Information Notice 1993-07, Classification of Transportation Emergencies
UNITED STATESNUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONOFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDSWASHINGTON, D.C. 20555February 1, 1993NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 93-07: CLASSIFICATION OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCIES
Addressees
All Licensees required to have an emergency plan.
Purpose
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is issuing this information notice toalert licensees of a recent incident where the classification of atransportation accident was confusing and misleading. It is expected thatlicensees will review this information for applicability to their licensedactivities and consider actions, as appropriate, to avoid similar problems.However, suggestions contained in this notice do not constitute any new NRCrequirements, and no written response is required.
Description of Circumstances
On December 16, 1991, a truck carrying unirradiated (fresh) nuclear fuel wasinvolved in an accident in Massachusetts. The fuel was being shipped from afuel fabrication plant in North Carolina, to a reactor in Vermont. The fuelshipment consisted of 24 fresh fuel assemblies, packaged 2 each, in 12shipping containers.As a result of the accident, the truck and shipping containers carrying the.fresh fuel were engulfed in a fire that lasted for almost 3 hours3.472222e-5 days <br />8.333333e-4 hours <br />4.960317e-6 weeks <br />1.1415e-6 months <br />. Theshipper declared a "Site Emergency" and responded in accordance with itsemergency plan. Despite the collision and subsequent fire, there were nodeaths nor serious injuries. However, the accident did result in substantialproperty loss, which included the truck, shipping containers, and damaged fuelassemblies.After the incident, NRC staff reviewed the emergency response measures taken.The results were reported in NUREG-1458, "Emergency Response to a HighwayAccident in Springfield, Massachusetts, on December 16, 1991." This reportconcluded that the shipper's classification "is confusing since it does nothave the same meaning as a site emergency for a fixed facility. Considerationshould be given to developing a standard classification for transportationevents that has its own terminology."Discussionr The emergency classifications defined in 10 CFR Parts 30, 40, 50, and 70 areintended for emergencies at a fixed site (i.e., the licensee's facility).When a Notification Of Unusual Event (NOUE), Alert, or Site Area Emergency isdeclared, the licensee is required to immediately notify offsite response9301260032 PJD --a I cE <oi 9 o 2°ame -//cd IN 93-07February 1, 1993 agencies responsible for taking actions to protect the public within a fewmiles of the licensee's facility. Declaring an NOUE, Alert, or Site AreaEmergency for a transportation accident tens or hundreds of miles away from alicensee's facility causes unnecessary confusion among offsite responseagencies.After considering the need to develop a standard classification fortransportation events, the staff concluded that a rulemaking to establish anadditional emergency classification was not warranted. Most transportationaccidents are reported by licensees that are not required by regulation tohave an emergency plan. The cause of the confusion in the Springfieldaccident was the classification of an offsite emergency using the schemeestablished in the regulations for an onsite emergency. Only licenseesrequired to have an emergency plan would tend to use this classificationscheme. Therefore the staff believes that making licensees with emergencyplans aware of the potential for confusion and having NRC licensing staffdetermine how transportation accidents are classified in future reviews ofemergency plans is sufficient to address this problem.Licensees required to maintain an emergency plan may want to review theiremergency classification procedures and consider the need to establish aseparate classification (e.g., transportation emergency) for offsitetransportation accidents that require activation of the licensee's emergencyorganization._This information notice requires no specific action or written response. Ifyou have any questions about the information in this notice, please contactthe technical contact listed below or the appropriate regional office.Richard E. Cunningham, DirectorDivision of Industrial andMedical Nuclear SafetyOffice of Nuclear Material Safetyand SafeguardsTechnical contact: Kevin M. Ramsey, NMSS(301) 504-2534
Attachments:
