Event Notification Report for January 23, 2001

NUCLEAR MATERIAL WAS DISCOVERED IN A TRASH TRUCK MAKING A DELIVERY TO A TRASH YARD

A trash truck hauling trash from Hickam AFB to the Hawaii Electric Company's trash yard set off the portal monitor upon entry into the yard. The driver immediately returned to Hickam AFB where he had picked up the trash load. A Major from the Trippler Medical Center was dispatched to Hickam AFB and surveyed the material and determined that it was 1 millicurie of I-131 which could be a radiopharmaceutical. The truck was secured and surveyed and measured 18 mr/hr at the back truck surface and 1 mr/hr at one meter from the truck. It was determined that the material was picked up with a load of trash from the Billeting Office on Base and it appears was probably bodily excretions from an individual housed at the billets who recently had been treated with radiopharmaceuticals. There is no way to determine the individual or where the treatment was administered. The material will be transferred to the Trippler Medical Center where it will be held for 3 months for decay.

***** UPDATE AT 2112 ON 01/25/01 FROM ARTHUR MORTON TO LEIGH TROCINE *****

Arthur Morton of Trippler Army Medical Center called to NRC Operations Center to ask a question. The NRC operations officer notified R3DO (Creed) that the Army was also participating in corrective actions for this event.

UNUSUAL EVENT DECLARED ON LOSS OF ALL ANNUNCIATORS FOR GREATER THAN 15 MINUTES

The licensee was conducting daily light checks of annunciators when they did not clear when the test signal was reset. The declaration of Unusual Event was made at 0146 EST in accordance with the Emergency Action Level procedure and entry was also made into the abnormal procedure for the loss of annunciators.

The plant computer was still available for alarm monitoring and 2 operators were placed at the control panels for close monitoring of plant conditions. The plant was maintained at stable conditions. The watch stations outside of the control room were augmented to provide additional monitoring of outside control panel alarms which would not be received in the control room. Electricians and Instrumentation Technicians have started investigating the problem.

The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector and the state and local authorities.

* * * UPDATED AT 0242 EST ON O1/23/01 BY JOHN VOISSEM TO FANGIE JONES * * *

The Unusual Event was terminated at 0237 EST. The alarm lights cleared on their own and subsequent test of alarm function was satisfactory. Additional personnel are in transit to the site to conduct further testing.

The licensee will notify the NRC Resident Inspector as well as state and local authorities. Notified the R2DO (Rudolph Bernhard), NRR EO ( John Hannon), IRO Manager (Joseph Giitter), and FEMA (Belcher).

PLANT SHUTDOWN REQUIRED DUE TO FAILURE OF SHUTDOWN BANK "D" TO FULLY WITHDRAW DURING SURVEILLANCE TESTING

The licensee was performing rod surveillance testing when shutdown bank "D" failed to withdraw. Entry was made to Technical Specification 3.0.3 at 0619 CST as more than one rod failed to withdraw. The plant commenced shutdown at 0712 CST. See related event #37675.

The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.

CONTRACT SUPERVISOR CONFIRMED POSITIVE FOR ILLEGAL DRUG USE DURING RANDOM TEST

A contract supervisor was determined to be under the influence of an illegal drug during a random test. The individual's access to the plant has been terminated. The licensee informed the NRC resident inspector.

Contact the Headquarter Operation Officer for additional details.

CONTROL ROOM EMERGENCY VENTILATION SYSTEM DECLARED INOP ON LOW FLOW

"On January 23, 2001, while performing the Control Room Emergency Filtration System (CREVS) monthly surveillance, the system flow was found to be 1741 SCFM [standard cubic feet per minute]. The required Technical Specification flow is 2000 SCFM +/- 10%.

"The CREVS system was declared inoperable per Technical Specification 3.8.D and both Units entered a 7 day shutdown LCO.

"This is being reported in accordance with 10CFR50.72(b)(3)(v)(D).

"The initial flow measured was 1741 SCFM. Approximately 15 minutes later the flow was measured to be within Technical Specification limits. The station is continuing an evaluation of this issue."

The licensee informed the NRC resident inspector.

* * RETRACTION ON 01/25/01 AT 1107 ET BY D. NOHR TAKEN BY MACKINNON * * *

The licensee has completed their evaluation and has determined that the CREVS was always capable of performing its intended function in response to a LOCA. Therefore the licensee is retracting this event. R3DO (Jim Creed) notified.

The NRC Resident Inspector was notified of this retraction by the licensee.

LOSS OF CONTAINMENT INTEGRITY INVOLVING PERSONNEL AIRLOCK INTERLOCK FAILURE

"On 23 January 2001, at 1510 hours, during the removal of radiation survey equipment from the lower containment personnel airlock, the airlock doors interlock failed. This allowed the inadvertent opening of both containment airlock doors at the same time for less than one minute. This resulted in a short entry into Technical Specification 3.6.1.1, for Primary Containment integrity and entry into Technical Specification 3.6.1.3, for inoperable Containment Airlock Doors. There was no radioactive release as the result of this event."

The cause of the interlock failure is under investigation. Currently the licensee is controlling entry administratively. The licensee informed the NRC resident inspector.

HIGH PRESSURE COOLANT INJECTION SYSTEM DECLARED INOPERABLE.

The flow controller for the High Pressure Coolant Injection (HPCI) system is indicating approximately 1400 gpm with the HPCI system in the standby condition. Because the cause of this condition is not known at this time, the HPCI system is considered inoperable.

The NRC Resident Inspector was notified of this event by the licensee.

* * * RETRACTED AT 1528 EST ON 3/23/01 BY MARK ABRAMSKI TO FANGIE JONES * * *

"Engineering evaluation subsequent to this event has determined that the HPCI system would have performed its' intended function as credited in the LOCA analysis and therefore this 10 CFR 50.72 notification is retracted."

The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector. The R1DO (Kenneth Jenison) has been notified.