U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Operations Center Event Reports For 04/24/2008 - 04/25/2008 ** EVENT NUMBERS ** | General Information or Other | Event Number: 44156 | Rep Org: WA DIVISION OF RADIATION PROTECTION Licensee: PERMA-FIX NORTHWEST RICHLAND, INC. Region: 4 City: RICHLAND State: WA County: License #: WN-I0393-1 Agreement: Y Docket: NRC Notified By: MIKEL ELSEN HQ OPS Officer: HOWIE CROUCH | Notification Date: 04/22/2008 Notification Time: 19:40 [ET] Event Date: 04/17/2008 Event Time: [PDT] Last Update Date: 04/22/2008 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: AGREEMENT STATE | Person (Organization): CHUCK CAIN (R4) KEVIN HSUEH (FSME) | Event Text WASHINGTON AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - EXTERNAL CONTAMINATION ON A TRANSPORT TRAILER The following information was received from the State of Washington via e-mail: "Tritium (H-3) contamination was found on a trailer in the outside storage area of Perma-Fix Northwest (PFNW), a radioactive material licensee in Richland Washington on April 17. A DOH inspector noticed liquid dripping from a trailer that had just been unloaded. The trailer had hauled empty radioactive waste drums from Atomic Energy Limited Canada (Chalk River facility in Ontario). The transport vehicle entered the United States at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan under an Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) import license and entered Washington at Spokane. The shipment had arrived at the PFNW facility in late February. It was manifested as a plastic fiber bag with drums inside. Initial surveys on February 28 noted tritium contamination inside the plastic fiber bag, but no contamination was noted outside the bag or on the trailer. Tritium was a primary radionuclide on the manifest. During off-loading of the drums and plastic liner on April 17, liquid was found in and on the drums (one drum is suspected of being at least partially filled with liquid). After off-loading, standing liquids were noticed by the licensee on the inside trailer bed, but not on the outer trailer floor and skin. After the truck was returned to the storage yard, liquid droplets were found dripping from the front of the trailer by the DOH inspector. Initial contamination levels (up to 1.8 million dpm of tritium) on the trailer front were substantially above the U.S. Dept of Transportation limits; but due to the limited quantity (less than one gallon of liquid), do not pose a health risk. There is no indication of leakage during the actual shipment. "The manifest indicated the total shipment contained H-3 (6.59 mCi) and Cs-137 (7.79 mCi) as the predominant radionuclides. Only tritium contamination has been noted." WA Report # WA-08-025 | Other Nuclear Material | Event Number: 44159 | Rep Org: 1 Licensee: LOUISIANA GLOBAL XRAY AND TESTING Region: 4 City: State: LA County: License #: LA-0577-L01 Agreement: Y Docket: NRC Notified By: WILLIAM JOHNSTON HQ OPS Officer: JOE O'HARA | Notification Date: 04/23/2008 Notification Time: 10:51 [ET] Event Date: 03/01/2008 Event Time: [CDT] Last Update Date: 04/23/2008 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: 20.2202(a)(1) - PERS OVEREXPOSURE/TEDE >= 25 REM | Person (Organization): CHUCK CAIN (R4) DUNCAN WHITE (FSME) | Event Text POTENTIAL OVEREXPOSURE GREATER THAN 1000 RADS Louisiana Global X-ray and Testing called to report a potential overexposure after consulting with Region IV. Apparently, Landauer notified them that a dosimetry badge worn by one of their employees in the month of March 2008 read greater than 1000 Rads. The licensee is launching an investigation as to where the potential overexposure may have occurred. The affected employee worked both in the State of Louisiana and offshore. The licensee notified Region IV (Leonard Wert) and the State of Louisiana. | Power Reactor | Event Number: 44163 | Facility: HOPE CREEK Region: 1 State: NJ Unit: [1] [ ] [ ] RX Type: [1] GE-4 NRC Notified By: TOM FOWLER HQ OPS Officer: JOHN KNOKE | Notification Date: 04/24/2008 Notification Time: 03:15 [ET] Event Date: 04/23/2008 Event Time: 23:58 [EDT] Last Update Date: 04/24/2008 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: 50.72(b)(2)(xi) - OFFSITE NOTIFICATION | Person (Organization): JOHN WHITE (R1) | Unit | SCRAM Code | RX CRIT | Initial PWR | Initial RX Mode | Current PWR | Current RX Mode | 1 | N | Y | 100 | Power Operation | 100 | Power Operation | Event Text HYDRAZINE LEAK INTO STORM DRAIN "At 2340 on 4/23/08 a leak was discovered on a house heating steam boiler that was secured and cooling down. The boiler had been secured at 1930 and there was no leakage noticed at that time. The leak was estimated at 2 gallons per minute. At 2358 it was discovered that this water had reached a storm drain on site. The water contained hydrazine at a concentration of 364 ppb. A 15 minute notification to the state of New Jersey was completed at 0012 in accordance with the plant's Event Classification Guide. Maintenance personnel called to the scene stopped the leak at 0019. Samples are in progress of the sites storm drain outfalls to determine the extent of the discharge. This report is made in accordance with RAL #11.8.2.a." The licensee will notify local township. The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector. | |