Event Notification Report for March 02, 2001

BOTH PRIMARY CONTAINMENT HYDROGEN RECOMBINERS WERE DECLARED INOPERABLE.

During operation of Unit 2 at 100% power, it has been determined that both Primary Containment Hydrogen Recombiners for the Suppression Pool Chamber are inoperable. The 'A' recombiner had previously been removed from service for maintenance activities, when the station's 'B' Emergency Diesel Generator was declared inoperable after the main control room received an unexpected trip alarm on the diesel. The diesel failure is not reportable due to three diesels remaining operable. However, Technical Specifications require that the 'B' recombiner be declared inoperable if the 'A' recombiner is inoperable. This failure requires a 8-hr ENS Notification under 10CFR50.72(b)(3)(v)(D), loss of a safety function to mitigate the consequences of an accident. The 'B' Emergency Diesel was declared inoperable due to a failed relay.

The NRC Resident Inspector was notified.

Technical Specification 3.8.1, condition 'B,' required action b.2, states, "Declare the required feature supported by the inoperable diesel generator inoperable when the redundant required features are inoperable also."

PLANT DECLARED RCIC INOPERABLE.

During a panel walkdown, it was discovered that the RCIC flow controller setpoint pointer was indicating erratically. Therefore, the flow controller was declared inoperable resulting in RCIC being declared inoperable. Troubleshooting is currently being performed on the controller. This condition put the plant in a 14-day LCO action statement.

The NRC Resident Inspector will be notified.

* * * UPDATE 1055EST ON 3/23/2001 FROM ERIC OLSON TO S. SANDIN * * *

The licensee is retracting this report based on the following:

"During a control room tour on Friday, March 2, 2001, the output of the reactor core isolation cooling system (RCIC) controller FIC-1340-1 was observed oscillating between downscale (-value) up to approximately +2% as indicated on the output demand meter. Initial testing measured voltages at the input test terminals and found a steady flow signal applied to the controller. Voltage measurements taken at the output test jacks found the output oscillating between 9 to 11 milliamps, consistent with the oscillation of 2% on the demand meter. In an effort to help pinpoint the source of this problem, the set-point tape was adjusted down to the minimum value allowing the deviation meter to come on scale (± 10% measuring the signal error between flow input and set-point). In this mode, oscillation of the deviation meter was observed, consistent with demand. The controller was then taken to manual and the output demand meter became stable. These two simple functional checks suggested the source of oscillation was limited to the automatic control circuitry of the GEMAC controller, based on the stable voltage measurement at the controllers input and the stable output when placed in manual. The most probable cause for the oscillation would be weak/aging power supply capacitors used in the controller's automatic circuitry.

"The RCIC system was declared inoperable and the NRC was notified at 1010 on March 2, 2001 in accordance with 10CFR50.72(b)(3)(v) based on the belief that the controller was not operable.

"Troubleshooting was performed and it was decided to replace the controller with the identical controller from the RCIC alternate shutdown panel (ASP). RCIC was then tested using procedure 8.5.5.1 with satisfactory results. The controller that had been removed from the RCIC panel was bench tested and the results indicated that the controller would have allowed the RCIC system to reach a stable rated 400 gpm flow control.

"On Friday March 9, 2001, the controller from the alternate shutdown panel was also noted to be oscillating about the '0' position, repeating the condition described in PR01.9190. Problem report PR01.9210 was written to describe this similar condition. It was concluded that the RCIC test could be performed with the controller exhibiting some oscillation. The test results demonstrated that the controller and therefore, RCIC was operable. Further troubleshooting is in progress to determine the cause of the oscillations. One possibility is that the source of the oscillations has to do with equipment grounding and other equipment tests occurring on Fridays. Further investigation is in progress.

"The reporting criteria of 10 CFR 50.73 were evaluated as follows;

"For (a)(2)(v); not reportable. The initial observation on Friday, March 2, 2000, of oscillations on FIC-1340-1 indicated that the individual controller was inoperable and needed maintenance. The controller was replaced with the identical controller from the alternate shutdown panel (ASP). The newly installed controller was tested and RCIC was verified to be operable. Bench testing of the removed controller indicated that it would have performed its safety function. A similar oscillation was noted on the new controller on Friday March 9, 2001. RCIC was tested even though the controller appeared to be oscillating. The testing verified the operability of the installed controller and confirmed the conclusion that the original controller would have been operable. Since the original controller would have been operable, the observed oscillations could not have prevented the fulfillment of the RCIC safety function and therefore, is not a reportable condition.

"It is recommended that the 10 CFR 50.72 notification made on March 2, 2001 be retracted."

The licensee informed the NRC resident inspector. Notified R1DO(Jenison).

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT INVOLVING A STOLEN TROXLER GAUGE

Between 2300 PST on 3/1/01 and 0700 PST on 3/2/01, a Troxler Model 3430 gauge, S/N 25510, was stolen out of a Delta Geotechnical Consultants, Inc. pickup truck in Las Vegas, NV. The licensee confirmed that the gauge was chained to the truck bed. The Las Vegas Metro Police were informed. Delta Geotechnical Consultants, Inc. is a Utah based corporation operating in Nevada under reciprocity of the Utah Rad. Material License. This is NV Event Report ID No. NV 01-001.

MONITOR WELL IN EXCURSION STATUS

Crow Butte Resources shallow monitor well #SM6-13 in uranium solution mine unit #6 in Crawford, NE, was placed in excursion status due to sulfates concentration measuring 26 mg/l exceeding the UCL (Upper Control Limit) of 21 mg/l and the multiple chloride concentration measuring 9.1 mg/l exceeding the UCL of 8 mg/l. The licensee believes these are normal variations. A license amendment has been approved which would exclude reporting of normal variations. However, since the NE UIC (Underground Injection Control) permit has not been modified, the licensee informed the NE DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) Onsite Representative and will inform the NRC Project Manager.

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT INVOLVING POTENTIAL OVEREXPOSURE

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment was notified by Hutchinson Hospital Corporation that a Cardiologist may have received an overexposure. The source and extent of the potential overexposure are under investigation. This is Kansas Case Number KS010006. This report will be updated when more details are available.

* * * UPDATE AT 1230 EDT ON 5/11/01 BY JAMES HARRIS TO FANGIE JONES * * *

"The event report by the licensee shows an interventional cardiologist received 10,115 mrem for the year 2000. The exposure was due to x-ray and not the radioactive material program at the hospital. The is the only physician in the area who performs these procedures and he performs more than 600 procedures in a year. Observations of the physician show the portable shielding, because of its design or limitations in placement, may have been a detriment to the procedure and therefore was not used or improperly used in many cases.

"Corrective actions: New shielding with a better design has been purchased. A new shield curtain has been purchased to better control the side scatter from the x-ray tube. New lead equivalent glasses have been purchased. Shielding has been added to the x-ray head to harden the beam and reduce low energy scatter. The safety staff is providing increased oversight."

The R4DO (Jeff Shackelford) and NMSS (John Hickey) have been notified.