Event Notification Report for November 01, 2005

TECH SPEC REQUIRED SHUTDOWN DUE TO DEGRADATION OF CONTAINMENT COATINGS

"On November 2, 2005 at approximately 00:00 Central Standard Time (CST), Point Beach Nuclear Plant (PBNP) Unit 2 commenced a reactor shutdown required by Technical Specification 3.0.3.

"During a review of the containment coatings in both Unit 1 & 2 containments, it was discovered that the containments have not been maintained with the analysis of record performed by Sergeant and Lundy (S&L). The S&L analysis performed for Unit 2 was based on the known condition of coatings when the analysis was performed. There was no explicit margin for further degradation. Subsequent discoveries of degraded or unqualified coatings cannot be accommodated by the existing analysis as written.

"An Operability Recommendation (OPR) was performed for Unit 2 and approved on 10/30/05 at 2000. Following this OPR, a further review of containment coatings in the Unit 2 containment was performed and showed a potential for approximately 11 square feet of unqualified coatings [in] the Zone of Influence (ZOI) for the containment sump. The OPR allowed for a maximum of 5.68 square feet of loose material in the ZOI.
A Unit 2 containment walk-down was performed on the evening of November 1, 2005. This revealed that the unqualified coatings in the ZOI were approximately 11 square feet. This information placed Unit 2 in an unanalyzed condition, which lead the operators to enter Technical Specification 3.0.3 at 2300 on November 1 due to both trains of Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS) being declared inoperable for sump recirculation capability.

"Actions are currently underway to remove enough unqualified coatings to be within the assumptions made in the OPR and restore Containment Sump recirculation capability. When this is completed, the technical specification shutdown will be terminated, and Unit 2 will make preparations to return to full power.

"Unit 1 is currently in Mode 5 and ECCS is not required. However, the condition is also applicable to Unit 1 containment. Actions have been underway since the identification of the original issue to remove unqualified containment coatings. The Plant Manager has placed a hold on entering Mode 4 on Unit 1 pending completion of corrective actions."

Presently there are 2 workers and a Radiation Protection technician inside containment. The licensee said that workers will go inside containment and remove the degraded coating. This will take approximately 45 minutes and have a total exposure to personnel of 85 millirem.

The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.


*** UPDATE FROM C. STALZER TO J. KNOKE AT 03:15 ON 11/02/05 ***

At 01:06 CST the licensee exited from Technical Specification 3.0.3. requirements and plans to hold power on Unit 2 at 97% power pending further assessment and evaluation.

The licensee will notify the NRC Resident Inspector. Notified the R3DO (Kozak).

* * * RETRACTION FROM E. SCHULTZ TO W. GOTT AT 1712 ON 12/21/05 * * *

"On November 2, 2005, at 01:13 [ET] PBNP submitted Emergency Notification #42109, to report a TS required shutdown due to potential of an unanalyzed condition that significantly degrades plant safety and an event or condition that potentially could have prevented the fulfillment of a safety function. The condition related to the discovery of degraded containment coatings in the zone of influence (ZOI) for the containment sump.

"A subsequent evaluation concluded that the degraded coatings would not have significantly affected sump recirculation flow capability. Additionally, the zone of influence was identified to be approximately one-third that assumed for the design-basis calculation. Based on the conservatism in the sump blockage analysis, the degraded coatings in the Unit 2 containment within the original ZOI did not affect the conclusion that equipment needed for accident mitigation would have operated as designed.

"Therefore, the Emergency Notification made on November 2, 2005, documenting that this condition created the potential of an unanalyzed condition that significantly degrades plant safety, and potentially could have prevented the fulfillment of a safety function, is retracted. The Technical Specification required shutdown is also retracted."

The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector. Notified R3DO (H. Peterson).

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOST TRITIUM EXIT SIGN

Hardi Lighting shipped one exit sign model NEXT-1-10WR with serial number C018515 to H and H Chevrolet on April 27, 2005. The sign contained 7.09 Curies of H-3, Tritium. The facility received the sign and paid for it. Upon receiving two letters from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services concerning the sign, the facility replied on October 10, 2005 indicating that they did not have the sign. H and H Chevrolet personnel have made three searches of the facility and cannot locate the sign. They believe that the sign was disposed in a trash container and sent to the landfill.

Nebraska Incident Number: NE050008

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.

MASSACHUSETTS AGREEMENT STATE - ABANDONED RA-226 QUANTITY 1000 TIMES GREATER THAN LABELING REQUIREMENTS

The following information was received from the state via fax:

"Cause Description: During Clean-Out of Deceased Dermatologist, the family discovered a box with Ra-226.

"About 11/1/2005: [Deleted] contacted the Boston Regional (Office) of the EPA to dispose of Ra-226 discovered at family home. EPA recommended to [Deleted] that it would be cheaper if he disposed of the Ra-226 directly via a waste broker. EPA suggested Radiac Environmental Services of Brooklyn, NY.

"11/17/2005: Radiac (Environmental Services of Brooklyn, NY) visited the Milton, MA residence and estimated that the amount of Ra-226 was about 2.9mCi. In addition, Radiac placed the box of Ra-226 sources into a 5-Gallon DOT Type A steel drum with a ring bolt closure, placed a security seal was placed over the ring, and labeled the drum with yellow/magenta radioactive label. [Deleted] was going to Florida for the winter.

"4/27/06: The EPA informed the Mass. Radiation Control Program about the Ra-226 in Milton, MA.

"Corrective Actions: Material to be disposed of by licensed broker - Radiac Environmental Services of Brooklyn, NY - during the week of May 8, 2006."