Protecting People and the EnvironmentUNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
SSINS No: 6835
IN 86-32
PRIORITY ATTENTION REQUESTED
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
WASHINGTON, DC 20555
May 2, 1986
Information Notice No. NO 86-32: REQUEST FOR COLLECTION OF LICENSEE
RADIOACTIVITY MEASUREMENTS ATTRIBUTED TO
THE CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR PLANT ACCIDENT
Addressees:
All nuclear power reactor facility licensees holding an operating license
(OL) or construction permit (CP)
Purpose:
The purpose of this information notice is to update licensees of the recent
Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident and to request voluntary reporting of
any licensee environmental radioactivity measurement data probably caused by
that event
In order to enhance the Federal and state monitoring programs, all nuclear
power reactor facilities with on-going environmental monitoring programs are
requested to consider the NRC request to report confirmed anomalous
environmental radioactivity measurements probably caused by radioactive
material released in the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in
the USSR It is requested that recipients review the attached information
and provide the environmental data discussed herein
Description of Circumstances:
Information issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concerning
the recent reactor accident in Chernobyl, USSR is contained in Attachments
1, 2 and 3
In the week following the accident at Chernobyl, elevated levels of
radioactivity have been detected in air, rainwater, soil and food in many
European countries The radionuclides that have been detected in air in
these countries include: I-131, Cs-137, Cs-134, Te-132, Ru-103, Mo-99,
Np-239, and Nb-95 Although estimates of plume arrival time and location of
entry into the continental United States are highly uncertain at this time,
the plume may arrive in the Pacific Northwest United States during May 7-10,
1986
Discussion:
It appears likely that radioactive material from the Chernobyl accident may
arrive within the continental US in concentrations that are readily
detectable In order to enhance nationwide environmental surveillance, the
EPA (and some states) have increased the airborne monitoring sampling
frequencies to be better able to detect any traces of the plume In order to
supplement and reinforce this state and federal nationwide surveillance
program, the NRC licensees [as
IN 86-32
May 2, 1986
Page 2 of 2
part of their routine Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP)] are requested
to voluntarily provide the following information:
1 Report to the NRC any anomalous environmental radiation or
radioactivity measurement that can be reasonably assumed to have
resulted from the Chernobyl accident These confirmed measurement
results from the licensee's routine EMP should be telephonically
reported to the NRC Operations Center (301-951-0550) within 24 hours of
determining that material from the accident has been measured
(Environment air sampling probably is the most sensitive and thus most
likely means of detecting the airborne materials Some other
less-sensitive potential means of detection may include personnel whole
body counting equipment)
The reporting format should provide for:
1 Sample date(s) and approximate locations(s)
2 Medium or pathway (eg, air particulate, air charcoal, milk)
3 Type of analysis (eg, gross beta, iodine-131, other gamma emitter)
4 Statistical data (mean, range, number of samples)
Any data provided by NRC licensees will be shared with appropriate federal
agencies The NRC as part a combined Interagency Task Force is providing
daily technical information reports to the Institute for Nuclear Power
Operations (INPO) This updated technical information is available to member
utilities through INPO's Nuclear Network system Because the sensitivity and
broad scope of existing licensee programs, augmentation of the NRC licensee
EMPs is not necessary
Any anomalous detection of radioactive material should be evaluated in
accordance with facility license, technical specifications and applicable
regulations to assure that the detected materials are properly identified as
to source (eg, either plant operations or the Chernobyl Event)
We appreciate your cooperation with us on this matter If you have any
questions regarding this matter, please contact the Regional Administrator
of the appropriate NRC regional office, or this office
Edward L Jordan, Director
Division of Emergency Preparedness
and Engineering Response
Office of Inspection and Enforcement
Technical Contacts: James E Wigginton, IE
(301) 492-4967
Roger L Pedersen, IE
(301) 492-9425
Attachments:
1 EPA Task Force Report (May 1, 1986)
2 Talking Points (April 30, 1986)
3 Fact Sheet (May 2, 1986)
4 List of Recently Issued IE Information Notices
Attachment 1
IN 86-32
May 2, 1986
EPA Soviet Nuclear
Accident
FOR RELEASE: 2:00 PM, THURSDAY, MAY 1, 1986
A Task Force Report
CONTACT: DAVE COHEN
(202) 382-4355
On Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency, which maintains the
nation's radiation monitoring network, increased its sampling frequency for
airborne radioactivity to daily Results obtained thus far show no increase
in radioactivity above normal background levels The Canadian air
monitoring network has also increased its sampling frequency to daily
Results there show no increase in radioactivity
The air mass containing the radioactivity from the initial Chernobyl
nuclear event is now widely dispersed throughout northern Europe and Polar