1. List of Recently Issued NMSS Information Notices2. List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices Attachment 1IN 93-07February 1, 1993 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUEDNMSS INFORMATION NOTICESInformation rDate ofNotice No. Subject Issuance Issued to93-0593-0493-03Locking of RadiographyExposure DevicesInvestigation and Re-porting of Misadministra-tions by the RadiationSafety OfficerRecent Revision to10 CFR Part 20 andChange of Implementa-tion Date toJanuary 1, 1994Release of PatientsTreated with TemporaryImplantsEmployee Trainingand Shipper Registra-tion Requirements forTransporting RadioactiveMaterials01/14/9301/07/9301/05/9312/17/9210/18/92All Nuclear RegulatoryCommission industrialradiography licensees.All U.S. Nuclear RegulatoryCommission medicallicensees.All byproduct, source, andspecial nuclear materiallicensees.All Nuclear Regulatory Com-mission Medical Licensees.All U.S. Nuclear RegulatoryCommission Licensees.92-8492-7292-62Emergency ResponseInformation Require-ments for RadioactiveMaterial Shipments08/24/92All U.S. Nuclear RegulatoryCommission Licensees.92-5892-38Uranium HexafluorideCylinders -Deviationsin Coupling WeldsImplementation Date forthe Revision to the EPAManual of ProtectiveAction Guides and Pro-tective Actions forNuclear Incidents08/12/9205/12/92All fuel cycle licensees.All holders of OLs or CPsfor nuclear power reactors,non-power reactors andmaterials licensees author-ized to possess largequantities of radioactivemateria IAttachment 2IN 93-07February 1. 1993Page I of ILIST OF RECENTLY ISSUEDNRC INFORMATION NOTICES))Information Date ofNotice No. Subject Issuance Issued to93-06 Potential Bypass Leak- 01/22/93 All holders of OLs or CPsage Paths Around Filters for nuclear power reactors.Installed In VentilationSystems93-05 Locking of Radiography 01/14/93 All Nuclear RegulatoryExposure Devices Coimission Industrialradiography licensees.93-04 Investigation and Re- 01/07/93 All U.S. Nuclear Regulatoryporting of Nisadministra- Comnission medicaltions by the Radiation licensees.Safety Officer93-03 Recent Revision to 01/05/93 All byproduct, source, and10 CFR Part 20 and special nuclear materialChange of Implementa- licensees.tion Date toJanuary 1, 199493-02 Malfunction of A Pres- 01/04/93 All holders of OLs or CPssurizer Code Safety for nuclear power reactors.Valve93-01 Accuracy of Motor- 01/04/93 All holders of OLs or CPsOperated Valve Diagnostic for nuclear power reactors.Equipment Manufacturesby Liberty Technologies92-86 Unexpected Restriction 12/24/92 All holders of OLs or CPsto Thermal Growth of for nuclear power reactors.Reactor Coolant Piping92-85 Potential Failures of 12/23/92 All holders of OLs or CPsEmergency Core Cooling for nuclear power reactors.Systems Caused byForeign Material Blockage92-84 Release of Patients 12/17/92 All Nuclear RegulatoryTreated with Temporary Commission Medical LicenseesImplantsOL -Operating LicenseCP -Construction Permit2tO(OcOuW 0w Ot o 0 L'i C3 0a: aI- 0Z I..-az.J <8rco-C"C20 oMiA. III
<j -IN 93-07February 1, 1993 agencies responsible for taking actions to protect the public within a fewmiles of the licensee's facility. Declaring an NOUE, Alert, or Site AreaEmergency for a transportation accident tens or hundreds of miles away from alicensee's facility causes unnecessary confusion among offsite responseagencies.After considering the need to develop a standard classification fortransportation events, the staff concluded that a rulemaking to establish anadditional emergency classification was not warranted. Most transportationaccidents are reported by licensees that are not required by regulation tohave an emergency plan. The cause of the confusion in the Springfieldaccident was the classification of an offsite emergency using the schemeestablished in the regulations for an onsite emergency. Only licenseesrequired to have an emergency plan would tend to use this classificationscheme. Therefore the staff believes that making licensees with emergencyplans aware of the potential for confusion and having NRC licensing staffdetermine how transportation accidents are classified in future reviews ofemergency plans is sufficient to address this problem.Licensees required to maintain an emergency plan may want to review theiremergency classification procedures and consider the need to establish aseparate classification (e.g., transportation emergency) for offsitetransportation accidents that require activation of the licensee's emergencyorganization.This information notice requires no specific action or written response. Ifyou have any questions about the information in this notice, please contactthe technical contact listed below or the appropriate regional office.Richard E. Cunningham, DirectorDivision of Industrial andMedical Nuclear SafetyOffice of Nuclear Material Safetyand SafeguardsTechnical contact: Kevin M. Ramsey, NMSS(301) 504-2534
