Event Notification Report for June 09, 2022

EN Revision Imported Date: 6/3/2022

EN Revision Text: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - DELIVERED SOURCE NOT SECURED

The following licensee provided information was forwarded from the Mississippi State Department of Health via email:

"A replacement Ir-192 source [(100 Ci)] was ordered from QSA Global on 3-24-22. QSA sent an `Advanced Shipping Notice' email after hours at 1800 CDT on 5-26-22. The source arrived the following day, Friday, 5-27-22. The source was delivered to the Shipping/Receiving dock (building 9145), operated by S3 [(Syncom Space Services)]. (Note: the standard practice is for the source to be delivered directly to the building where S3 licensed sources are secured.) The Receiving worker signed for the shipment at 1000 CDT on 5-27-22. The Receiving worker is not a radiation safety qualified employee. The RSO [(Radiation Safety Officer)], nor any other radiation safety qualified personnel were contacted upon delivery of source. The RSO was not at work on Friday, and unaware the source was being delivered that day. The source was in the Shipping/Receiving building (locked when personnel are not on site) until Tuesday morning, 5-31-22. Upon arrival to work at 0600 CDT Tuesday morning, the RSO read the email from QSA Global and checked the tracking information. At that time, he realized the source had been delivered. The RSO identified which Receiving worker signed for the source. Their shift starts at 0700 CDT. Upon their arrival, the RSO verified that the source was at the Shipping/Receiving building. The RSO immediately picked up the source and brought it to the secure vault. Management was then notified, and the investigation began.

The S3 Heath Physics Coordinator and RSO (with concurrence from NASA HP [(Health Physicist)]) concluded that no employee was exposed to an unallowable amount of radiation based on where the source was placed and its proximity to employees in the area. The investigation is ongoing to identify the process failures that lead to this incident. NASA has been notified and the incident has been entered into a formal tracking system."

UF6 LEAKAGE INSIDE AUTOCLAVE

The following information was provided by the licensee via email:

"The plant is in a safe configuration. On June 3, 2022, isolated pressure fall (IPF) and isolated pressure rise (IPR) tests were completed satisfactory on manifold 1. A satisfactory Item Relied on For Safety [IROFS] surveillance was completed for manifold 1 and 1003 Autoclave was placed in service. On June 7, 2022 during the disconnect of 1003 Autoclave, an Operator noticed a white/yellowish film on the hex nut of the manifold and the upper portion of the cylinder valve. The Operator surveyed the film and found 4,000 to 6,000 dpm alpha and beta contamination. Prior to opening the door of 1003 Autoclave, the internal atmosphere was sampled for hydrogen fluoride (HF). No HF was detected by HF monitor. 1003 Autoclave has been taken out of service. Autoclave sampling manifold 1 has been isolated and IROFS 28 declared INOPERABLE."

The following additional information was obtained from the licensee in accordance with Headquarters Operations Officers Report Guidance:
No employee exposures occurred. The leakage was contained inside the autoclave.

UNEXPECTED CONTAMINATION DISCOVERED IN URANIUM AUTOCLAVE

The following information was provided by the licensee via email:

"The plant is in a safe configuration.

"On June 7, 2022, while performing a disconnect on the 3LS1 autoclave, an Operator noticed a white/yellowish film on the hex nut of the manifold and the upper portion of the cylinder valve. The Operator surveyed the film and found 4,000 to 6,000 dpm alpha and beta contamination.

"The 3LS1 autoclave was posted as a Contamination Area at 0152 MDT on June 7th. Surveys of the cylinder and manifold were 1,500 dpm alpha and 3,000 dpm beta/gamma after the disconnect. Decontamination efforts continued throughout the day. The area was still posted as a contamination area on the morning of June 8th. UUSA [Urenco, USA] is reporting this event per 10 CFR 70.50.(b)(1)(i). Decontamination efforts are continuing.

"This issue has been entered in UUSA's corrective action program as EV151830."

The licensee reported leakage inside the autoclave under EN 55930.