regions Portions of radioactivity off the northwest Norwegian coast
yesterday morning should continue to disperse with possible movement toward
the east in the next several days Other portions of the radioactive air
mass may move eastward through the Soviet Union and through the Polar
regions over the coming week
The Soviets have reported they have smothered the fire From our
information it is not clear whether the fire is out or not We also cannot
confirm news reports of damage at a second reactor, but the second hot spot
seen in the LANDSAT photos is not a reactor
The US government has offered to provide technical assistance to the
Soviet Government to deal with the accident On Wednesday afternoon, a
senior Soviet official from their Embassy in Washington delivered a note to
the Department of State expressing appreciation for our offer of assistance
and stating that for the time being, assistance is not needed
At the present time, the U S Government has no data on radiation
levels or contamination levels at any location within the Soviet Union We
also have no firm information concerning the number of casualties from the
accident
(more)
-2-
The Department of State is not advising against travel to the Soviet
Union, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe As a result of the nuclear accidents,
the State Department has issued a travel advisory recommending against
travel to Kiev and adjacent areas We are largely dependent on the Soviets
for information on conditions within the USSR and we are doing everything
possible to obtain relevant information from Soviet authorities Americans
planning travel to the Soviet Union and adjacent countries should carefully
monitor press reports on this rapidly changing situation to make as fully
informed a decision as possible with respect to their travel plans They
should bear in mind that many of these countries have reported increased
levels of radiation in the environment
The State Department Office of Legislative Affairs has commented that
customary international law requires the Soviet Union to notify other
States/Countries of the possibility of transboundary effects of the incident
and to furnish them with the information necessary to address those effects
The White House has established an Interagency Task Force to coordinate
the Government's response to the nuclear reactor accident in Chernobyl The
Task Force is under the direction of Lee M Thomas, Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency, with representatives from the White House,
Department of State, EPA, Department of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US Air Force,
Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, Federal Emergency
Management Agency, Department of Interior, Federal Aviation Administration,
the US Public Health Service, and other agencies
# # #
Attachment 2
IN 86-32
May 2, 1986
TALKING POINTS
CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR ACCIDENT
April 30, 1986
o Late Friday, April 25, or early Saturday, April 26, a serious
accident occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear facility near Kiev in the Soviet
Union As a result of an apparent loss of reactor coolant, the facility
experienced a core meltdown, explosion, and fire Causes of the accident
are not known
o The explosion and resulting fire released a plume of radioactive
materials to the atmosphere So long as the reactor core fire continues,
radioactive gases will be given off
o The facility involved is a graphite-moderated, boiling-water-cooled,
pressure-tube unit It is one of four such units at Chernobyl To our
knowledge, only this one unit, known as Unit #4, is involved in the
accident
o The initial plume traveled in a northwest direction toward
Scandanavia Predictions now suggest it will move in an eastward direction
Radiation levels above normal background have been detected in Scandanavian
countries However, these levels pose no significant risk to human health
or the environment
o The US government has made an offer of technical assistance to the
Soviets This good faith offer was made out of genuine concern for the
health and safety of the Soviet people The Soviet government responded
April 30 that no foreign assistance is needed
o We have also requested specific information on the accident To
date, we have not received a full response to that request This is also a
matter of great concern to the United States
o The radiation plume emitted as a result of the Chernobyl accident
will disperse over time throughout the Northern Hemisphere Eventually,
some radioactive contamination will reach the United States However, based
on the limited information we now have, there is no reason to believe that
levels reaching this country will pose any significant risk to human health
or the environment Please see the accompanying fact sheet on radiation
health effects for basic information on exposure
o It is very unlikely that any significant amounts of radiation from
the accident will reach the US during the next few days The
Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Radiation Ambient Monitoring
System --ERAMS -- is conducting daily sampling throughout the nation In
addition to ambient air, the system also monitors radiation levels in
drinking water, surface water, and milk
o The White House has established an interagency task force to monitor
the health, safety and environmental consequences of the Chernobyl accident
The task force is chaired by Lee Thomas, Administrator of the US
Environmental Protection Agency Members represent the following federal
