Event Notification Report for December 12, 2018

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center

Event Reports For
12/11/2018 - 12/12/2018

** EVENT NUMBERS **


53768 53769 53770 53773 53774 53786 53788

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Agreement State Event Number: 53768
Rep Org: ILLINOIS EMERGENCY MGMT. AGENCY
Licensee: KINNEY CONTRACTORS, INC.
Region: 3
City: RAYMOND   State: IL
County:
License #: IL-02082-01
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: GARY FORSEE
HQ OPS Officer: BETHANY CECERE
Notification Date: 12/03/2018
Notification Time: 14:20 [ET]
Event Date: 12/01/2018
Event Time: 00:00 [CST]
Last Update Date: 12/03/2018
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
Person (Organization):
PATRICIA PELKE (R3DO)
DENNIS ALLSTON (ILTAB)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)
This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material.

Event Text

LOST THEN FOUND TROXLER MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE

The following was received from the State of Illinois by email:

"The licensee contacted the agency on 12/1/18 at approximately 1800 [CST] to report that a tornado had struck their portable gauge storage location at 1615 [CST]. Licensee was unable to locate the gauge at the time of the call. Agency inspectors arrived at the location at 1945 [CST] and began surveys. The Troxler gauge was located in its transport case beneath the rubble of the destroyed building. The following morning, an excavator was utilized to remove the debris and gain access to the gauge. Both the gauge and the transport case were undamaged. The gauge was secured by two physical barriers in another building on site. Leak tests will be taken the week of 12/3/18 and the gauge is removed from service until leak test results are received. The licensee will be submitting an amendment request for a new storage location. Pending no further developments, this matter is considered closed."

IL Event Item Number: IL180040

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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Non-Agreement State Event Number: 53769
Rep Org: TRACERCO
Licensee: TRACERCO
Region: 4
City: PASADENA   State: TX
County:
License #: 0728386-01
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: MONTY POPE
HQ OPS Officer: ANDREW WAUGH
Notification Date: 12/03/2018
Notification Time: 16:06 [ET]
Event Date: 12/02/2018
Event Time: 00:00 [CST]
Last Update Date: 12/03/2018
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
20.2201(a)(1)(ii) - LOST/STOLEN LNM>10X
Person (Organization):
VINCENT GADDY (R4DO)
DENNIS ALLSTON (ILTAB)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)
CNSNS (MEXICO) (EMAIL)
This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material.

Event Text

LOST SOURCE

A pipeline pig was being used to clean out a pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico. The pipeline pig was lost out of the receiver as it was being brought up from the depth. The pig had an attached source so it could be tracked while in the pipeline. The pig and the source are believed to have dropped to the sea floor, a depth of 7,000 feet. Efforts to recover the source have been abandoned.

The source is Ta-182 with an activity of 6.24 mCi.

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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Agreement State Event Number: 53770
Rep Org: CALIFORNIA RADIATION CONTROL PRGM
Licensee: PEI INVESTMENTS, INC., DBA PAVEMENT ENGINEERING, INC.
Region: 4
City: REDDING   State: CA
County:
License #: 4977-45
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: K. ARUNIKA HEWADIKARAM
HQ OPS Officer: BETHANY CECERE
Notification Date: 12/03/2018
Notification Time: 16:28 [ET]
Event Date: 12/03/2018
Event Time: 00:00 [PST]
Last Update Date: 12/03/2018
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
Person (Organization):
VINCENT GADDY (R4DO)
DENNIS ALLSTON (ILTAB)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)
CNSNS (MEXICO) (EMAIL)
This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material.

Event Text

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN DENSITY GAUGE

The following was received from the State of California by email:

"On 12/03/18, the RSO [Radiation Safety Officer] contacted CA Office of Emergency Services (OES) to report a stolen density gauge. The gauge involved is a Troxler Model 4640-B, S/N 1292, containing 9 mCi of Cs-137 (thin lift asphalt density gauge). The parked vehicle [in San Francisco, CA] was broken into and the gauge was stolen during overnight hours. According to the RSO, at the time of the theft, the gauge was locked inside a Type A container with additional locks securing the gauge to the vehicle. The gauge user was enroute to a field job in the area near Quality Inn where the theft occurred.

"The RSO has immediately notified South San Francisco Police Department of the theft (Report # 18-7086). Licensee will be posting a reward for safe return of the gauge. RHB [CA Department of Public Health - Radiologic Health Branch] will be following up on this investigation."

