| U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center Event Reports For
10/26/2009 - 10/27/2009 ** EVENT NUMBERS ** |
 | General Information or Other | Event Number: 45450 | Rep Org: PA BUREAU OF RADIATION PROTECTION
Licensee: UNIVERSITY OR PITTSBURGH
Region: 1
City: PITTSBURGH State: PA
County:
License #: PA-0190
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: DAVID ALLARD
HQ OPS Officer: PETE SNYDER | Notification Date: 10/21/2009
Notification Time: 16:44 [ET]
Event Date: 08/04/2009
Event Time: [EDT]
Last Update Date: 10/21/2009 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
LAWRENCE DOERFLEIN (R1DO)
RICHARD TURTIL (FSME)
| Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - UNAUTHORIZED ORDER OF TRITIUM GAS
"Event location: Customs and Border Protection in Cleveland, OH
"Notifications: [The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection] DEP got a phone call from the RSO [Radiation Safety Officer] on October 6th, 2009, that there was a suspicion of unauthorized order of radioactive material. Confirmation phone call [was made] from the RSO to the DEP on October 21, 2009, after a full internal investigation to confirm suspicion of unauthorized order of tritium gas.
"Event description: On August 4,2009, an unauthorized researcher from University of Pittsburgh placed an order with 'Microtek AG' for 11.88 Curies of tritium. The order was shipped on September 11, 2009 and inspected by Customs & Border Protection (CBP) at Cleveland, OH. CBP contacted the RSO to verify the license, and the Univ. of Pittsburgh advised CBP that the shipment was an unauthorized order. The order was returned to [the] shipper (Microtek AG of Switzerland)."
Event Report ID No: PA090033 |
| General Information or Other | Event Number: 45451 | Rep Org: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Licensee: UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
Region: 4
City: AUSTIN State: TX
County:
License #: L00485
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: ART TUCKER
HQ OPS Officer: VINCE KLCO | Notification Date: 10/21/2009
Notification Time: 19:18 [ET]
Event Date: 10/21/2009
Event Time: [CDT]
Last Update Date: 10/22/2009 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
NEIL OKEEFE (R4DO)
RICHARD TURTIL (FSME)
| Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - REMOVABLE CONTAMINATION ON A PACKAGE
Packaged vials of Sulfur-35 were delivered to the University of Texas with an indicated removable contamination of 10,000 dpm per swipe on the outside of the package. The vials of sulfur were reported as frozen with 1600 dpm per swipe. A lead pig located in the package indicated 600 dpm per swipe. There was no other reported contamination on the package.
A Texas incident report number will follow.
* * * UPDATE AT 1136 EDT ON 10/22/2009 TO PARK FROM TUCKER * * *
The following report was provide by the State via e-mail:
"On October 21, 2009 at 1735 [CDT] the Agency [Texas Dept of State Health Services] received a telephone call from [Redacted] the Radiation Safety Officer [RSO] for the University of Texas. [The RSO] stated that a package had arrived at the University of Texas facility in Port Aransas, Texas, and was found to have removable contamination on the outside of the package. The package was shipped as expected and contained vials of Sulfur-35, and did not appear to be damaged. The vials that contained the radioactive material were packed in dry ice and were still frozen when the package was opened. Swipes taken on the outside of the package, as part of the arrival survey, indicated contamination of 10,000 disintegrations per minute (dpm). Contamination levels on the vials in the package were 1,600 dpm. The contamination level on the lead pig shielding the vials was 600 dpm. Removable contamination on the inside of the package was between 1000-2000 dpm. All contamination levels are reported as per swipe, but [the RSO] was unsure of the areas that were swiped. No contamination was detected on personnel involved at the receiving facility. [The RSO] was not convinced that the contamination came from the package because none of the vials appeared damaged, and the highest contamination levels were located on the outside of the package. He stated that they are still investigating and may request assistance from the Agency to identify the radionuclide. It was shipped by [a common carrier] from PerkinElmer, but [the RSO] was unaware of the location it was shipped from. The common carrier tracking number given was [provided], but when tracked online using the [common carrier] website, the package was not in the system. The Agency is awaiting further information from the licensee's investigation."
Notified the R4DO (O'Keefe) and FSME (McIntosh).
Texas Incident Number: I-8680 |
| Power Reactor | Event Number: 45467 | Facility: FT CALHOUN
Region: 4 State: NE
Unit: [1] [ ] [ ]
RX Type: [1] CE
NRC Notified By: ERICK MATZKE
HQ OPS Officer: KARL DIEDERICH | Notification Date: 10/26/2009
Notification Time: 12:47 [ET]
Event Date: 10/26/2009
Event Time: 10:50 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 10/26/2009 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
50.72(b)(3)(ii)(B) - UNANALYZED CONDITION
| Person (Organization):
DALE POWERS (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 PRESSURIZER AND FEEDWATER STORAGE TANK LEVEL INDICATIONS DO NOT MEET APPENDIX R REQUIREMENTS
"During a review in preparation for converting from 10 CFR 50 Appendix R to NFPA 805, it was discovered that all of the cables for pressurizer and emergency feedwater storage tank level indications did not meet Appendix R cable requirements. A fire in Corridor 4, Corridor 26, or in Room 6 could result in a failure of level indication for these critical components. Corridors 4 and 26 were adequately addressed by existing fire watches. A fire watch was established for Room 6 upon discovery of this condition. Pressurizer level and emergency feedwater storage tank level indicators currently meet their requirements, with the established fire watches."
The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector. |
| Power Reactor | Event Number: 45468 | Facility: FT CALHOUN
Region: 4 State: NE
Unit: [1] [ ] [ ]
RX Type: [1] CE
NRC Notified By: ERICK MATZKE
HQ OPS Officer: KARL DIEDERICH | Notification Date: 10/26/2009
Notification Time: 16:50 [ET]
Event Date: 10/26/2009
Event Time: 10:50 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 10/26/2009 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
50.72(b)(3)(xiii) - LOSS COMM/ASMT/RESPONSE
| Person (Organization):
DALE POWERS (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 STATION PAGING SYSTEM OUT OF SERVICE
"At about 1050 CDT on 10/26/2009, it was discovered that the station paging system was not operating. Repair efforts were initiated. The Control Room was notified of the pager outage. The automated callout system was available during the pager outage.
"Investigation determined that the paging system was nonfunctional as early as 0900 the same day.
"Repair efforts were successful and the pager system was returned to operation about 1230 CDT."
The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector. | |