Event Notification Report for May 03, 2002

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT-DAMAGED DENSITY GAUGE

"RSO for the above licensee called on the date of this memo to report a CPN (model MC-1) was run over. The gauge was run over with the Cs-137 source in the ground, the user turned to get something out of his truck, which was near by and a roller ran over the gauge and then since people were waving at him, backed over the gauge. Per the RSO, the CPN representative in Denver will take possession of the gauge and return [it]."

AUTOMATIC REACTOR TRIP DUE TO INDICATED LOSS OF RCS FLOW

RPS indicated that there was a loss of RCS flow to 1 loop, which resulted in an automatic reactor trip. All three loops of RCS flow were in operation throughout the event. All rods fully inserted, no ECCS systems actuated, and decay heat is being removed by the Auxiliary Feedwater system. The Licensee indicated that the electrical grid was stable and that a post trip investigation is ongoing.

The NRC Resident Inspector will be notified.

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT-SHIPMENT WITH LOOSE SURFACE CONTAMINATION LEVELS > LIMITS

"At 11:30 am on May 3, 2002, the writer was advised by [the], Assistant Radiation Safety Officer at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in Birmingham, Alabama that their nuclear medicine department had received a radiopharmaceutical package that was found to have removable radioactive contamination on the external surface of the package that exceeded 22,200 disintegration's per minute (dpm) per 100 square centimeters. The package was received on the afternoon of May 2, 2002 from Central Pharmacy Services, Inc., d/b/a as Birmingham Central Pharmacy in Birmingham, Alabama. Central Pharmacy Services, Inc. is authorized to prepare and distribute radiopharmaceuticals under Alabama Radioactive Material License No. 1168 and the University of Alabama at Birmingham is authorized to receive radioactive material under Alabama Radioactive Material License No. 266. The package as delivered contained unit doses of Tc-99m and a vial of I-131. These inside containers were found not to be contaminated. The actual contamination was found to be on a magnetic Department of Transportation transport label. The maximum amount of removable contamination was 150,000 dpm on a wipe sample of the magnetic label. Spectrum analysis indicate that the isotope was Tc-99m. The package was isolated.

"Central Pharmacy Services, Inc. was notified of the incident. The cause of the incident is currently being investigated by this office."

UNANALYZED CONDITION THAT SIGNIFICANTLY DEGRADED PLANT SAFETY

On May 3, 2002, approximately 20 gallons of water was spilled on the floor of the cable spreading room (CSR). Some of the water leaked down into rooms below the CSR floor, resulting in an electrical ground on the on the 125-VAC Division 2 battery bus S1-2. The S1-2 bus remained operable. It has since been determined that the pathway for leakage through the floor of the CSR was cracks in the concrete due to abandoned concrete anchors, and through shrinkage cracks in the reinforced concrete floor slab. Shrinkage cracks are also located in the 525' elevation floor above the Control Room. These two floors are considered essential fire rated assemblies and are required to be "leak tight". These floors have not had a qualified paint/sealant applied that would render them "leaktight". Other floors that are fire rated assemblies are believed to have had the appropriate paint/sealant applied, but this is being verified. Should a fire system actuate, or develop a leak in either the CSR or the room above the Control Room, there is the potential for leakage through the floors to impact Division 1 or 2 safety-related equipment in the rooms below. A barrier impairment has been initiated for the CSR on May 6, 2002 and for the 525' elevation above the Control Room on May 7, 2002 with compensatory action to include these areas on an hourly fire/flood tour. With the hourly fire/flood tours in place, the floors of the CSR and the room above the Control Room have been declared "operable but degraded" per formal assessment of operability, and no longer represent an unanalyzed condition that significantly degrades plant safety. The cracks associated with the abandoned anchor bolts have been sealed. Hourly fire/flood tours remain in effect until both floors have been properly sealed.

The NRC Resident Inspector has been notified of this event.

* * * RETRACTED AT 1600 EDT ON 7/2/02 BY BOB BROWNLEE TO FANGIE JONES * * *


The licensee is retracting this event notification. It was originally postulated that due to the prevalence of unsealed concrete cracks, a design basis flooding scenario would create a significant amount of water leakage into critical equipment rooms below the floors. After further evaluation it has been concluded that flooding events in either room would result in minimal leakage into rooms below, and therefore this condition can not be characterized as an unanalyzed condition that significantly degrades plant safety. The CSR floor and the room above the Control Room are "operable but degraded." Hourly fire/flood tours will remain in effect until both floors have been properly sealed. The cracks responsible for the observed leakage for this event have been sealed. Columbia Generating Station will submit a voluntary Licensee Event Report on this issue due to its generic interest to both the NRC staff and the nuclear industry.

The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector. The R4DO (Dale Powers) has been notified.

LOSS AND RECOVERY OF TROXLER MOISTURE/DENSITY GAUGE

Troxler Nuclear Moisture/Density gauge Model #3430 and serial # 23264 was secured with a chain and lock in the bed of a pickup truck. The truck was driven non stop from Niles, MI to Laporte, IN and it was discovered that the tailgate had fallen to the open position and the gauge was missing. An immediate search of the travel route ensued.

Shortly thereafter, Alt & Witzig Engineering's Corporate office was notified that the gauge had been found by a private citizen and was in the custody if the Dowagiac, MI police department. The case was pad locked and uncompromised, as was the source rod. A leak test was performed on the gauge, Sat. The gauge contained 8 mCi of Cs-137 and 40 mCi of Am/Be-241.