| U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center Event Reports For
09/16/2005 - 09/19/2005 ** EVENT NUMBERS ** |
 | General Information or Other | Event Number: 41985 | Rep Org: CALIFORNIA RADIATION CONTROL PRGM
Licensee: MATT FALKE
Region: 4
City: TURLOCK State: CA
County:
License #: 06021
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: EDWARD GLOOR
HQ OPS Officer: ARLON COSTA | Notification Date: 09/13/2005
Notification Time: 13:20 [ET]
Event Date: 09/11/2005
Event Time: [PDT]
Last Update Date: 09/13/2005 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
MIKE RUNYAN (R4)
GREG MORELL (NMSS)
CNSNS- MEX (Email) ()
| Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE
The State provided the following information via facsimile:
"Matt Falke notified Office of Emergency Services on Sunday 9-11-05 of the theft of his Soil Moisture Density Gauge from a secured container located in the bed of his truck parked in the driveway of his home. Matt Falke thought he had called RHB [Radiological Health Branch] but in fact was speaking with OES who transferred him [to] the DHS Duty Officer of the day. Bill Potter of OES sent RHB actual notification on Monday, Sept 12 of the event. Local police and Modesto and Sacramento FBI field offices have been notified. The device has been identified as a CPN 503DR Hydroprobe containing 50 mCi of AmBe241 [Americium-241-beryllium] with a serial number H33024767. Matt Falke is checking the local Flea Market today to see if the item will be offered for sale and is putting a reward offer in the local newspaper."
Less than the quantity of an IAEA Category 3 source. Sources that are 'Less than IAEA Category 3 sources,' are either sources that are very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury. For some of these sources, such as moisture density gauges or thickness gauges that are IAEA Category 4, the amount of unshielded radioactive material, if not safely managed or securely protected, could possibly - although it is unlikely - temporarily injure someone who handled it or were otherwise in contact with it, or who were close to it for a period of many weeks. |
| General Information or Other | Event Number: 41986 | Rep Org: COLORADO DEPT OF HEALTH
Licensee: MIDWEST INSPECTION SERVICES
Region: 4
City: BRIGHTON State: CO
County:
License #: 902-01
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: T G BONZER
HQ OPS Officer: ARLON COSTA | Notification Date: 09/13/2005
Notification Time: 18:07 [ET]
Event Date: 09/12/2005
Event Time: [MDT]
Last Update Date: 09/13/2005 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
MIKE RUNYAN (R4)
M. WAYNE HODGES (NMSS)
| Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - RADIOGRAPHY SOURCE DISCONNECT
The State provided the following information via facsimile:
"On 13 September 2005 at approximately 1:00 PM, I received telephone notification from David L. Ezzell, the Corporate RSO for Midwest Inspection Services, informing the Department of a source disconnect that occurred on 12 Sept 05. The source was a 33 Ci Ir-192 radiography source that was being used in Sterling Colorado. The radiography crew identified the source disconnect when approaching the end of the guide tube following a shot. The crew contacted their corporate RSO who proceeded to the location and retrieved the source at approximately 2:45 PM that day. Mr. Ezzell stated that there was no apparent reason for the disconnect and the examination of the connector portion of the pigtail (once the source was returned to the radiography exposure device) did not show damage. A written report providing a detailed description of the events and circumstances is to be submitted by Mr. Ezzell within the next few days." |
| General Information or Other | Event Number: 41988 | Rep Org: IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Licensee: MID-AMERICAN ENERGY COMPANY
Region: 3
City: SALIX State: IA
County:
License #: 0100-1-97-FG
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: DON FLATER
HQ OPS Officer: BILL HUFFMAN | Notification Date: 09/14/2005
Notification Time: 09:56 [ET]
Event Date: 08/07/2004
Event Time: [CDT]
Last Update Date: 09/14/2005 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
JULIO LARA (R3)
MICHELE BURGESS (NMSS)
| Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT INVOLVING FIRE DAMAGE TO GAUGE SOURCES
The State representative reported that a fire occurred at the Mid-America coal fired electrical power plant in Salix, Iowa on August 7, 2004. Two Thermo-Electron level and flow gauges used on the facility's coke tower were damaged by the fire. Each of the two gauges contained a 50 millicuries Cesium-137 sealed source. The facility RSO isolated access to the gauge location until they could be inspected by representatives of Thermo-electron. On August 11, 2004, Thermo-electron representatives arrived onsite and performed leak tests of the gauge sources. The sources were determined to be intact. Thermo-electron took possession of the gauges. The gauges have subsequently been repaired and returned to the licensee for reinstallation at its facility. It has been determined that no radiation was released as a result of this event.