5010 Number: 120318

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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Agreement State Event Number: 53773
Rep Org: MARYLAND DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Licensee: KIM ENGINEERING
Region: 1
City: BELTSVILLE   State: MD
County:
License #: MD-31-275-01
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: ALAN GOLDEY
HQ OPS Officer: JOANNA BRIDGE
Notification Date: 12/04/2018
Notification Time: 15:53 [ET]
Event Date: 11/29/2018
Event Time: 00:00 [EST]
Last Update Date: 12/06/2018
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
Person (Organization):
CHRISTOPHER LALLY (R1DO)
ADAM TUCKER (ILTAB)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)
This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material.

Event Text

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - THEFT AND RECOVERY OF MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE

The following was received from the Maryland Department of the Environment via phone:

"On November 29, 2018, at approximately 2230 EST, an unidentified citizen contacted the Prince William, VA police department stating they observed a suspicious person throw a yellow box out of their vehicle and then exit the commuter parking lot at 12745 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, VA 22192. The response was coordinated by the Virginia Emergency Response Center and Hazardous Materials Office. The responding officer located the yellow case having a radiation warning label affixed and his PRD [Personal Radiation Detector] [indicated that] a radiation source [was] present. The Virginia Department of Fire and Rescue, Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Emergency Management, Virginia State Police, and the FBI responded.

"Spectral analysis identified Cs-137 with readings of approximately 1.5 mR/hr on contact with the case; typical for a Troxler gauge. The outside lock on the case was cut; a Troxler 3430 gauge with shipping papers were present. The trigger lock was in place. The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) did not have the facilities or capability to take possession of the gauge. The gauge was secured in the Hazardous Materials officer's (HMO) vehicle until other arrangements could be made.

"On November 30, 2018, at approximately 0930 EST, VDH contacted the lead Prince William County HMO and was told that there was information contained in the shipping container with the gauge that identified the owner. VDH received that information at approximately 1000 EST and determined the owner of the gauge to be a Maryland licensee [Kim Engineering]. At approximately 1020 EST, the Director of the Virginia Radioactive Materials Program contacted the Maryland Radiological Health Program (RHP) concerning a recovery of a Troxler gauge at a Virginia Department of Transportation park-and-ride. The device was identified as a model 3430, S/N 67880 having an 8 mCi Cs-137 source (5/14/2013), S/N 77-12674, and a [40mCi] Am-241/Be source, S/N 78-8664. The device was last leak tested on 6/22/2018. An official of the Maryland RHP volunteered to drive to Prince William County, VA to retrieve the gauge. Arrangements were [made with] the Maryland official to meet with the Prince William County HMO. At approximately 1315 EST, the State of Maryland official contacted the VDH to confirm transfer of possession of the Troxler gauge to transport it back to Maryland. The Maryland official informed VDH that the licensee notified RHP that someone had stolen a Troxler gauge from the licensee. Maryland agreed to notify the US NRC Operations Center of this incident.

"Maryland has scheduled a reactive inspection of the licensee to determine the root cause of the loss or theft."

* * * UPDATE AT 1337 ON 12/06/2018 FROM ALAN GOLDEY TO JEFF HERRERA * * *

The following is a summary of the additional information was provided by the Maryland Department of the Environment via email:

The activity for the Am/Be source, Serial Number: 78-8664, was tested on 6/22/2018 and was less than 185 Bq (0.005 microCuries).

Notified R1DO (Lally), ILTAB (Allston - via email), NMSS_events (via email).

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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Agreement State Event Number: 53774
Rep Org: GEORGIA RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL PGM
Licensee: NORTHSIDE HOSPITAL
Region: 1
City: ATLANTA   State: GA
County:
License #: GA 39-1
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: LESLINES LEVEQUE
HQ OPS Officer: ANDREW WAUGH
Notification Date: 12/04/2018
Notification Time: 16:06 [ET]
Event Date: 12/04/2018
Event Time: 00:00 [EST]
Last Update Date: 12/04/2018
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
Person (Organization):
CHRISTOPHER LALLY (R1DO)
EDWARD HARVEY (NMSS DAY)
PATRICIA MILLIGAN (INES)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)

Event Text

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE EXCEEDING REGULATORY LIMITS

The following information was received from the State of Georgia via email:

"In accordance with Georgia Rule Chapter 391-3-17-.03-15(b)(3)(ii) [the licensee is notifying the Georgia Radioactive Material Program] of a potential extremity exposure exceeding regulatory limits to an occupational worker at Northside Hospital Atlanta. The timeline and circumstances are as follows:

"Northside Hospital received notification from Landauer ([the licensee's] personnel dosimetry vendor) on November 2, 2018, concerning an excessive reading of 58,748 millirem to an extremity dosimeter issued to [an employee] in Nuclear Medicine.

