The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said Monday that it had initiated a special inspection of the Columbia Generating Station near Richland, Washington, to investigate why a package sent to a U.S. Ecology disposal station 10 miles away was mislabeled with regards to the level of radioactivity.
The NRC said that when the package of contaminated filters arrived, it was found to have radiation levels seven times the level specified in the shipping manifest. The facility, which employs a General Electric Type 5 Boiling Water Reactor, is operated by Energy Northwest.
Workers at the disposal facility noted the discrepancy between measured dose rates and the shipping information. The package, the NRC noted, was rejected and sent back to the plant, where it is currently being stored.
The package was shipped on Nov. 9. The following day, the Washington State Department of Health notified plant officials that their disposal permit privileges to U.S. Ecology had been suspended and would remain so until a written plan containing corrective actions had been approved. An on-site inspection was also required for the suspended permit to be reinstated, the NRC said.
A three-member team of inspectors will spend about a week at the site evaluating the plant's shipping process and overseeing the corrective action plan.
NRC Region IV Administrator Kriss Kennedy noted there was “no undue risk to the public.” However, a transportation accident could have resulted in radiation exposure in excess of NRC regulator limits.
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