The State has notified NRC Region 3 (Lynch) of this event. |
| General Information or Other | Event Number: 41989 | Rep Org: GEORGIA RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL PGM
Licensee: ACUREN INSPECTION
Region: 1
City: SAVANNAH State: GA
County:
License #: GA 1115-1
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: ELIZABETH DRINNON
HQ OPS Officer: STEVE SANDIN | Notification Date: 09/14/2005
Notification Time: 10:30 [ET]
Event Date: 09/13/2005
Event Time: 16:00 [EDT]
Last Update Date: 09/15/2005 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
JAMES TRAPP (R1)
TRISH HOLAHAN (NMSS)
TIM MCGINTY (IRD)
BENJAMIN SANDLER (TAS)
| Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT INVOLVING A STOLEN/RECOVERED INDUSTRIAL RADIOGRAPHY CAMERA
At 1600 EDT on 9/13/05 an Acuren Inspection vehicle was discovered missing from their satellite office located in Augusta, GA. The vehicle contained a TechOps industrial radiography camera, model and serial number unknown containing an Ir-192 source (source strength not available at time of the report). The vehicle was recovered four (4) hours later at 2000 EDT by law enforcement. The individual believed responsible for the theft, an employee, was arrested at 0300 EDT on 9/14. The corporate RSO (Radiation Safety Officer) is enroute to Augusta to examine the recovered vehicle and radiography camera. The State of Georgia will update this report as additional information becomes available.
* * * UPDATE ON 09/15/05 @ 1525 FROM ELIZABETH DRINNON TO CHAUNCEY GOULD * * *
The model of the camera is AEA 660B serial # B2655. The source model AEA 424-9 serial number 21291B, containing iridium 192. The strength of the source at the time of the theft was 18.5 curies.
Notified Reg 1 RDO (Trapp), NMSS EO (Hodges), IRD (Wilson), TAS (English), TAS(Sandler), and DHS (Cartledge)
IAEA Category 3 sources, if not safely managed or securely protected, could cause permanent injury to a person who handled them, or were otherwise in contact with them, for some hours. It could possibly - although it is unlikely - be fatal to be close to this amount of unshielded radioactive material for a period of days to weeks. These sources are typically used in practices such as fixed industrial gauges involving high activity sources (for example, level gauges, dredger gauges, conveyor gauges and spinning pipe gauges) and well logging. |
| General Information or Other | Event Number: 41990 | Rep Org: NC DIV OF RADIATION PROTECTION
Licensee: DUPONT FLUOROPRODUCTS
Region: 1
City: FAYETTVILLE State: NC
County:
License #:
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: LEE COX
HQ OPS Officer: ARLON COSTA | Notification Date: 09/14/2005
Notification Time: 12:30 [ET]
Event Date: 06/01/2005
Event Time: [EDT]
Last Update Date: 09/14/2005 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
JAMES TRAPP (R1)
GREG MORELL (NMSS)
| Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - TRITIUM SOURCES DISPOSED AT LANDFILL
Nineteen Tritium Exit Signs were inadvertently disposed in Robeson County Landfill in St. Pauls, North Carolina in mid June 2005, totaling 403 Curies of Tritium gas (H-3). The incident location is at 22828 NC Way 87 W. Fayetteville, NC. 28306-7332. A survey of the landfill has not yet been performed and there are no significant exposure hazards. No one has been injured by the event. (NC Incident No.05-32).
Less than the quantity of an IAEA Category 3 source. Sources that are 'Less than IAEA Category 3 sources,' are either sources that are very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury. These are IAEA Category 5 sources and are not dangerous: No one could be permanently injured by this amount of radioactive material. |
| General Information or Other | Event Number: 41994 | Rep Org: WA DIVISION OF RADIATION PROTECTION
Licensee: CARDINAL HEALTH 414, INC.
Region: 4
City: FIFE State: WA
County:
License #: WN-NP005-1
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: ARDEN C SCROGGS
HQ OPS Officer: ARLON COSTA | Notification Date: 09/14/2005
Notification Time: 13:18 [ET]
Event Date: 08/15/2005
Event Time: [PDT]
Last Update Date: 09/14/2005 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
MIKE RUNYAN (R4)
M. WAYNE HODGES (NMSS)
| Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOSS OF CASE CONTAINING TECHNETIUM-99m
The licensee provided the following information via email:
"A customer of Cardinal Health called Cardinal on Tuesday, 16 August 2005, to inform Cardinal that they had not received part of their nuclear medicine order for Monday, 15 August. Only one of the two cases ordered had been delivered. The missing case contained 6 doses of diagnostic technetium-99m (a maximum total activity of 9.36 Megabecquerels [253 millicuries] as of ~ 06:30 am on 15 August). Cardinal Health indicates the doses were prepared early the morning of 15 August. The driver who delivered to the customer location on 15 August stated that only one case had been picked up from the pharmacy for that customer. Survey of delivery vehicle confirmed absence of missing radioactive material. The customer is sure that they did not receive the shipment. ORP performed a Cardinal facility site investigation on 19 August. Cardinal Health has not yet been able to explain what actually happened. Cardinal Health and ORP continue to investigate the event (Event Report # WA-05-047)."
