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
.
Page Last Reviewed/Updated Tuesday, March 09, 2021