Event Notification Report for May 5, 2010

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center

Event Reports For
05/04/2010 - 05/05/2010

** EVENT NUMBERS **


45881 45885 45886 45887 45898 45900

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General Information or Other Event Number: 45881
Rep Org: NV DIV OF RAD HEALTH
Licensee: ROBINSON NEVADA MINING COMPANY
Region: 4
City: RUTH State: NV
County:
License #:
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: SNEHA RAVIKUMAR
HQ OPS Officer: PETE SNYDER
Notification Date: 04/29/2010
Notification Time: 16:31 [ET]
Event Date: 04/29/2010
Event Time: 07:45 [PDT]
Last Update Date: 04/29/2010
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
Person (Organization):
JEFF CLARK (R4DO)
JAMES DANNA (FSME)

Event Text

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - SHUTTER ON GAUGES FAILS TO FUNCTION

The following was received via email:

"While doing the shutter checks it was discovered that the shutters were inoperable on the following fixed gauges:

"Serial #1015GK, Cs-137, 50 mCi, Source holder SR-A, at the Pump House North Train;

"Serial #1017GK, Cs-137, 50 mCi, Source holder SR-A, at the Pump House Center Train.

"Density gauges are installed on the piping going to the tails impoundment. The pipes are in the pump house and are not readily accessible. [An] Ohmart representative will be there on 5/5/10 for the necessary repairs.

"All personnel have been briefed about the safety implications. The area has been cordoned off. No concerns of exposure to anyone. This is an ongoing investigation."

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General Information or Other Event Number: 45885
Rep Org: ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Licensee: SHAW ENVIRONMENTAL, INC
Region: 4
City: LITTLE ROCK State: AR
County:
License #: 20-31340-01
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: STEVE MACK
HQ OPS Officer: JOHN KNOKE
Notification Date: 04/30/2010
Notification Time: 17:33 [ET]
Event Date: 04/01/2010
Event Time: [CDT]
Last Update Date: 04/30/2010
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
Person (Organization):
JEFF CLARK (R4DO)
JAMES DANNA (FSME)

This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material.

Event Text

ARKANSAS AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - MISSING TRITIUM EXIT SIGNS

The following was received from the State via email:

"The Department [State] received notice on April 1, 2010 by telephone and a written report on April 30, 2010, from Shaw Environmental, Inc. of seven (7) missing Tritium (H-3) exit signs.

"The signs were purchased and installed in a military recruiting center, located on University Avenue in Little Rock, Arkansas. The recruiting center was located in a mall complex that had been demolished and removed for the construction of a new shopping center.

"The signs were installed sometime between March, 2004 and October, 2005. The signs are described as:

"Manufacturer: SRB Technologies
"Model: BetaLux-E
"Activity: 10 Curies each
"Serial numbers: 318671-318675 and 318887-318888 (7 signs total)"

THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "LESS THAN CAT 3" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL

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. Some of these sources, such as moisture density gauges or thickness gauges that are 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. For additional information go to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf

This source is not amongst those sources or devices identified by the IAEA Code of Conduct for the Safety & Security of Radioactive Sources to be of concern from a radiological standpoint. Therefore is it being categorized as a less than Category 3 source

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!!!!! THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED. THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED !!!!!
General Information or Other Event Number: 45886
Rep Org: TENNESSEE DIV OF RAD HEALTH
Licensee: ENERGY SOLUTIONS
Region: 1
City: OAK RIDGE State: TN
County:
License #:
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: BILLY FREEMAN
HQ OPS Officer: PETE SNYDER
Notification Date: 04/30/2010
Notification Time: 17:05 [ET]
Event Date: 04/30/2010
Event Time: 11:31 [EDT]
Last Update Date: 05/03/2010
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
Person (Organization):
JOHN ROGGE (R1DO)
JAMES DANNA (FSME)
TIM MCCARTIN (NMSS)
GERALD MCCOY (R2DO)

Event Text

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LEAKING SHIPPING CONTAINER IDENTIFIED AFTER SHIPMENT

Energy Solutions notified the State of Tennessee about a shipping container that was found leaking radioactively contaminated liquid at their site. The container was part of a shipment of two containers containing radwaste shipped to Energy Solutions from Areva in Lynchburg, VA. After the shipment arrived onsite the containers were stored on a slope in a holding area for about fourteen hours.

The State dispatched people to the site who conducted surveys. When the shipping container was opened a bag of freestanding liquid was found near the doors of the container inside. The liquid was surveyed and determined to contain Co-60 and Cs-137. Cs-137 was not manifested on the shipping manifest. The liquid's consistency was described as semi-viscous similar to hydraulic fluid.

The State surveyed the area from where the containers came into the site gate to the area where they were stored with floor monitors and did not find radioactive contamination. The trailer and surrounding area were also surveyed with no contamination found.

Tennessee contacted Areva - Lynchburg and was told that the shipping container that contained the leaking bag was stored for a long period of time on top of the other shipping container at Lynchburg. Tennessee representatives surveyed the top of the other shipping container but again no radioactive contamination was found.

* * * RETRACTION FROM BILLY FREEMAN TO ERIC SIMPSON AT 1354 ON 5/3/10 * * *

The State Radiation Health Department, upon consultation with Regional NRC representatives, has determined that this event does not meet the notification requirements of SA-300 and is retracting the event.

Notified R1DO (Cook), FSME DEO (McIntosh), NMSS EO (McCartin) and R2DO (Musser).

