| U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center Event Reports For
08/19/2009 - 08/20/2009 ** EVENT NUMBERS ** |
 | General Information or Other | Event Number: 45263 | Rep Org: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Licensee:
Region: 4
City: DALLAS State: TX
County:
License #:
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: ROBERT FREE
HQ OPS Officer: MARK ABRAMOVITZ | Notification Date: 08/14/2009
Notification Time: 16:41 [ET]
Event Date: 08/14/2009
Event Time: [CDT]
Last Update Date: 08/14/2009 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
JACK WHITTEN (R4DO)
ANDREW MAUER (FSME)
JIM WHITNEY (ILTA)
| Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - SR-90 SOURCE FOUND IN MAIL
The following report was received via e-mail:
"Customs called to report a detection at the international post office at DFW [Dallas/Ft Worth] airport. The source was contained in a package with some other materials including a couple of electronic devices, a small plastic container about the size of a contact lens holder, some dice and other articles. The package was being mailed to a private citizen living in Ft. Worth, TX. Customs provided pictures of the package and contents. The radioactive material was identified as Sr-90. Inspector surveys measured 0.3 mrem closed window, 60 mrem open window."
The State of Texas notified EPA, FBI, and ICE.
Texas Report #I-8656 |
| General Information or Other | Event Number: 45266 | Rep Org: MA RADIATION CONTROL PROGRAM
Licensee: UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS - LOWELL
Region: 1
City: LOWELL State: MA
County:
License #: 60-0049
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: JOSH DAEHLER
HQ OPS Officer: KARL DIEDERICH | Notification Date: 08/17/2009
Notification Time: 13:49 [ET]
Event Date: 08/10/2009
Event Time: [EDT]
Last Update Date: 08/17/2009 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
RICHARD CONTE (R1DO)
GLENDA VILLAMAR (FSME)
| Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - IMPROPERLY PACKAGED RADIOACTIVE SHIPMENT
The following was received from the State via FAX:
"The Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) for the University of Massachusetts - Lowell (UMASS - Lowell) reported an improper shipment of radioactive material where the package was prepared for shipment as a regular package and should have been prepared for shipment as a Class 7 (radioactive) package.
"On Friday, August 14, 2009, the RSO discovered, from information received by General Dynamics C4 Systems (GD), that GD received, on Tuesday, August 12, 2009 a regular package sent by UMASS-Lowell on Monday, August 10, 2009 that should have been prepared as Class 7. The package was reported by GD to UMASS-Lowell to have radiation levels of 2.6 mrad/hr at 2 cm above the package or contents of package as measured with a Ludlum G-M instrument.
"The RSO reports that the package contained electronic components subjected to irradiation from UMASS - Lowell's research reactor and that the radioactive materials contained in the package was likely Bromine-82. The RSO reports that he does not believe that there was any contamination discovered on the outside of the package.
"The RSO reports that based on calculations performed, the estimated activity of the package, for Bromine-82, was one (1) MBq and that the specific activity of bromine-82 of the samples (electronics) was likely between 42 and 170 Becquerel's/gram. The address reported for GD, the recipient of the package, is Scottsdale, AZ 85252 and any radioactive materials license number for GD was not known at time of this report." |
| General Information or Other | Event Number: 45267 | Rep Org: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Licensee: FUGRO CONSULTANTS
Region: 4
City: PASADENA State: TX
County:
License #: L04322
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: RAY JISHA
HQ OPS Officer: KARL DIEDERICH | Notification Date: 08/17/2009
Notification Time: 15:55 [ET]
Event Date: 08/17/2009
Event Time: 04:00 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 08/17/2009 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
WILLIAM JONES (R4DO)
ANDREW MAUER (FSME)
| Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - RADIOGRAPHY SOURCE DISCONNECTED FROM ITS CABLE
The following information was obtained from the State of Texas via email:
"On the morning of August 17, 2009, a 79.1 Curie Ir-192 source in a Sentinel Model 880 exposure device (S/N D5517) could not be retracted into the fully shielded position. After several attempts to back the source out, it was surmised that the source remained at the end of the source tube and the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) was notified. A 2 mR/hr line was established by the radiographers and the licensee's report indicated that visual surveillance was maintained at all times. The RSO then utilized additional shielding and remote handling tools to retrieve the source and place it into another camera. It was determined after the recovery that the ball shank broke from the drive cable leaving the source pigtail in the source tube. The RSO reported that all personnel were monitored with direct reading devices and no exposures exceeded regulatory limits."
Source: QSA Global model 424-9, Serial #56552B
Texas Incident Report I-8658 |
| General Information or Other | Event Number: 45268 | Rep Org: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Licensee: TAPPAN PHOTOMASK
Region: 4
City: ROUND ROCK State: TX
County: WILLIAMSON
License #:
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: RAY JISHA
HQ OPS Officer: KARL DIEDERICH | Notification Date: 08/17/2009
Notification Time: 17:40 [ET]
Event Date: 08/17/2009
Event Time: [CDT]
Last Update Date: 08/17/2009 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
WILLIAM JONES (R4DO)
ANDREW MAUER (FSME)
ILTAB VIA E-MAIL ()
MEXICO VIA FAX ()
|
| This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material. | Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - FOUR PO-210 STATIC ELIMINATORS LOST
The following information was obtained from the State of Texas via email:
"In the afternoon of August 17, 2009, the licensee had concluded that four static eliminators, NRD Model P-2021-Y000 containing 500 microCi each could not be located and were presumed lost, probably discarded in the general refuse. The sources were removed from the machines they were mounted on while the area was undergoing some renovation or relocation of equipment. However, when the equipment in which the devices were housed were attempted to be placed back in service, the devices were noted as missing. Repeated attempts to locate the sources and devices have proved futile."
