Information Notice No. 79-21 - Transportation and Commercial Burial of Radioactive Materials

IN79021 

                               SEP 05 1979 

MEMORANDUM FOR:     B. H. Grier, Director, RI 
                    J. P. O'Reilly, Director, RII 
                    J. G. Keppler, Director, RIII 
                    K. V. Seyfrit, Director, RIV 
                    R. H. Engelken, Director, RV 

FROM:               J. H. Sniezek, Director, Division of Fuel Facility and 
                      Materials Safety Inspection, IE 

SUBJECT:            Information Notice No. 79-21 - "TRANSPORTATION AND 
                    COMMERCIAL BURIAL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS" 

Information Notice No. 79-21 is being sent to all licensees as supplemental 
information to IE Bulletin Nos. 79-19 and 79-20. This Notice has two 
enclosures : The DOT publication, A Review of the Department of 
Transportation (DOT) Regulations for Transportation of Radioactive Materials
and a summary of waste burial criteria. The distribution for material 
licensees and fuel facilities is being handled by ADM at Headquarters to 
minimize impact on the Regional Offices. The distribution to all power and 
research reactors with operating licenses is to be handled through your 
office as we do not have automated addressing capabilities for these 
licensees. Under separate cover, we are forwarding the DOT publication. 


                                        J. H. Sniezek, Director 
                                        Division of Fuel Facility and 
                                          Materials Safety Inspection 
                                        Office of Inspection and Enforcement

Enclosures: 
1.   Draft letter to Reactor 
       Licensees 
2.   Information Notice No. 79-21 

CONTACT:  G. H. Bidinger, IE 
          49-28188 
.

(Draft letter to all power and research reactors with OL's) 

                                           Information Notice No. 79-21 

Gentlemen: 

Enclosed is Information Notice No. 79-21, "Transportation and Commerical 
Burial of Radioactive Material," which provides information on packaging and
disposal of radioactive material. 

                                        Sincerely, 


                                        Signature 
                                        (Regional Director) 

Enclosures: 
1.   IE Information Notice
       No. 79-21 
2.   List of Information 
       Notices Issued in 
       Last Six Months 
.

                             UNITED STATES 
                      NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 
                          WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 
                             September 7, 1979 

                                           Information Notice No. 79-21 

Gentlemen: 

Enclosed is Information Notice No. 79-21 , "Transportation and Commerical 
Burial of Radioactive Material," which provides information on 
transportation and disposal of low-level radioactive waste. 


                                        James H. Sniezek, Director 
                                        Division of Fuel Facility and 
                                          Materials Safety Inspection 
                                        Office of Inspection and Enforcement 

Enclosure:
Information Notice 79-21
.

                                                  Accession No: 7908220108 
                                                  SSINS:  6870             


                              UNITED STATES 
                       NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 
                   OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT 
                          WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 
                                     
                            September 7, 1979  

                                           Information Notice No. 79-21 

TRANSPORTATION AND COMMERCIAL BURIAL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL 

On July 10, 1979, the Governors of the Agreement States of Nevada, South 
Carolina and Washington notified NRC Chairman Hendrie of the serious and 
repeated disregard for the rules governing the shipments of low-level 
radioactive wastes to their burial facilities. The problems causing the 
Governors' concern may be summarized as contaminated packages; improper 
loading of packages which results in unnecessary radiation exposure; 
packages containing liquids when liquids or free-standing water are not 
authorized to be buried; leaking packages; improper labeling of packages; 
and improper paperwork for shipments. 

Recently, you should have received either IE Bulletin No. 79-19 or 79-20 on 
this subject. The enclosures to this Notice provide information regarding 
the regulatory requirements for the packaging, transportation and disposal 
of radioactive material. The requirements for packaging and transport 
referenced herein are applicable to shipments of all radioactive material. 

The enclosed summary of radioactive waste burial criteria defines the 
current burial-site license and State requirements on waste form and 
packaging. A summary of the requirements for transportation is in the 
enclosed DOT publication, "A Review of the DOT Regulations for 
Transportation of Radioactive Materials."  The enclosures are intended only 
as a convenient reference; they are neither a substitute for the actual 
regulations nor a copy of the burial site license or other burial site 
documents.  The DOT regulatory requirements can be found in 49 CFR Parts 
170-179 (Oct. 1, 1977). The NRC requirements are in 10 CFR Part 71. 

To conduct your waste disposal operations properly you must comply with NRC 
and DOT requirements for packaging and transportation, and the waste 
packaged for eventual disposal at any of the three operating waste-burial 
sites must be in a form authorized in the particular burial-site license and 
State requirements. To assure that the latter requirements are met, you 
should coordinate your waste disposal activities with the waste collection 
companies and/or the waste burial site operators. The sites receiving wastes 
for burial are operated either by the Nuclear Engineering Co., Inc. 
(502-426-7160), or Chem-Nuclear Systems, Inc. (206-827-0711). 

Questions about licensing requirements for NRC packages can be addressed to 
the NRC's Transportation Branch (301-427-4122). Questions about DOT 
packaging and transport requirements can be addressed to the Materials 
Transportation Bureau of DOT (202-426-2311). Questions about the IE 
Bulletins or this Information Notice can be addressed to the appropriate NRC 
Regional Office listed in 10 CFR Part 20, Appendix D. 
.

Information Notice No. 79-21                           September 7, 1979 
                                                          Page 2 of 2      

No written response to this Information Notice is required. 

Enclosures: 
1.   Burial Criteria 
2.   DOT Publication 
.