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
To:	Vernon T COLORADO, STATE OF
Shared Package
ML20055E225	List: ML20055E227 NUREG-1392, Responds to Re Use of DOE Wesf Capsules at Iotech,Inc Facility.Nrc Will Notify Licensee Promptly of Decision Re long-term Suitability of Capsules for Commercial Use Once DOE Completes Failure Analysis
References
RTR-NUREG-1392 NUDOCS 9007110180
Download: ML20055E224 (2)

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UNITED STATESi

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION i

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.o June 27,1990 CH AIRMAN -

Thomas M. Vernon, M.D.

Executive Director Colorado Department of Health 4210 East lith Avenue

. Denver, Colorado 80220-3716 1

Dear' Dr. Vernon:

I: am responding-to your letter of April 10, 1990, concerning the continued use of the Department of Energy's (DOE's) WESF capsules at the lotech, Inc.,

y facility in Colorado. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) agrees that a -

L final decision regarding the suitability of these sources for comercial use should be made as soon as possible. ' Critical-to the Commission's evaluation l

and. ultimate -decision, however,.are the results of. DOE's analysis of the

' June 1988 failure of WESF capsules 'at the Radiation Sterilizers, Inc., (RSI)'

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L, facility in Georgia.

We have already expressed our concern-to DOE-reoarding

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the slow progress of its investigation and will continue to urge DOE to L

expedite: completion of the analysis. We would recommeno that you' likewise I

convey your concerns to DOE.

In the interim, NRC has allowed the Applied Radiant Energy Corporation (ARECO) to continue using WESF capsules in its corrrrercial irradiator in Virginia. Our

' staff. supported this decision on the grounds that operating conditions at:the j

' ARECO facility'are significantly different from those at PSI and in recognition 1

- of enhanced-monitoring procedures implemented by' ARECO that would provide early.-

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detection and sufficient time for mitigation of a leak'should one occur.

H Forisimilar reasons, the NRC staff would concur in the State of Colorado's 4

decision to ' allow continued use of WESF capsules at the Iotech facility

.pending the completion of DOE's. investigation. As you may be aware, thermal i

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cycling is. believed to be a major contributor to the RSI source leakage. When compared to the RSI facility, the sources used at Iotech have been subject to far. less frequent thermal cycling. We also understand that design and

' operating procedures at lotech afford significantly more effective heat removal than at RSI.

Clearly it is not possible to provide assurance that WESF capsules at Iotech 1:

or any other facility can continue to be used indefinitely absent a conclusive Di finding' of the cause or causes of their failure at RSI. As you may know from L

'the draft interim report of-the DOE investigation group for the RSI incident, j

L LO 9007110180 900627 9

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PDR COMMS NRCC

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CORRESPONDENCE PDC

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s Thomas M. Vernon, M.D. ~

i a number of significant questions remain concerning the behavior of impure cesium chloride salt in the capsules at high and variable temperatures, as

. well as with respect to the filling ano manufacture of the capsules themselves.

Nonetheless, the NRC believes that differences in design and 1

' operation of the Iotech facility relative to the RSI irradiator provide sufficient assurance that WESF capsules are suitable for continued use in this facility. during the few months expected for completion of DOE testing, Once DOE has completed its failure analysis of the RSI WESF capsules, however, or whenever other conclusive information may come to light, we will inform you l

promptly of our decision regarding the long-term suitability of WESF capsules 1

for commercial'use.

Sincerely, Kenneth M. Carr cc:: The Honorable William H. Young Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy U.S. Department of Energy s

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