"[The licensee's] RSO immediately initiated an investigation which included a personal interview with the employee which resulted in the employee remembering the potential contamination of their ring dosimeter with a radiopharmaceutical as they were handling and injecting a patient dose during the period of use for that dosimeter; however, he was unsure as to the actual presence of contamination on the ring itself.

"The RSO assured the employee of the lack of any untoward effects but asked him for a follow-up for any skin effects that may have presented. Also it was noted that the whole body dosimeter during the same period showed only 25-30 millirem exposure.

"Based on this incident, there will be a renewed emphasis for all Nuclear Medicine Technologists that in the event of potential contamination to themselves and particularly to any personnel dosimeter, an immediate investigation by [the licensee's] RSO will be initiated and a report filed with [the licensee's] Radiation Safety Committee."

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Power Reactor Event Number: 53786
Facility: SALEM
Region: 1     State: NJ
Unit: [] [2] []
RX Type: [1] W-4-LP,[2] W-4-LP
NRC Notified By: MATT MOG
HQ OPS Officer: JOANNA BRIDGE
Notification Date: 12/11/2018
Notification Time: 15:09 [ET]
Event Date: 10/15/2018
Event Time: 00:00 [EDT]
Last Update Date: 12/11/2018
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
50.73(a)(1) - INVALID SPECIF SYSTEM ACTUATION
Person (Organization):
RAY MCKINLEY (R1DO)
Unit SCRAM Code RX Crit Initial PWR Initial RX Mode Current PWR Current RX Mode
2 N N 0 Refueling 0 Refueling

Event Text

INVALID AUXILIARY FEEDWATER PUMP ACTUATION

"This 60-day telephone notification is being made in accordance with the reporting requirements of 10 CFR 50.73(a)(2)(iv)(A).

"The successful, complete train actuation of the 22 Auxiliary Feedwater Pump was initiated by an invalid signal during testing.

"The Auxiliary Feedwater System was not impacted in its ability to perform its function.

"There were no safety consequences or impacts to the health and safety of the public as a result of this event.

"The NRC Resident Inspector has been notified."

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Power Reactor Event Number: 53788
Facility: GRAND GULF
Region: 4     State: MS
Unit: [1] [] []
RX Type: [1] GE-6
NRC Notified By: GERRY ELLIS
HQ OPS Officer: JOANNA BRIDGE
Notification Date: 12/12/2018
Notification Time: 17:29 [ET]
Event Date: 12/12/2018
Event Time: 00:00 [CST]
Last Update Date: 12/14/2018
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
50.72(b)(2)(iv)(A) - ECCS INJECTION
50.72(b)(2)(iv)(B) - RPS ACTUATION - CRITICAL
50.72(b)(3)(iv)(A) - VALID SPECIF SYS ACTUATION
Person (Organization):
NICK TAYLOR (R4DO)
Unit SCRAM Code RX Crit Initial PWR Initial RX Mode Current PWR Current RX Mode
1 M/R Y 100 Power Operation 0 Hot Shutdown

Event Text

MANUAL REACTOR SCRAM DUE TO FAILED OPEN TURBINE BYPASS VALVE

"At 1351 CST, the reactor was manually shutdown due to 'A' Turbine Bypass Valve opening. The Main Steam Line Isolation Valves were manually closed to facilitate reactor pressure control. Reactor level is being maintained through the use of Reactor Core Isolation Cooling System, Control Rod Drive System, and High Pressure Core Spray System. High Pressure Core Spray System was manually started to initially support reactor water level control. Reactor Pressure is being controlled through the use of the Safety Relief Valves and the Reactor Core Isolation Cooling System. The plant is stable in MODE 3.

"The cause of the 'A' Turbine Bypass Valve opening is under investigation at this time.

"The NRC Resident Inspector has been notified."

* * * UPDATE ON 12/14/18 AT 1140 EST FROM GERRY ELLIS TO TOM KENDZIA * * *

"This is an update to EN # 53788 to correct an error on the event classification block of the form. The original notification did not have the block for 8 hour notification for Specified System Actuation checked. The actuation of Reactor Core Isolation Cooling System was discussed in original notification."

The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.

Notified R4DO (Taylor).

Page Last Reviewed/Updated Thursday, March 25, 2021