Information Notice No. 92-11: Soil and Water Contamination at Fuel Cycle Facilities
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555
February 5, 1992
NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 92-11: SOIL AND WATER CONTAMINATION AT FUEL
CYCLE FACILITIES
Addressees
All uranium fuel fabrication and conversion facilities.
Purpose
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this information
notice to inform uranium fuel fabrication and conversion facilities of
recent problems with solutions of uranium and other chemicals contaminating
the soil and ground water. It is expected that recipients will review the
information for applicability to their facilities and consider actions, as
appropriate, to avoid similar problems. However, suggestions contained in
this information notice are not new NRC requirements; therefore, no specific
action or written response is required.
Description of Circumstances
In August 1990, uranium-contaminated soil and water were noted during
excavation work near the solvent-extraction building at a fuel-conversion
facility. Further investigation determined that the floor and sump of the
solvent-extraction building were damaged, and solutions containing uranium
and chemical contaminants had leaked through the damaged floor and sump. As
a result of these findings, NRC issued an Order Modifying License, in which
the licensee was required to: (1) repair and ensure the integrity of the
floor and sump; (2) characterize and quantify the contaminants under the
building; (3) identify potential migration pathways; (4) examine present and
past monitoring-well data for evidence of contaminants; (5) determine
whether contaminants had been released beyond the restricted area; and (6)
develop a plan to identify and characterize other locations where past or
present operations could have resulted in contaminating the environment.
In November 1991, uranium and chemical contaminants were reported below the
main process building at a fuel-fabrication facility. After a spill of
approximately 200 gallons of nitric acid, the licensee noted damage to the
floor and determined that uranium and other chemical contaminants were in
the soil and surficial water aquifer. Presently, the licensee has removed
soil from an area of about 8 feet by 30 feet by 5 feet deep. In addition,
the licensee has installed a dewatering system at the interface between the
permeable and impermeable soil layers. Because of the geological formation,
the contaminants are not expected to have penetrated the impermeable soil
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layer. Because of this problem, the licensee has placed a portion of its
operations on standby.
In December 1991, at another fuel-fabrication facility, 5300 gallons of
liquid waste containing uranium and an ammonia compound leaked from an
underground plastic pipe when a coupling ruptured. This occurred during the
transfer of the waste from an onsite storage lagoon to the municipal sewer
system. The incident was detected when water was observed percolating up
from the soil in the vicinity of the discharge line. The licensee is taking
soil and ground-water samples to characterize and quantify the contaminants.
Discussion
The events described in this information notice emphasize the need for
uranium fuel-fabrication and conversion facilities to examine their floors,
sumps, and underground pipes, to prevent solutions containing uranium and
other chemical contaminants from leaking into and contaminating the soil and
water. In addition, operating practices should be reviewed to ensure that
the potential for leaks and spills is minimized.
This information notice requires no specific action or written response. If
you have any questions about the information in this notice, please contact
one of the technical contacts listed below, or the appropriate NRC regional
office.
Richard E. Cunningham, Director
Division of Industrial and
Medical Nuclear Safety
Office of Nuclear Material Safety
and Safeguards
Technical contacts: Edwin D. Flack, NMSS
(301) 504-2405
George Bidinger, NMSS
(301) 504-2683
Attachments:
1. List of Recently Issued NMSS Information Notices
2. List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
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