Information Notice 1993-07, Classification of Transportation Emergencies

Classification of Transportation Emergencies
	ML031080028
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley, Millstone, Hatch, Monticello, Calvert Cliffs, Dresden, Davis Besse, Peach Bottom, Browns Ferry, Salem, Oconee, Mcguire, Nine Mile Point, Palisades, Palo Verde, Perry, Indian Point, Fermi, Kewaunee, Catawba, Harris, Wolf Creek, Saint Lucie, Point Beach, Oyster Creek, Watts Bar, Hope Creek, Grand Gulf, Cooper, Sequoyah, Byron, Pilgrim, Arkansas Nuclear, Three Mile Island, Braidwood, Susquehanna, Summer, Prairie Island, Columbia, Seabrook, Brunswick, Surry, Limerick, North Anna, Turkey Point, River Bend, Vermont Yankee, Crystal River, Haddam Neck, Ginna, Diablo Canyon, Callaway, Vogtle, Waterford, Duane Arnold, Farley, Robinson, Clinton, South Texas, San Onofre, Cook, Comanche Peak, Yankee Rowe, Maine Yankee, Quad Cities, Humboldt Bay, La Crosse, Big Rock Point, Rancho Seco, Zion, Midland, Bellefonte, Fort Calhoun, FitzPatrick, McGuire, LaSalle, Fort Saint Vrain, Shoreham, Satsop, Trojan, Atlantic Nuclear Power Plant
Issue date:	02/01/1993
From:	Cunningham R; NRC/NMSS/IMNS
To:	;
References
	IN-93-007, NUDOCS 9301260032
	Download: ML031080028 (7)
	v • d • e

UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 February 1, 1993 NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 93-07: CLASSIFICATION OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCIES

Addressees

All Licensees required to have an emergency plan.

Purpose

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is issuing this information notice to

alert licensees of a recent incident where the classification of a

transportation accident was confusing and misleading. It is expected that

licensees will review this information for applicability to their licensed

activities and consider actions, as appropriate, to avoid similar problems.

However, suggestions contained in this notice do not constitute any new NRC

requirements, and no written response is required.

Description of Circumstances

On December 16, 1991, a truck carrying unirradiated (fresh) nuclear fuel was

involved in an accident in Massachusetts. The fuel was being shipped from a

fuel fabrication plant in North Carolina, to a reactor in Vermont. The fuel

shipment consisted of 24 fresh fuel assemblies, packaged 2 each, in 12 shipping containers.

As a result of the accident, the truck and shipping containers carrying the.

fresh fuel were engulfed in a fire that lasted for almost 3 hours3.472222e-5 days <br />8.333333e-4 hours <br />4.960317e-6 weeks <br />1.1415e-6 months <br />. The

shipper declared a "Site Emergency" and responded in accordance with its

emergency plan. Despite the collision and subsequent fire, there were no

deaths nor serious injuries. However, the accident did result in substantial

property loss, which included the truck, shipping containers, and damaged fuel

assemblies.

After the incident, NRC staff reviewed the emergency response measures taken.

The results were reported in NUREG-1458, "Emergency Response to a Highway

Accident in Springfield, Massachusetts, on December 16, 1991." This report

concluded that the shipper's classification "is confusing since it does not

have the same meaning as a site emergency for a fixed facility. Consideration

should be given to developing a standard classification for transportation

events that has its own terminology."

Discussion

r The emergency classifications defined in 10 CFR Parts 30, 40, 50, and 70 are

intended for emergencies at a fixed site (i.e., the licensee's facility).

When a Notification Of Unusual Event (NOUE), Alert, or Site Area Emergency is

declared, the licensee is required to immediately notify offsite response

9301260032 PJD I- -a <oi cE 9 o 2°a

me -//cd

IN 93-07 February 1, 1993 agencies responsible for taking actions to protect the public within a few

miles of the licensee's facility. Declaring an NOUE, Alert, or Site Area

Emergency for a transportation accident tens or hundreds of miles away from a

licensee's facility causes unnecessary confusion among offsite response

agencies.