Less than the quantity of an IAEA Category 3 source. Sources that are 'Less than IAEA Category 3 sources,' are either sources that are very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury.
For some of these sources, such as moisture density gauges or thickness gauges that are IAEA Category 4, the amount of unshielded radioactive material, if not safely managed or securely protected, could possibly - although it is unlikely - temporarily injure someone who handled it or were otherwise in contact with it, or who were close to it for a period of many weeks. |
| Power Reactor | Event Number: 41997 | Facility: BROWNS FERRY
Region: 2 State: AL
Unit: [ ] [ ] [3]
RX Type: [1] GE-4,[2] GE-4,[3] GE-4
NRC Notified By: MIKE MORROW
HQ OPS Officer: BILL GOTT | Notification Date: 09/17/2005
Notification Time: 16:07 [ET]
Event Date: 09/17/2005
Event Time: 11:29 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 09/17/2005 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
50.72(b)(2)(iv)(B) - RPS ACTUATION - CRITICAL
50.72(b)(3)(iv)(A) - VALID SPECIF SYS ACTUATION
| Person (Organization):
JOEL MUNDAY (R2)
|
| Unit | SCRAM Code | RX CRIT | Initial PWR | Initial RX Mode | Current PWR | Current RX Mode | | 3 | A/R | Y | 74 | Power Operation | 0 | Hot Shutdown | Event Text REACTOR SCRAM DUE TO MAINTENANCE
"On 09/17/2005 at 1129 CDT, Browns Ferry Unit 3 reactor automatically scrammed due to the trip of the main generator turbine on low main condenser vacuum. Prior to the trip, the unit was operating at reduced power (74 percent) and maintenance was in progress to repair in place a secondary plant moisture separator level control valve. This maintenance activity resulted in the low condenser vacuum condition.
"Plant response to the scram was as expected. Post-scram transient RPV low water level caused a valid automatic initiation of primary containment isolation (PCIS) valves group 2 (containment sumps and shutdown cooling valves), group 3 (reactor water cleanup system), group 6 (ventilation systems, including initiation of standby gas treatment and control room emergency ventilation systems), and group 8 (traversing in-core probe system).
"This event is reportable to the NRC via ENS within four hours under 10CFR50.72(b)(2)(iv)(B) (RPS actuation while critical), and within eight hours under 10CFR50.72(b)(3)(iv)(A) (RPS and containment isolation actuation)."
Browns Ferry Unit 2 was not affected. The reactor shutdown and all control rods fully inserted. Condenser vacuum has been restored and decay heat is being removed using the bypass valves. |
| Fuel Cycle Facility | Event Number: 41998 | Facility: FRAMATOME ANP RICHLAND
RX Type: URANIUM FUEL FABRICATION
Comments: LEU CONVERSION
FABRICATION & SCRAP RECOVERY
COMMERCIAL LWR FUEL
Region: 2
City: RICHLAND State: WA
County: BENTON
License #: SNM-1227
Agreement: Y
Docket: 07001257
NRC Notified By: BOB LINK
HQ OPS Officer: BILL HUFFMAN | Notification Date: 09/18/2005
Notification Time: 23:49 [ET]
Event Date: 09/18/2005
Event Time: [PDT]
Last Update Date: 09/19/2005 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
70.50(b)(1) - UNPLANNED CONTAMINATION
| Person (Organization):
JOEL MUNDAY (R2)
| Event Text CONTAMINATION EVENT IN UNCONTROLLED AREA
The licensee observed a puddle of water on a blacktop surface in an area outside the Uranium Oxide (UO2) building under conditions where no water would ordinarily be expected. The puddle was characterized as about 4 feet by 8 feet in size. The area was barricaded and samples were taken for analysis. The sample analysis has still not been completed, however, the puddle has evaporated and radiological survey of the blacktop area with a GM tube type probe indicated an on-contact radiological contamination count rate of 4000 CPM (counts per minute). The licensee has covered the blacktop surface with a tarpaulin now that the area is dry and a decontamination plan is under development.
The location of the contamination is within the facility's security zone that is not a contamination-controlled area. There was no release or potential of release outside the facility. There was no personnel contamination associated with this event. The licensee believes the contamination is from Uranium but is still awaiting lab results. The source of the contamination is still unknown. The license was performing fire protection deluge testing at approximately the time the puddle was discovered but the connection between this testing and the generation of the contaminated water is not known.
The licensee plans to contact the Region. | |