A railcar carrying low-level radioactive waste caught fire last week near Chicago, but contaminants do not appear to have escaped, according to an incident notice posted Friday by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The waste encompassed un-irradiated zirconium fuel cladding and additional waste material being shipped from Veolia subsidiary Alaron Nuclear Services in Pennsylvania to the Waste Control Specialists disposal facility in West Texas, according to the report filed with the NRC by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA).
The cause of the fire is believed to be a reaction between pyrophoric zirconium dust generated by friction during transport and nearby contaminated building debris and other “combustible waste,” the report says. Arson is not suspected.
The waste load encompassed 44 grams of special nuclear material, the state report says. The cladding had held enriched fuel, leaving 1.3 millicurie of uranium.
Additional information about the waste, including the current status of the shipment, was not immediately available. Veolia was still preparing responses to questions at deadline Friday for RadWaste Monitor. Waste Control Specialists did not respond to a query.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission largely deferred to the state of Illinois, which as an agreement state to the federal agency has assumed most regulatory authority for byproduct materials.
“The information available to the NRC shows no impact to the public,” NRC spokesman Scott Burnell said by email. “The radiological surveys of the air, the railcar and adjacent areas have not shown increased levels of radiation. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency staff is following up on the incident.”
The load of low-level waste was found to be smoldering at about 1 a.m. on June 4 at the Belt Railway Co. train switching facility in Bedford Park, Ill., roughly 20 miles outside of Chicago. By 3 a.m., about 10% of the railcar was on fire. About 1,000 gallons of water were poured on the railcar in an effort to douse the flames.
The burning railcar was delinked from another railcar carrying low-level radioactive waste, and the fire died out at around 6:30 a.m. under watch by Bedford Park fire and hazardous materials personnel. But soil was placed on the fiberglass top of the railcar after it appeared the fire was rekindling shortly after 8:30 a.m. When Illinois Emergency Management Agency personnel reached the site, “a small amount of smoke” was being emitted from the railcar, the report says.
“This was air sampled for any volatile radioactive contaminants by on site IEMA staff. Areas impacted by smoke, including adjacent cars, were wiped to check for surface contamination,” according to the state agency. ”On site measurements did not indicate any deviations from background and there is no indication that the radioactive material within the suspect load impacted personnel or the environment. Lab analyses will supplement this assessment.”
Environmental impacts from the incident are not anticipated, but modeling will be conducted, IEMA said.
Alaron, based in Wampum, Pa., provides nuclear services including decontamination, waste management, storage and special projects.
The Waste Control Specialists facility in Andrews County, Texas, is one of four commercial operations licensed for disposal of low-level waste.