Attachments:
1. List of Recently Issued NMSS Information Notices2. List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices* See Previous ConcurrenceOFC IMOB* I NMSS* I N IMOB* I E IMOB*lNAME KRamsey/kr/ll EKraus GPangburn FCombsDATE I 11/19/92 I 11/20/92 1 11/19/92 I 11/19/92-_ _ _ _ _ __. _ _ _ _ _I_ _OFC SGTB* I N NRR* I N IMNS* IMNS INAME CMacDonald RErickson JGreeves RECunninghamDATE 11/25/92 11/25/92 11/24/92 01/19/93 /92OFFICIAL RECORD COPY: 93-07.IN IN 92-K.- '- December , 1992Page 2 ofagencies responsible for taking actions to protect the public within a fewmiles of the licensee's facility. Declaring an NOUE, Alert, or Site AreaEmergency for a transportation accident tens or hundreds of miles away from alicensee's facility causes unnecessary confusion among offsite responseagencies.After considering the need to develop a standard classification fortransportation events, the staff concluded that a rulemaking to establish anadditional emergency classification was not warranted. Most transportationaccidents ire reported by licensees that are not required by regulation tohave an emer ency plan. The cause of the confusion in the Springfieldaccident was he classification of an offsite emergency using the schemeestablished in he regulations for an onsite emergency. Only licenseesrequired to have an emergency plan would tend to use this classificationscheme. Therefor the staff believes that making licensees with emergencyplans aware of the otential for confusion and having NRC licensing staffdetermine how transp rtation accidents are classified in future reviews ofemergency plans is su ficient to address this problem.Licensees required to ma taip an emergency plan may want to review theiremergency classification procedures and consider the need to establish aseparate classification (e4i, transportation emergency) for offsitetransportation accidents that require activation of the licensee's emergencyorganization.This information notice requires ho specific action or written response. Ifyou have any questions about the ioi rmation in this notice, please contactthe technical contact listed below o t ppropriate regional office.Richard E. nningham, DirectorDivision of industrial andMedical Nuclear SafetyOffice of Nuclear;,Material Safetyand Safeguards a
Technical Contact:
Kevin M. Ramsey, NMSS(301) 504-2534
Attachments:
1. List of Recently Issued NMSS Information Notices2. List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices* See Previous ConcurrenceOFC IMOB* I E NMSS* I N IMOB* I E IMOB*NAME KRamsey/kr/ll EKraus GPangburn FCombsnATF I 11119/92 I 11/20/92 I 11/19/92 I 11/19/92OFC STB* I N -RR* I N -MN l I _NAME CMcDonald RErickson JGreeves Cunni amDATE 11/25/92 11/25/92 11/24/92 O/11f19Z _ _ / /92_o _ Airn a eav~m at. un 1avinL: LUVLK Lt WILK & LNL.L. n; fu V UvrOFFICIAL RECORD COPY: G:INTRANS.KMR IN 92-November , 1992Page 2 ofDeclaring an NOUE, Alert, or Site Area Emergency for a transportation ac denttens or hundreds of miles away from a licensee's facility causes unnec saryconfusion among offsite response agencies. Licensees required to mai ain anemergency plan may want to review their emergency classification pr eduresand consider the need to establish a separate classification (e.gtransportation emergency) for offsite transportation accidents at requireactivation of the licensee's emergency organization.This information notice requires no specific action or wri en response. Ifyou have any questions about the information in this not e, please contactthe technical contact listed below or the appropriate r gional office.Richard E. Cunni am, DirectorDivision of Ind strial andMedical Nuc ar SafetyOffice of N ear Material Safetyand Safe ards
Technical Contact:
Kevin M. Ramsey, MSS(301) 504-2534
Attachments:
1. List of Recently Issued SS Information Notices2. List of Recently I ssued C Information NoticesOFC I Id__1__INS__I u rNAME IK emseyr/ m l EKraus fO >0 Il~~glr%DATE I/i If- /92 1 it 1AW92 1 ii,/il9,- , __ .' , -I- * -- ** Al__ 11OFC BIw, Al NRR& I l__ _s_ IL IMNS INAME /CM___ _naId RErf son eeves RECunninghamDATE 1 I /z5/92 I If t/92 1 9t//92 / /92 / /92r. ratr I. in r -r -r ** *l iL: LUVLK L: LUVLK & MLr. N: NU LUVYOFFICIAL RECORD COPY: G:INTRANS.KMR