| U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center Event Reports For
04/14/2005 - 04/15/2005 ** EVENT NUMBERS ** |
 | General Information or Other | Event Number: 41591 | Rep Org: MA RADIATION CONTROL PROGRAM
Licensee: AEA TECHNOLOGY QSA
Region: 1
City: BURLINGTON State: MA
County:
License #: 12-8361
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: ROBERT GALLAGHER
HQ OPS Officer: CHAUNCEY GOULD | Notification Date: 04/12/2005
Notification Time: 09:35 [ET]
Event Date: 04/08/2005
Event Time: 17:30 [EST]
Last Update Date: 04/12/2005 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
JOHN WHITE (R1)
MELVYN LEACH (NMSS)
RICHARD BORRI (NYC)
ED BAILEY/RAD CONT (CA)
RUSSELL TAKATA/ RAD (HI)
REBECCA NEASE (R4)
UNDINE SHOOP (EDO)
| Event Text TWO AMERICIUM-241 SOURCES BEING SHIPPED TO AUSTRALIA WERE REPORTED POTENTIALLY LOST
Report # MA050006
"AEA Technology QSA Inc is reporting a potentially lost radioactive material shipment. The shipment contains two Type A packages each containing a 1 Ci AmBe source US model number AMN. PE2. The source serial numbers are 1865NN and 1858NN.
"The sources were shipped from AEA Technology on 30 Mar 05 and were designated to leave on a flight to Australia on 2 Apr 05 with arrival scheduled on 5 Apr 2005. AEA was notified on 7 Apr 05 that the shipment had not arrived. The shipment was sent to Surtech Systems Pty Ltd, in Wangara Perth, WA 6055 Australia.
"Indication from the airline (Qantas) in New York (JFK) that the packages were on the plane, however the airline in Perth cannot confirm that [they] have the packages.
"Discussions with the carrier and freight forwarders indicate that they have so far been unsuccessful in locating the packages. A conference call is currently being arranged between all parties to try and locate the packages."
The sources were finally found today (04/12/04) at a Qantas airlines facility in Melbourne, Australia. |
| General Information or Other | Event Number: 41599 | Rep Org: THERMO ELECTRON CORPORATION
Licensee: THERMO ELECTRON CORPORATION
Region: 4
City: HOUSTON State: TX
County:
License #:
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: BARRY NICHOLSON
HQ OPS Officer: MIKE RIPLEY | Notification Date: 04/14/2005
Notification Time: 17:24 [ET]
Event Date: 04/07/2005
Event Time: [CST]
Last Update Date: 04/14/2005 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
21.21 - UNSPECIFIED PARAGRAPH
| Person (Organization):
REBECCA NEASE (R4)
JOHN WHITE (R1)
PAUL FREDRICKSON (R2)
| Event Text PART 21 NOTIFICATION - THERMO ELECTRON DATA ACQUISITION RECORDERS
The following information was provided by the manufacturer via facsimile:
On April 7, 2005, Thermo Electron engineers determined that the potential exists that the nuclear safety-related series of paperless data acquisition recorders (SV10C, SV18C and SV28C series recorders) may exhibit failure to start up due to a deficiency in a power supply module. Cycling of power to the recorder may be required to ensure the boot up sequence of the recorder. The power supply module is a commercial grade dedicated item.
Thermo Electron has determined that the cause of the anomaly is the rise time variation of the installed commercial power supply module. The module is a generic switching power supply used in a multitude of commercial applications. This module is mounted on a power supply carrier printed circuit assembly (PCA).
This anomaly only occurs when a recorder has been turned off and then restarted. Should the recorder fail to boot up, the anomaly can be corrected by cycling power to the recorder until the recorder re-boots. This startup failure may occur on recorder units where the power supply carrier PCA contains a power supply module that does not have a Made in the USA mark. Recorder units that utilize a power supply carrier PCA containing a power supply module labeled with Made in USA do not exhibit the anomaly and are not the subject of this notification.
There have been no failures reported in any nuclear safety-related applications of SV10C, SV18C or SV28C recorders. Should the failure occur, it is detectable and will not cause the recorder to present or record any erroneous data.
Thermo Electron engineers have redesigned the power supply carrier PCA to accommodate a wider variation in rise times associated with the power supply modules manufactured in the US, China or India as described above. Affected PCA part numbers are CB100492, CB100505, CB100511 and CB100531 which have a power supply module that does not have a Made in USA mark.
While there have been no failures reported of recorders in nuclear safety-related applications, as a precaution, Thermo Electron is recommending the replacement of any affected PCA as previously noted with a redesigned PCA for recorders which are used as the primary instrument for recording or reporting critical data and/or functions; are not backed up by a UPS system; and contain the affected PCA.
Nuclear utilities that have purchased nuclear safety-related SV10C, SV18C or SV28C recorders potentially affected by this notification (listed individually by Part/Serial Number in the notification):
Tennessee Valley Authority - Watts Bar Nuclear Plant
First Energy Corporation - Beaver Valley Power Station
Duke Energy Corporation - McGuire Site
Tennessee Valley Authority - Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant
Entergy Operations - River Bend
Progress Energy CP&L - Brunswick Nuclear Plant |
| Power Reactor | Event Number: 41600 | Facility: PILGRIM
Region: 1 State: MA
Unit: [1] [ ] [ ]
RX Type: [1] GE-3
NRC Notified By: JOHN TAYLOR
HQ OPS Officer: BILL GOTT | Notification Date: 04/14/2005
Notification Time: 17:49 [ET]
Event Date: 04/14/2005
Event Time: 10:30 [EST]
Last Update Date: 04/14/2005 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
26.73 - FITNESS FOR DUTY
| Person (Organization):
JOHN WHITE (R1)
|
| Unit | SCRAM Code | RX CRIT | Initial PWR | Initial RX Mode | Current PWR | Current RX Mode | | 1 | N | Y | 87 | Power Operation | 87 | Power Operation | Event Text FITNESS FOR DUTY
A contract employee had a positive test result for alcohol during a for-cause test. The employee's access to the plant was terminated. Contact the Headquarters Operations Officer for additional details.
The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector. | |