agencies: EPA, DOE, NRC, NOAA, HHS, USDA, DOD, DOT and others On a daily
basis, the task force compiles, evaluates, and widely distributes current
technical information on the Chernobyl accident and its environmental and
health consequences
Attachment 3
IN 86-31
May 2, 1986
Fact Sheet-Chernobyl
SOVIET NUCLEAR
ACCIDENT
FOR RELEASE: 2:00 P M, FRIDAY, MAY 2, 1986
CONTACT: DAVE COHEN (202) 382-4355
Radiation monitoring networks in the United States and Canada are
continuing to analyze for airborne radioactivity daily No increases in
radioactivity above normal background levels have been detected in either
country Canadian officials intend to increase the sampling frequency of
their milk monitoring network, which consists of 16 stations near population
centers in southern Canada, to weekly beginning next week
It is believed that air containing radioactivity now covers much of
Europe and a large part of the Soviet Union The distribution of
radioactivity is likely to be patchy Air containing radioactivity detected
by aircraft at 5000 feet about 400 miles west of northern Norway is believed
to have moved westward and now appears to be heading south or southeastward
perhaps to return to western Europe There is no independent confirmation of
the radioactivity in the air moving eastward across Asia
(A weather map should be attached to today's Task Force Report If you
do not have a copy, it can be picked up in the EPA press office, room 311,
West Tower, 401 M St, SW (202) 382-4355)
Environmental monitoring data have been provided by the Swedish
government for the Stockholm area for April 28-30 Extrapolations of those
data suggest that radiation exposure levels at the Chernobyl site would have
been in a range from 20 rem to hundreds of rem whole-body for the two-day
period over which most of the radiation release probably took place
Radiation doses for the thyroid gland have been estimated to be in a range
from 200 rem to thousands of rem for the same period These doses are
sufficient to produce severe physical trauma including death It should be
emphasized that these are estimates subject to considerable uncertainty The
US has as yet no information from the Soviet Union as to actual radiation
levels experienced at the accident site
-2-
The Soviets have reported they have smothered the fire We still cannot
confirm that the reactor fire in unit 4 has been extinguished There is
evidence that the reactor or associated equipment continues to smolder We
also cannot confirm news reports of damage at a second reactor, but the
second hot spot seen in the LANDSAT photos is not a reactor
Based on the fact that no harmful levels of radioactivity are expected
to reach the continental United States, it is highly unlikely that potassium
iodide (KI) will be needed to minimize the uptake of radioactive iodine from
the Russian nuclear power plant accident KI, although relatively harmless,
has been associated with certain allergic reactions; thus, since the use of
KI is not without some risk to the population, the US Public Health
Service recommends against taking KI as a precautionary measure Federal
authorities do not believe there is any reason for concern at this time
about the safety of either our domestic food or drug supplies Nor should
there be concern over imported products already in the United States or on
their way to the United States at the time of the nuclear accident in the
Soviet Union
The State Department is continuing efforts to obtain relevant
information from Soviet authorities on the nuclear accident and the
potential health dangers that might be posed to individuals in the Soviet
Union and adjacent countries State has noted, for example, recent
statements issued by Polish authorities concerning public health
precautionary measures
The State Department is seeking more information from all the
governments in the region The US is sending experts to potentially
affected areas for medical consultation and to provide relevant expertise on
which to make appropriate recommendations with regard to the health of
American citizens
With the limited data at hand, the Departments of State and Health and
Human Services have issued an advisory against travel to Kiev and adjacent
areas To minimize possible exposure to radioactive contamination, we also
suggest that those in Eastern Europe avoid milk and other dairy products In
addition, State is recommending that women of child-bearing age and children
should not travel to Poland until the situation is clarified
The State Department is receiving reports from our European embassies,
based on their discussions with local officials, as to the impact of the
accident and local reactions to it We are still not receiving the necessary
technical information from the Soviets on the details of the accident
-3-
The White House has established an Interagency Task Force to coordinate
the Government's response to the nuclear reactor accident in Chernobyl The
Task Force is under the direction of Lee M Thomas, Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency, with representatives from the White House,
Department of State, EPA, Department of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US Air Force,
Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, Federal Emergency
Management Agency, Department of Interior, Federal Aviation Administration,
the US Public Health Service, and other agencies
# # #
PLEASE NOTE: THE EPA PRESS OFFICE WILL BE OPEN OVER THE WEEKEND FOR
UPDATING HOURS WILL BE FROM 10am TO 2PM 202-382-4355
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