Texas Report I-8659
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. |
| Power Reactor | Event Number: 45274 | Facility: SAN ONOFRE
Region: 4 State: CA
Unit: [ ] [2] [3]
RX Type: [1] W-3-LP,[2] CE,[3] CE
NRC Notified By: DAVID AXLINE
HQ OPS Officer: KARL DIEDERICH | Notification Date: 08/19/2009
Notification Time: 16:19 [ET]
Event Date: 08/19/2009
Event Time: 11:50 [PDT]
Last Update Date: 08/19/2009 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
50.72(b)(2)(xi) - OFFSITE NOTIFICATION
| Person (Organization):
WILLIAM JONES (R4DO)
|
| Unit | SCRAM Code | RX CRIT | Initial PWR | Initial RX Mode | Current PWR | Current RX Mode | | 2 | N | Y | 99 | Power Operation | 99 | Power Operation | | 3 | N | Y | 100 | Power Operation | 100 | Power Operation | Event Text OFFSITE NOTIFICATION FOR INADVERTANT ACTUATION OF SIRENS FOR 10 SECONDS
During an exercise, sirens for the city of San Clemente (19 of 52 total sirens) were inadvertently actuated for approximately ten seconds. The licensee made off-site notifications to California FEMA, California Dept of Health, California State Parks, Camp Pendleton, and the cities of San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, and Dana Point.
The licensee has notified the NRC Resident Inspector. |
| Power Reactor | Event Number: 45277 | Facility: WOLF CREEK
Region: 4 State: KS
Unit: [1] [ ] [ ]
RX Type: [1] W-4-LP
NRC Notified By: DAVE DEES
HQ OPS Officer: JOHN KNOKE | Notification Date: 08/19/2009
Notification Time: 20:33 [ET]
Event Date: 08/19/2009
Event Time: 15:00 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 08/19/2009 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
50.72(b)(3)(ii)(B) - UNANALYZED CONDITION
| Person (Organization):
WILLIAM JONES (R4DO)
|
| 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 TIME TO ESTABLISH CHARGING FLOW EXCEEDED THERMAL HYDRAULIC ANALYSIS
"Valve BNHV8812A RWST to RHR Pump A Isolation is manually closed in OFN RP-017, Control Room Evacuation, in response to a control room fire. Simulated timing assumed approximately 1 minute to close the valve. Discussions with the MOV engineer revealed that the valve takes 600 turns to close. Operations Standing Order 1 limits the number of hand wheel turns to 60 per minute. At a closure rate of 60 turns per minute, it will take a minimum of 10 minutes to close the valve, rather than the assumed 1-minute. The additional 9 minutes necessary to close the valve will delay the completion of subsequent steps. Most significantly, the time to establish charging flow increases from 20 minutes to a minimum of 29 minutes. Thermal hydraulic analysis documented in SA-08-006 assumed the charging flow will be established within 28 minutes. Therefore the time to establish charging flow exceeds that assumed in the thermal hydraulic analysis by at least 1 minute. Compensatory actions have been put in place in order to accomplish this task within the time allowed by the thermal hydraulic analysis."
The licensee has notified the NRC Resident Inspector. |
| Power Reactor | Event Number: 45278 | Facility: WOLF CREEK
Region: 4 State: KS
Unit: [1] [ ] [ ]
RX Type: [1] W-4-LP
NRC Notified By: DAVE DEES
HQ OPS Officer: JOHN KNOKE | Notification Date: 08/19/2009
Notification Time: 20:38 [ET]
Event Date: 08/19/2009
Event Time: 15:49 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 08/19/2009 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
50.72(b)(2)(iv)(B) - RPS ACTUATION - CRITICAL
50.72(b)(3)(iv)(A) - VALID SPECIF SYS ACTUATION
| Person (Organization):
WILLIAM JONES (R4DO)
|
| Unit | SCRAM Code | RX CRIT | Initial PWR | Initial RX Mode | Current PWR | Current RX Mode | | 1 | A/R | Y | 100 | Power Operation | 0 | Hot Standby | Event Text AUTOMATIC REACTOR TRIP CAUSED BY TURBINE TRIP
"Wolf Creek experienced a reactor trip at 1549 CDT. The first out annunciator was TURBINE TRIP and P9 Reactor TRIP. At approximately the same time the unit experienced a momentary loss of offsite power.
"The emergency diesel generators started [and loaded] as expected to supply power to the safety busses due to the loss of offsite power. Auxiliary Feedwater and Feedwater Isolation actuations occurred as expected. All control rods inserted into the core during the trip. All Reactor Coolant Pumps tripped due to the loss of offsite power. Decay heat was initially being removed by the Steam Generator Atmospheric Relief Valves.
"Presently the plant is stable in Mode 3. The 'D' Reactor Coolant Pump has been restarted. The licensee is continuing to investigate the cause of the trip."
The atmospheric relief valves lifted for approximately 10 minutes, however there was no primary to secondary leakage. Both A & B EDG's loaded for about 2 minutes. At the present time the electrical lineup is normal and the EDG's are shutdown. Plant is at Normal Operating Pressure and just below Normal Operating Temperature. Decay heat and S/G levels are being maintained with the Auxiliary Feedwater pumps.
The licensee has notified the NRC Resident Inspector. The Licensee may issue a press release on this event. | |