Headquarters Daily Report AUGUST 13, 1998 *************************************************************************** REPORT NEGATIVE NO INPUT ATTACHED INPUT RECEIVED RECEIVED HEADQUARTERS û REGION I û REGION II û REGION III û REGION IV û PRIORITY ATTENTION REQUIRED MORNING REPORT - HEADQUARTERS AUGUST 13, 1998 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Penn State MR Number: H-98-0123 Penn State Breazeale Reactor Date: 08/13/98 State College,Pennsylvania Dockets: 00050005 Subject: Environmental Release of Tritiated Water Reportable Event Number: 34636 Discussion: On August 12, 1998, the Pennsylvania State University informed the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation project manager and inspector of a release of tritiated water. The release of approximately 2,000 gallons of tritiated water was from an outside storage tank to the surrounding soil. The licensee reported that the concentration was about 5x10-5 microcuries/milliliter (which is below the 10 CFR Part 20, Appendix B, Table 2, water effluent release concentration of 1x10-3 microcuries/milliliter). Although the total amount of radioactivity release was also below the 10 CFR Part 20 Appendix C reporting criteria, the facility plans to issue a written report to the NRC within 10 days. The release was not to the sewer or to a drinking water supply, but was more than the Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standard concentration of 1x10-5 microcuries/milliliter (which corresponds to 4 millirems/year total effective dose equivalent). The licensee's Environmental and Health and Safety staff estimated, that if an individual member of the public drank only this water, the radiological dose would be approximately of normal yearly value. The Pennsylvania State University Environmental Health and Safety staff informed the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP). PADEP informed the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency who in turn notified NRC. By NRC procedures, NRC notified FEMA, DOE, USDA, EPA, HHS and DOT. Further, PADEP's Bureau of Radiation Protection plans to do an onsite evaluation on August 13, 1998. The licensee reported that they pumped the reactor pool water into the storage tank about a week before the incident. Daily verifications of water level in the tank had not shown any release of water from the tank. On the day that they returned the pool water to the pool, the daily verification seemed to show that the tank level was lower. On about August 12, the licensee verified the loss. In physically sluicing water to the drain line in the tank, the licensee noted corrosion and some "holes." The storage tank was last used approximately 15 months ago and before that it was last use 10 or so years ago. The licensee is evaluating potential previous releases. Based on discussions with the project manager and inspector, the reactor facility licensee plans to record the extent of the release as required by 10 CFR 50.75(g) for subsequent decommissioning evaluation, and inform the industry of lessons learned from this release. The NRC will follow up on this release during the next routine inspection. HEADQUARTERS MORNING REPORT PAGE 2 AUGUST 13, 1998 MR Number: H-98-0123 (cont.) Contact: M. Mendonca (301)415-1128 _ REGION III MORNING REPORT PAGE 2 AUGUST 13, 1998 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Radiopharmacy Incorporated MR Number: 3-98-0056 Date: 08/12/98 Paducah,Kentucky by telephone Subject: NONHAZARDOUS RADIOPHARMACY MATERIALS LOCATED AT ROADSIDE Discussion: On August 10, 1998, at 10:00 a.m. (CT) a law officer from the U.S. Forest Service-Southern Illinois office in Harrisburg, Illinois, discovered three ammo boxes from Radiopharmacy Incorporated containing a total of 17 syringes that were individually packaged in transport shields. The internal items were labeled with radiation caution symbols that were dated for April 30 and May 1, 1998. Two ammo boxes were for Harrisburg Hospital and one ammo box was for Marion Hospital, both located in southern Illinois. The outside surfaces of the ammo boxes were not labeled with DOT labels. The EPA completed radiation surveys of the items that confirmed no radioactivity was present and notified the law officer that no radiation hazard was evident. The law officer also contacted the Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety and the radiopharmacy and hospitals involved, and is conducting an investigation of a misdemeanor dumping charge. The containers will be released to the interested parties when the investigation is completed. Regional Action: Refer to RII and RIII Agreement State Officers for follow up with Kentucky and Illinois, respectively. Contact the law officer as to NRC disposition of this matter by this morning report. Contact: Thomas Young, RIII (630)829-9835 _