Event Notification Report for November 22, 2006

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center

Event Reports For
11/21/2006 - 11/22/2006

** EVENT NUMBERS **


43002

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Power Reactor Event Number: 43002
Facility: WATTS BAR
Region: 2 State: TN
Unit: [1] [ ] [ ]
RX Type: [1] W-4-LP,[2] W-4-LP
NRC Notified By: BEN HUNT
HQ OPS Officer: JEFF ROTTON
Notification Date: 11/21/2006
Notification Time: 06:31 [ET]
Event Date: 11/21/2006
Event Time: 06:15 [EST]
Last Update Date: 11/21/2006
Emergency Class: UNUSUAL EVENT
10 CFR Section:
50.72(a) (1) (i) - EMERGENCY DECLARED
50.72(b)(2)(xi) - OFFSITE NOTIFICATION
Person (Organization):
ROBERT HAAG (R2)
JARED WERMIEL (NRR)
MELVYN LEACH (IRD)
CONSTANTOPOULOS (DHS)
MIKE LAFORTY (FEMA)

Unit SCRAM Code RX CRIT Initial PWR Initial RX Mode Current PWR Current RX Mode
1 N N 0 Cold Shutdown 0 Cold Shutdown

Event Text

UNUSUAL EVENT DECLARED DUE TO UNIDENTIFIED LEAKAGE

Licensee reported 20 GPM of unidentified leakage from indication of VCT lowering level. RCS pressure is 50 psig. Source of the leak has not been identified and it is not known at this time where the RCS leakage is going. All air and liquid releases are within specifications and no protective action recommendations are needed at this time.

The licensee has notified the State and Local emergency agencies. The licensee will notify the NRC Resident Inspector.

* * * UPDATE PROVIDED BY BEN HUNT TO JEFF ROTTON AT 0714 ON 11/21/06 * * *

Unidentified leakage is now calculated to be 2 GPM based on inventory balance using charging and letdown flow and VCT level. It is believed that the indication of a leak may be from an incomplete vacuum fill of the S/G after the S/G replacement modification and when the RCS was pressurized, the remaining voids in the S/Gs were filled. There has been no visible leakage found outside of the RCS.

Notified NRREO (Wermiel), R2DO (Haag), IRD Manager (Wilson / Leach).

* * * UPDATE AT 0756 ON 11/21/2006 FROM BEN HUNT TO MARK ABRAMOVITZ * * *

The licensee terminated the Unusual Event (UE) at 0737 due to indicated RCS leakage being less than 2 GPM. The site's emergency action criteria for a UE is 10 GPM unidentified leakage. No water has been found to have leaked outside the RCS.

The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.

Notified NRREO (Wermiel, Ross-Lee), R2DO (Haag), IRD Manager (Wilson, Leach), DHS SWO (Gray), FEMA (LaForty)

* * * UPDATE PROVIDED BY DOUG HOLT TO JEFF ROTTON AT 0959 ON 11/21/06 * * *

"The cause of the apparent leakage is under investigation by plant and TVA personnel. No actual leakage is believed to have transpired. Current plant conditions are stable."

The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.

Notified R2DO (Haag), NRREO (Ross-Lee), IRD Manager (Wilson)

* * * UPDATE AT 1215 EST ON 11/21/06 FROM DOUG HOLT TO S. SANDIN * * *

"As a result of the declaration of a Notification of Unusual Event earlier today relative to a suspected RCS leak, a News Release is being made. The purpose of the release is to clarify to local officials and residents the nature of the suspected leak and the actions taken by school officials. The cause of the suspected leak remains under investigation."

The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector. Notified R2DO (Haag).

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