After considering the need to develop a standard classification for

transportation events, the staff concluded that a rulemaking to establish an

additional emergency classification was not warranted. Most transportation

accidents are reported by licensees that are not required by regulation to

have an emergency plan. The cause of the confusion in the Springfield

accident was the classification of an offsite emergency using the scheme

established in the regulations for an onsite emergency. Only licensees

required to have an emergency plan would tend to use this classification

scheme. Therefore the staff believes that making licensees with emergency

plans aware of the potential for confusion and having NRC licensing staff

determine how transportation accidents are classified in future reviews of

emergency plans is sufficient to address this problem.

Licensees required to maintain an emergency plan may want to review their

emergency classification procedures and consider the need to establish a

separate classification (e.g., transportation emergency) for offsite

transportation accidents that require activation of the licensee's emergency

organization._

This information notice requires no specific action or written response. If

you have any questions about the information in this notice, please contact

the technical contact listed below or the appropriate regional office.

Richard E. Cunningham, Director

Division of Industrial and

Medical Nuclear Safety

Office of Nuclear Material Safety

and Safeguards

Technical contact: Kevin M. Ramsey, NMSS

(301) 504-2534 Attachments:

1. List of Recently Issued NMSS Information Notices

2. List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices

Attachment 1 IN 93-07 February 1, 1993 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED

NMSS INFORMATION NOTICES

Information rDate of

Notice No. Subject Issuance Issued to

93-05 Locking of Radiography 01/14/93 All Nuclear Regulatory

Exposure Devices Commission industrial

radiography licensees.

93-04 Investigation and Re- 01/07/93 All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

porting of Misadministra- Commission medical

tions by the Radiation licensees.

Safety Officer

93-03 Recent Revision to 01/05/93 All byproduct, source, and

10 CFR Part 20 and special nuclear material

Change of Implementa- licensees.

tion Date to

January 1, 1994

92-84 Release of Patients 12/17/92 All Nuclear Regulatory Com- Treated with Temporary mission Medical Licensees.

Implants

92-72 Employee Training 10/18/92 All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

and Shipper Registra- Commission Licensees.

tion Requirements for

Transporting Radioactive

Materials

92-62 Emergency Response 08/24/92 All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Information Require- Commission Licensees.

ments for Radioactive

Material Shipments

92-58 Uranium Hexafluoride 08/12/92 All fuel cycle licensees.

Cylinders - Deviations

in Coupling Welds

92-38 Implementation Date for 05/12/92 All holders of OLs or CPs

the Revision to the EPA for nuclear power reactors, Manual of Protective non-power reactors and

Action Guides and Pro- materials licensees author- tective Actions for ized to possess large

Nuclear Incidents quantities of radioactive

material.

I

Attachment 2 IN 93-07 February 1. 1993 Page I of I

LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED

NRC INFORMATION NOTICES

Information Date of

Notice No. Subject Issuance Issued to

93-06 Potential Bypass Leak- 01/22/93 All holders of OLs or CPs

age Paths Around Filters for nuclear power reactors.

Installed InVentilation

Systems

) 93-05 Locking of Radiography

Exposure Devices

01/14/93 All Nuclear Regulatory

Coimission Industrial

radiography licensees.

93-04 Investigation and Re- 01/07/93 All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

porting of Nisadministra- Comnission medical

tions by the Radiation licensees.

Safety Officer

93-03 Recent Revision to 01/05/93 All byproduct, source, and

10 CFR Part 20 and special nuclear material

Change of Implementa- licensees.

tion Date to

January 1, 1994

93-02 Malfunction of A Pres- 01/04/93 All holders of OLs or CPs

surizer Code Safety for nuclear power reactors.

Valve

93-01 Accuracy of Motor- 01/04/93 All holders of OLs or CPs

Operated Valve Diagnostic for nuclear power reactors.

Equipment Manufactures 2 by Liberty Technologies

tO

) 92-86 Unexpected Restriction

to Thermal Growth of

Reactor Coolant Piping

12/24/92 All holders of OLs or CPs

for nuclear power reactors. W(O0

cOu

8

92-85 Potential Failures of 12/23/92 All holders of OLs or CPs w O rco

Emergency Core Cooling for nuclear power reactors.

Systems Caused by t o0 L

Foreign Material Blockage 'i C3 0

92-84 Release of Patients

Treated with Temporary

Implants

12/17/92 All Nuclear Regulatory

Commission Medical Licensees

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OL - Operating License z

-a 2 CP - Construction Permit

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<j -IN 93-07 February 1, 1993 agencies responsible for taking actions to protect the public within a few