Information Notice No.80-22 – Breakdowns in Contamination Control Programs
SSINS: 6870
Accessions No:
8005050059
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
WASHINGTON, DC 20555
May 28, 1980
Information Notice No. 80-22
BREAKDOWNS IN CONTAMINATION CONTROL PROGRAMS
Description of Circumstances
Recent inspections at power reactors have revealed breakdowns in
contamination control programs resulting in releases of radioactive
materials to the unrestricted area and off-site environment by several
different pathways.
The first pathway was via disposal of supposedly clean trash in the nearby
county sanitary landfill. High background radiation levels due to an onsite
buildup of radioactive waste precluded adequate radiation surveys of clean
trash prior to removal from the restricted area. In addition, the surveys
were being conducted by improperly trained personnel. The result was the
undetected disposal of radioactive material in the local sanitary landfill.
An NRC inspector observed the practice and confirmed his suspicions when he
detected levels of radiation 10 to 20 times normal background levels at the
landfill. Subsequent surveys by the licensee, the State, and the NRC
revealed several other areas in the landfill with higher than normal dose
rates. Excavation by the licensee revealed items with contamination levels
up to 100 mrem/hr contact reading. These items had been delivered with the
clean trash from the plant and buried at the landfill.
A second pathway was identified to be through the sale by the licensee of
scrap materials to salvage dealers in the surrounding area. Several items
with contamination levels in excess of the licensee's unrestricted area
release limits were discovered to have been sold to these vendors. Maximum
dose rates on these items did not exceed 1.0 mrem/hr. This condition
evidently also resulted from the elevated background radiation levels within
the plant and the practice of permitting unqualified personnel to conduct
radiation surveys.
A third pathway was found during a recent NRC inspection. An NRC inspector's
radiation survey revealed soil contamination on site extending beyond the
protected area fence. Radiation levels as high as 1.5 mrem/hr were measured
on contact with the soil. The contamination is believed to be atmospheric
fallout of particulate radioactivity which was exhausted from the plant
stack during containment purge following explosive plugging of steam
generator tubes. The steam generator manways were not covered and the purge
system was not equipped with HEPA filters. The licensee's survey program did
not include routine, periodic site and perimeter surveys.
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Information Notice No. 80-22 May 28, 1980
Page 2 of 2
This Information Notice No. is provided as an early notification of a
significant matter that is still under review by the NRC staff. It is
expected that recipients will review the information for possible
applicability to their facilities. No specific action or response is
requested at this time. If NRC evaluations so indicate, further licensee
actions may be required.
No written response to this Information Notice No. is required. If you have
any questions regarding this matter, please contact the Director of the
appropriate NRC Regional Office.
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