ML20217F619

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Forwards Summary of Info Requested by State of Sc Re Investigation Into Allegations Concerning Chem-Nuclear LLW Facility Near Barnwell,Sc.Insp Repts 50-213/78-01, 50-245/78-16 & 50-336/78-13 Also Encl
ML20217F619
Person / Time
Site: Millstone, Haddam Neck  File:Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Co icon.png
Issue date: 04/18/1980
From: Alderson C
NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II)
To: Wilson R
SOUTH CAROLINA, STATE OF
Shared Package
ML20217F592 List:
References
FOIA-97-256 50-213-78-01, 50-213-78-1, 50-245-78-16, 50-336-78-13, NUDOCS 9708060228
Download: ML20217F619 (5)
v • d • e


See also: IR 05000213/1978001

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UNITED STATES

8 g NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

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101 MARitTTA ST., N.W Sl'ITE 3100

%q*****[ ATLANTA. o EoRotA 30303

APR 18 1980

South Carolina Department of Health

and Environmental Control

ATTN: Mr. Richard P. Wilson

Assistant Attorney General

2600 Bull Street

Columbia, SC 29201

Gentlemen:

This refers to the several requests for assistance or information made to this

office by Mr. Wilson regarding your investigation into allegations made by' Susan

Byers Lott concerning Chem-Nuclear's low-level waste facility near Barnwell,

South Carolina.

The information you have requested is provided in the enclosures. You will note

that Enclosures 2A through 9H are copies of our internal case file documents

which should not be further disseminated. All significant information contained

in those documents will be reflected in our final investigation report and we

will be happy to provide you with a copy of that report when it is issued.

We appreciate your cooperation in this matter.

please contact me. If we can be of further assistance

1

incerely b

1

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Y%

pr1 E. Alderson

Senior Regional Investigator

Enclosures:

1. Summary of Information Requested

by State of South Carolina

2. Hemos to Case File

A. Telephone Interview of Paul Schutt

B. Telephone Contact with Robert Fancher, Sr.

C. Telephone Interview of Ted E. Caddell, Sr.

D. Telephone Interview of George Stukenbroeker

E. Telephone Interview of Richard Hayden

F. Telephone Interview of Jackie Brewster

G. Telephone Interview of Randy Ledford '

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H. Contact with U. S. DOT *

3. IE Rpt. No. 50-245/78-16

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4. IE Rpt. No. 50-336/78-13 .

S. IE Rpt. No. 50-213/78-01 .

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cc: (See Page 2)

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9700060228 970730 '

PDR FOIA * #'

MCMURRY97-256 PDR

476106072f ,,.

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South Carolina Departseat of Ilealth -2

cc w/encist

U. S. Department of Justice

ATIN: Mr. John Dicon

General Litigation and

Legal Advice section

Criminal Division

Washington, D. C. 20530

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C C U SLON L _

ENCLOSURE 1

SUMMARY OF INFORMATION REQUESTED BY STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

A. SOURCES OF SPENT FUEL

Bai,ed on our review of the deposition of Susan Byers Lott it appears that

she has alleged that spent fuel was shipped to Chem-Nuclear's Barnwell site

for burial during the period October 1977 - March 1978. She states that

there were "three jobs altogether" and mentions " Boston Edison," " North

East Nuclear," and " Nuclear Assurance" in various parts of the deposition.

It should be noted that the NRC requires written notification of all transfers

of special nuclear material and routinely inspects fuel inventory records

at fuel

with manufacturing

this requirement. facilities and nuclear power plants to verify compliance

These inspections include a periodic independent

verification of the inventory by an NRC inspector. These inspections have

not disclosed any missing fuel assemblies from any licer. sed reactor facility.

With regard to the 26 alleged shipments from Boston Edison, an oncite

investigation conducted by NRC representatives at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power

Station on March 5-7, 1980, failed to disclose any information which would

tend to support the allegation. Based on an independent, 100 percant audit

by the investigators, all fuel inventory records appeared to be in order

and a physical count of fuel assemblies on site indicated that none were

missing. You were provided a draft of our report documenting this activity

(IE Report 50-293/80-12) and we will provide a copy of the final report

when it is issued.

The deposition of January 14, 1980, is unclear as to whether Mrs. Lott is

alleging that spent fuel was received from " North East Nuclear" or whether

she is stating that control rods were received from that company. In any

event, a review of our records indicates that an inspection conducted by

NRC inspectois at Northeast Nuclear Energy Company's Hillstone Nuclear

Power Station on May 9-11, 1978, included a physical inventory of all spent

fuel and a review of all material trantSr documents.

were identified. Copies of IE Report Nos. 50-245/73-16 No discrepancies

and 50-336/78-13

documenting this inspection are included as Enclosures 3 and 4.