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General Information or Other Event Number: 45887
Rep Org: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Licensee: APEX GEOSCIENCE, INC
Region: 4
City: TYLER State: TX
County:
License #: 04929
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: ART TUCKER
HQ OPS Officer: JOHN KNOKE
Notification Date: 04/30/2010
Notification Time: 20:38 [ET]
Event Date: 04/30/2010
Event Time: [CDT]
Last Update Date: 04/30/2010
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
Person (Organization):
JEFF CLARK (R4DO)
JAMES DANNA (FSME)
ILTAB VIA (EMAI)
MEXICO VIA (FAX)

This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material.

Event Text

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN TROXLER GAUGE

The State provided this information via email:

"On April 30, 2010, at 1750 hours, the Agency [State] received a report from the licensee stating that a Troxler moisture/density gauge (Model 3430 - Serial # 31489) was missing from a construction site at 6185 Retail Road in Dallas, Texas. The gauge contains an 8 milliCuries Cesium (Cs) - 137 source serial # 750-6245, and a 40 milliCuries Americium - 241/Beryllium (Am\Be) source serial # 47- 5598.

"The license reported that the gauge user (worker) had used the gauge earlier in the day and had secured and locked it in their storage trailer at the site around 1300. The worker left the site around 1400 for his lunch break. The worker returned to the site around 1500, and around 1630 he returned to the storage trailer. At that time, he discovered the trailer lock and gauge were missing. The worker informed the Apex Project manager and the company service manager. The worker was instructed to conduct a thorough site search and contact all of their personnel with access to the site to see if they could determine the location of the gauge. After a thorough search and numerous telephone calls to various Apex personnel to make sure the gauge in fact was missing and not inadvertently picked up by another employee, the Corporate Radiation Safety Officer, Apex President, and this Agency was contacted to report the gauge missing.

"The licensee speculates that the gauge was stolen. They are not aware of any former employees who left under bad circumstances and would have reason to take the gauge as a prank or as a vehicle for reprisal against them. The licensee has spoken to others at the site and does not believe any one at the site is in possession of the gauge.

"The licensee has stated that they are considering a reward for the gauges' return."

Texas Incident Report # I-8738

THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "LESS THAN CAT 3" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL

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. Some of these sources, such as moisture density gauges or thickness gauges that are 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. For additional information go to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf

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Power Reactor Event Number: 45898
Facility: FT CALHOUN
Region: 4 State: NE
Unit: [1] [ ] [ ]
RX Type: [1] CE
NRC Notified By: NATHAN SEID
HQ OPS Officer: ERIC SIMPSON
Notification Date: 05/04/2010
Notification Time: 16:56 [ET]
Event Date: 05/04/2010
Event Time: 15:12 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 05/04/2010
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
OTHER UNSPEC REQMNT
Person (Organization):
THOMAS FARNHOLTZ (R4DO)
THEODORE QUAY (NRR)
BRIAN McDERMOTT (IRD)

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

DISCOVERY OF AFTER-THE- FACT EMERGENCY CONDITION - UNUSUAL EVENT DUE TO RCS LINEUP

"On 5/4/2010 at 15:12 CDT when attempting to flush CH-1A charging pump, a loss of charging flow occurred.
CH-193 discharge valve for CH-1A charging pump was found to be open. This resulted in a flow path to the auxiliary building sump tank when CH-356 charging pump CH-1A discharge drain valve to waste disposal system was opened. This resulted in an approximately 38 gpm leak from the reactor coolant system via letdown to waste. This leak was isolated within 1 minute."

The site entered and exited the conditions for NOUE before the shift manager was able to make an E-plan call. There are currently no emergency conditions on site and an NOUE was never declared. The reactor continued to operate at 100% power throughout the event. The cause of this event is believed to be a valve line-up error.

The NRC Resident Inspector has been notified. The site plans to notify the State of Nebraska. No other notifications are planned.

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Power Reactor Event Number: 45900
Facility: FERMI
Region: 3 State: MI
Unit: [2] [ ] [ ]
RX Type: [2] GE-4
NRC Notified By: GREG MILLER
HQ OPS Officer: MARK ABRAMOVITZ
Notification Date: 05/05/2010
Notification Time: 05:07 [ET]
Event Date: 05/05/2010
Event Time: 05:00 [EDT]
Last Update Date: 05/05/2010
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
50.72(b)(3)(xiii) - LOSS COMM/ASMT/RESPONSE
Person (Organization):
DAVE PASSEHL (R3DO)

Unit SCRAM Code RX CRIT Initial PWR Initial RX Mode Current PWR Current RX Mode
2 N Y 100 Power Operation 100 Power Operation

Event Text

TECHNICAL SUPPORT CENTER OUT OF SERVICE FOR PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

"On May 5, 2010, at 0500 hours EDT, Fermi 2 removed the Technical Support Center (TSC) from operation to facilitate routine preventive maintenance on the facilities' heating ventilation and air-conditioning system. During this work, which is expected to last approximately 12 hours, the TSC will be unavailable. In the event TSC activation is necessary, the Emergency Operations Facility (EOF) will be used for the TSC function. Activation and use of the EOF as a backup for the TSC is included in Fermi 2's Radiological Emergency Response Preparedness Plan. The Emergency Call Out System (ECOS) is designed to facilitate contacting TSC personnel to respond directly to the EOF in the event of an emergency. Fermi 2 is making this notification in accordance with 10 CFR 50.72(b)(3)(xiii). Fermi 2 will notify the NRC upon completion of this work. Fermi 2 has notified the NRC Resident Inspector."

Page Last Reviewed/Updated Wednesday, March 24, 2021