Envirocare cited for dumping N-waste prohibited in permit

Envirocare of Utah was cited but not fined for accepting 1,350 cubic feet of radioactive waste that was hotter than it is licensed to handle.

On Sept. 20, the Utah Division of Radiation Control issued Envirocare a notice of violation for accepting and disposing of class C radioactive wastes. Envirocare is licensed to accept only class A wastes, which consist of soils contaminated with radioactive byproducts left over from uranium mining.

Envirocare is seeking to modify its license so it can dispose of class B and C wastes, which include much more radioactive materials from decommissioned power plants, hospitals and research laboratories.

State regulators didn't impose a monetary fine because Envirocare identified the problem, which turned out to be the shipper's fault.

"We took into the situation the circumstances that the generator was the one who made the mistake," said Dane Finerfrock, a manager with the Division of Radiation Control.

Envirocare President Charles Judd said the fact Envirocare caught the problem means the system is working.

"Someone sent us something that was wrong. We caught it. At the same time the system does work," Judd said.

On March 20, Envirocare received waste from Nuclear Fuel Services (NFS), a waste-disposal firm with headquarters in Erwin, Tenn., that is cleaning up a U.S. Department of Energy site in Oakridge, Tenn.

NFS's radiation-control monitoring equipment had been incorrectly calibrated when it tested for shipment headed to Envirocare. About 49 containers of soils contaminated with radioactivity were shipped.

Envirocare took analytical samples from each container, then buried the waste at its low-level radioactive waste landfill in Tooele County about 80 miles west of Salt Lake City.

When the samples came back from the lab, Envirocare discovered that 16 of the containers had radioactive concentrations exceeding Envirocare's licensed levels. Envirocare then reported the problem to the state.

Envirocare may keep the wastes in its landfill because the radioactive concentrations, when averaged with the total shipment, fall within the concentration allowed for disposal.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is conducting an investigation of NFS.

---

E-MAIL: donna@desnews.com