In that Northeast Utilities Service Corporation is interrelated with the

Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company in addition ,to the Northeast Nuclear

Energy Company, we have also checked our records regarding,the Haddam Neck

facility and determined that an inspection was conducted on January 9-12,

1978, which included a piece count of all fuel assemblies in the spent fuel

pool and cross-checking of various records.- No discrepancies in spent fuel

inventory were identified. We are also including as Enclosure 5, a copy of

IE Report No. 50-213/78-01 which documents that inspection.*

,

The deposition of January 22, 1980, is unclear regarding " Nuclear" Assurance."

It is dif.ficult to tell whether Mrs. Lott is stating that they used a

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)RictiVED. {URil1[A-VERtllCAil0N AND EVALUAil0N MIGHT BE NECESSARY,MlS4 WOR (ING

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NOT TO Bt D35tMINAitDM~ CONSIDERID UNDER ANY CONDITION AS wei4IE-

AND ACCURAT( INf0RMAil0N. 'N s' yy, ,

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particular cask or alleging that they brought in spent fuel. Nuclear

Assurance Corporation (NAC) is a service company headquartered in Atlanta,

Georgia. Information obtained from the President of NAC is provided in

Enclosure 2A.

B. FEASIBILITY OF DETECTING FRESENCE OF SPENT FUEL

The NRC has discussed the feasibility of making above ground measurements

at Chem-Nuclear's Barnwell disposal site to determine the presence of spent

fuel in the burial

experience trenchesinwith

and expertise suchtwo of our contractors who have considerable

matters. It is their opinion, and ours,

that it is extremely unlikely that any above ground measurements would

confirm the presence or absence of spent fuel under several feet of compacted

clay and in the presence of other radioactive materials which are known to

be buried in the trenches.

Notwithstanding, there are methods to make such a determination. All

material in the trench in question could be disintered for visual examina-

tion. This would be both extremely hazardous and extremely costly. Another

approach would be to drill small dry wells every few feet along the trench

to the approximate depth of the buried materials and using measuring equipment

or foil activation techniques, attempt to determine the presence of bignifi- -

cant neutron-radiation levels which would be indicative of the presence of

spent fuel. While this latter approach would be safer and less expensive

than the former, it would still present a significant hazard and cost. In

view of our findings in Paragraph A above and the findings of your investi-

gation to date, it does not appear that the costs and exposures to personnel -

to such hazards are justified at this time. 9

C. SPENT FUEL CASKS WITH FORCED COOLING

In her deposition of January 14, 1980, Hrs. Lott states that a driver

bringing a shipment from Boston Edison had called ahead to the Tri-State

terminal because the cooling system motor on the silver bullet had stopped

functioning. She further states that Ted Caddell, a Tri-State driver told

her that it was very important that the motor should never stop.

The NRC issues Certificates of Compliance for all radioactive materials

shipping containers. A search of our files, as well as discussions with

NRC representatives responsible in the area of transportation of radioactive

materials indicates that no spent fuel shipping container utilizing a

motor-driven forced cooling system has ever been certified by the NRC for

over-the-road shipments. In fact, the NRC's policy 'is that spent fuel

casks must utilize passive cooling systems so'that faifures of the type

alluded to by Mrs. Lott cannot occur. -

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AnNRCinvestigatorcontactedTedCaddellhadotherTri-Stateemployees

regarding this matter by telephone. The information obtained is documented

in Enclosures 2B through 2D. Additional information obtained is documented

in Enclosure 2E. ,

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QHIS IS A WORK!NG DOCUMINT AND THE INFORMATION PRESENT[0 l$ A$ INiilALLY

RR!iVID'TUtildaJERIFICAil0N AND [ VALUATION MIGHT BE NECIS$ARY. II 15

NOT 10 81 DIS $tMINAl[D%CONSIDERIO

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AND ACCURATE INFORMAflDN. ~~~ jg

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D. ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION

During the course of the investigation two individuals were identified to

the NRC as possibly being able to provide inforta3 tion which would support

the allegations made by Mrs. Lott. Both individuals were contacted by

telephone by an NRC investigator. These contacts are documented in

Enclosures 2E and 2F. One of these individuals providad the name of a

third individual who was also contacted by the NRC investigator. The

results of that contact are documented in Enclosure 20. These individuals

did not provide any substantive information which would corroborate

Mrs. Lott's allegations.

1

E. DOT REQUIREMENTS

Both individuals who were alleged by Mrs. Lott to have helped Mr. Posik

change drivers' logbooks were contacted by the NRC investigator (see

Enclosures 2F and 2G)- Tne US Department of Trn sportation's office in

Atlanta was also contacted regarding this Glegation and the investigation

that Mrs. Lott alleges was performed by DOT during 1978. As indicated in

Enclosure 211, no such investigation was performed.

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AND ACCURAi! INf0RMAil0N.kQI.IQ_DE-DISSEMINATED OR CONSIDER

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