Protecting People and the EnvironmentUNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555
May 25, 1988
Information Notice No. 88-32: PROMPT REPORTING TO NRC OF SIGNIFICANT
INCIDENTS INVOLVING RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
Addressees:
All NRC material licensees.
Purpose:
This notice is to emphasize the importance of prompt reports to NRC of signi-
ficant incidents involving licensed radioactive materials, as required by 10
CFR Sections 20.402 and 20.403. It is expected that licensees will review
this notice, distribute it to responsible radiation safety staff, and consider
actions, as appropriate, to assure that NRC receives prompt notification of
such incidents. However, this information notice does not constitute new NRC
requirements, and no written response is required.
Description of Circumstances:
Title 10 CFR Sections 20.402 and 20.403 require certain incidents involving
licensed radioactive material to be promptly reported to NRC. The most
significant incidents must be reported immediately, and others must be
reported within 24 hours. The types of incidents to be reported are radiation
overexposures, excessive releases of radioactive material, loss of facility
operations exceeding one day, damage to property exceeding $2000, and loss or
theft of significant quantities of radioactive material.
One case involved a 1986 contamination incident at Wright-Patterson Air Force
Base in Ohio. Radiation workers in a radioactive waste storage building
opened a package containing americium-241, and inadvertently spread contami-
nation within the building. The event was not initially reported to the NRC.
When the licensee's staff initiated decontamination efforts, the contamination
got worse. The event was not reported to NRC for eight days, and the initial
report did not adequately describe the extent of the contamination. NRC was
not fully informed of the seriousness of the contamination until 27 days
later, when reports were received from third parties, and inspectors were
dispatched to the site. Clean-up efforts eventually required several weeks
and cost several hundred thousand dollars.
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May 25, 1988
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Other incidents which have not been promptly reported to the NRC have included
a serious fire which damaged a device containing radioactive material, and
losses of gauges containing radioactive material.
Discussion:
It is important that significant incidents involving licensed radioactive
material be promptly reported to NRC in accordance with 10 CFR Sections 20.402
and 20.403. Incidents should be reported to the NRC Operations Center, which
is staffed 24 hours-per-day, at telephone number 202-951-0550. It is
important that NRC receive such prompt notifications so that we can
immediately determine the need for appropriate emergency actions to protect
the public health and safety. Violations involving the failure to report
incidents promptly could result in escalated enforcement actions from NRC.
It is suggested that licensees carefully review the requirements of 10 CFR
Sections 20.402 and 20.403. In particular, incidents involving loss or theft
of radioactive materials, fires which damage devices containing radioactive
material, or contamination incidents which cause loss of use of facilities or
devices, or require expensive clean-up, should be promptly evaluated as to
whether they must be promptly reported to NRC.
In some cases, failure to report incidents to NRC may have been due to
licensees' misinterpretation of the requirements of 10 CFR Part 20. The NRC
staff is reviewing 10 CFR Sections 20.402 and 20.403, and will make clarifying
amendments as appropriate.
No written response is required by this notice. If you have any questions
regarding this information notice, please contact the appropriate NRC Regional
Office or this office.
Richard E. Cunningham, Director
Division of Industrial and
Medical Nuclear Safety
Office of Nuclear Material Safety
and Safeguards
Technical Contact: J. R. Metzger, NMSS
(301) 492-3424
Attachment: List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
. Attachment
IN 88-32
May 25, 1988
Page 1 of 1
LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED
NRC INFORMATION NOTICES
_____________________________________________________________________________
Information Date of
Notice No._____Subject_______________________Issuance_______Issued to________
88-31 Steam Generator Tube 5/25/88 All holders of OLs
Ruptube Analysis or CPs for
Deficiency Westinghouse and
Combustion
Engineering
designed nuclear
power plants.
88-30 Target Rock Two-Stage 5/25/88 All holders of OLs
SRV Setpoint Drift or CPs for nuclear
Update power reactors.
88-29 Deficiencies in Primary 5/24/88 All holders of OLs
Containment Low-Voltage or CPs for nuclear
Electrical Penetration power reactors.
Assemblies
88-28 Potential for Loss of 5/19/88 All holders of OLs
Post-LOCA Recirculation or CPs for nuclear
Capability Due to power reactors.
Insulation Debris Blockage
88-27 Deficient Electrical 5/18/88 All holders of OLs
Terminations Identified or CPs for nuclear
in Safety-Related power reactors.
Components
85-35, Failure of Air Check 5/17/88 All holders of OLs
Supplement 1 Valves to Seat or CPs for nuclear
power reactors.
88-26 Falsified Pre-Employment 5/16/88 All holders of OLs
Screening Records or CPs for nuclear
power reactors and
all major fuel
facility
licensees.
88-25 Minimum Edge Distance for 5/16/88 All holders of OLs
Expansion Anchor Bolts or CPs for nuclear
power reactors.
_____________________________________________________________________________
OL = Operating License
CP = Construction Permit
