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Wr; '1.?{'e3,p yogkp; iUNITE 3 STATESNUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION '.o. 'IREGION IVURANIUM RECOVFIELD OFFICEDENVER, COLORADO 80235.SEP 281989URFO:SRG;Docket No. 40-8768'SUA-1387-iMEMORANDUM FOR:Docket File No. 40-8768FROM:Scott R. Grace, Project ManagerSUBJECT:TRANSPORTATION ACCIDENT INVOLVING PRODUCTION SURGE TANK,'!BEING DELIVERED FROM THE BIS 0N BASIN SITE (DOCKETNO. 43-8926) TO SEQUOYAH FUELS PROJECTsDISCUSSION.Wednesday[On Wednesday, October 26, 1988, at approximately 1:00 p.m. , a truck carrying a12 X 30-foot f.iberglass production surge tank struck a railroad overpass onHighway 95, just north of Glenrock, Wyoming. A preliminary determination,4indicated that the main.cause of the accident was driver error. Thisconclusion was reached due to the fact that the driver was not on thedesignated route. . Although the Glenrock route was shorter, insufficientclearances were known to exist.The tank involved in the accident was one of approximately 16 tanks purchasedby.Sequoyah Fuels from an auction at Altair's Bison Basin solution mine'facil.ity.The staff in its preliminary investigation of the accident determined that the' tank-had been properly surveyed and released according to the requirements ofthe Altair License (SUA-1.396). Although openings to the tank were surveyed,ithe inside of the tank was not surveyed. Previously, the NRC staff hadi,;surveyed this tank at thu Bison Basin site with an external reading of 0 alphaIn addition to Altair's survey, the Radiation Safetyand 0.1 mR/hr gamma.Technician (RST) from.Sequoyah Fuels surveyed the tanks prior to shipment- Theresults of Sequoyah Fuels preshipment survey were (1) no removable alpha, (2)fixed alpha of 400 dpm per 100 cm2, and (3) direct gamma of 0.03 mR/hr.Sequoyah Fuels has been asked to submit a report (September 5, 1988) detailingthe surveys, as well as the accident and status of the tank. This report wasreceived October 7, 1988.4The tank was again surveyed at the Sequoyah Fuels facility upon its arrival.The direct gamma readings in the resurvey ranged from 0.058 to 0.062 mR/hr and891019o003 890928 8ADOCK 0400ggDR,,. . . .'

;,s. j.'.2SEP 281989averaged 0.06 mR/hr (reported to be higher than the preshipment survey as aresult of higher background at the Sequoyah Fuels facility). The direct alphareadings ranged from no detection to 328 dpm/100 cm2 and averaged205 dpm/100 cm2No removable alpha was detected. At approximately 3:30 p.m., on Wednesday, the RST surveyed the area of theaccident and found no radiation readings above background. Friday i, i On Friday, September 30, 1988, an unidentified person visited the Sheriff'soffice and suggested to the Undersheriff, Doug Pryor, that Sequoyah Fuels hadbeen involved in nighttime transportation of ra* sctive materials. He alsoindicated that one load had leaked a liquid subs ance, and that the Wednesdayaccident had contaminated the immediate area. (This person has not contactedNRC.) The Undersheriff and civil defense coordinator, Bill Mecham,investigated the accident site with a " training" radiological surveyinstrument. The area of the accident did not read above background. However,an area just south and north of the accident read above background on the" training" meter. They collected samples and returned to their offices where a"better" survey meter was located. The subsequent office survey of thecollected samples did not read above background. L i';iL'Julius Haes, Director of the Wyoming Department of Radiological HealthServices, was contacted by the Undersheriff. The samples were sent to him andhe said he would also investigate the accident scene.At approximately 3:30 p.m., Julius Haes contacted Ed Hawkins, URF0, andexplained the situation to him. Julius told Ed that he would survey the site.Saturday, October 1, 1988IJulius Hae

Julius Haes, Director of the Wyoming Department of Radiological Health L Services, was contacted by the Undersheriff. The samples were sent to him and he said he would also investigate the accident scene. i_ At approximately 3:30 p.m., Julius Haes contacted Ed Hawkins, URF0, and ' explain