Information Notice 1993-07, Classification of Transportation Emergencies
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS
WASHINGTON, D.C.
20555
February 1, 1993
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
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
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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
February 1, 1993 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED
NMSS INFORMATION NOTICES
Information
rDate of
Notice No.
Subject
Issuance
Issued to
93-05
93-04
93-03
Locking of Radiography
Exposure Devices
Investigation and Re- porting of Misadministra- tions by the Radiation
Safety Officer
Recent Revision to
10 CFR Part 20 and
Change of Implementa- tion Date to
January 1, 1994
Release of Patients
Treated with Temporary
Implants
Employee Training
and Shipper Registra- tion Requirements for
Transporting Radioactive
Materials
01/14/93
01/07/93
01/05/93
12/17/92
10/18/92
All Nuclear Regulatory
Commission industrial
radiography licensees.
All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission medical
licensees.
All byproduct, source, and
licensees.
All Nuclear Regulatory Com- mission Medical Licensees.
All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission Licensees.
92-84
92-72
92-62
Emergency Response
Information Require- ments for Radioactive
Material Shipments
08/24/92
All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission Licensees.
92-58
92-38
Uranium Hexafluoride
Cylinders - Deviations
Implementation Date for
the Revision to the EPA
Manual of Protective
Action Guides and Pro- tective Actions for
Nuclear Incidents
08/12/92
05/12/92 All fuel cycle licensees.
All holders of OLs or CPs
for nuclear power reactors, non-power reactors and
materials licensees author- ized to possess large
quantities of radioactive
material.
I
Attachment 2
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 In Ventilation
Systems
93-05 Locking of Radiography
01/14/93
All Nuclear Regulatory
Exposure Devices
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
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
by Liberty Technologies
92-86 Unexpected Restriction
12/24/92
All holders of OLs or CPs
to Thermal Growth of
for nuclear power reactors.
Reactor Coolant Piping
92-85 Potential Failures of
12/23/92
All holders of OLs or CPs
Emergency Core Cooling
for nuclear power reactors.
Systems Caused by
Foreign Material Blockage
92-84 Release of Patients
12/17/92
All Nuclear Regulatory
Treated with Temporary
Commission Medical Licensees
Implants
OL - Operating License
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
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
See Previous Concurrence
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11/24/92
01/19/93 /92 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY:
93-07.IN
IN 92- K.-
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December , 1992
Page 2 of
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 ire reported by licensees that are not required by regulation to
have an emer ency plan. The cause of the confusion in the Springfield
accident was he classification of an offsite emergency using the scheme
established in he regulations for an onsite emergency. Only licensees
required to have an emergency plan would tend to use this classification
scheme. Therefor the staff believes that making licensees with emergency
plans aware of the otential for confusion and having NRC licensing staff
determine how transp rtation accidents are classified in future reviews of
emergency plans is su ficient to address this problem.
Licensees required to ma taip an emergency plan may want to review their
emergency classification procedures and consider the need to establish a
separate classification (e4i, transportation emergency) for offsite
transportation accidents that require activation of the licensee's emergency
organization.
This information notice requires ho specific action or written response. If
you have any questions about the ioi rmation in this notice, please contact
the technical contact listed below o t
ppropriate regional office.
Richard E. nningham, Director
Division of industrial and
Medical Nuclear Safety
Office of Nuclear;,Material Safety
and Safeguards a
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
See Previous Concurrence
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IN 92- November
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Declaring an NOUE, Alert, or Site Area Emergency for a transportation ac dent
tens or hundreds of miles away from a licensee's facility causes unnec sary
confusion among offsite response agencies. Licensees required to mai ain an
emergency plan may want to review their emergency classification pr edures
and consider the need to establish a separate classification (e.g
transportation emergency) for offsite transportation accidents
at require
activation of the licensee's emergency organization.
This information notice requires no specific action or wri
en response. If
you have any questions about the information in this not e, please contact
the technical contact listed below or the appropriate r gional office.
Richard E. Cunni
am, Director
Division of Ind strial and
Medical Nuc ar Safety
Office of N ear Material Safety
and Safe ards
Technical Contact:
Kevin M. Ramsey, MSS
(301) 504-2534 Attachments:
1. List of Recently Issued
SS Information Notices
2. List of Recently I
ssued
C Information Notices
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