Event Notification Report for October 17, 2008

INADVERTENT TRANSFER OF UNSAMPLED DISCARD SOLUTION

"Transfer of low uranium concentration discard solution from Tank WF03 to Waste Water Treatment Facility (WWTF) Tank 29 without final sample and analysis due to inadvertently opening incorrect valve.

"There were no actual or potential safety consequences to workers, the public, or the environment.

"Solution from discard Tank WF04 had been sampled and analyzed and was approved for transfer to WWTF Tank 29. An incorrect valve was opened and low uranium concentration solution was transferred from discard Tank WF03 to WWTF Tank 29 without final sample and analysis. All sources into the discard tanks (WF03 and WF04) are routed through an in-line uranium concentration monitor.

"Remaining SSC's were available and reliable. Solution in discard Tank WF03 had passed through an in-line uranium concentration monitor which would have stopped the transfer if a high uranium concentration was present.

"Solution in discard Tank WF03 and WWTF Tank 29 were sampled. Both uranium concentration results are low. The solution in discard Tank WF03 would have met sample analysis requirements.

"The safety significance is low due to the low mass and concentration of U-235. In-line monitor was also present which would have prevented transfer of high concentration solution into discard Tank WF03.

"The control is to sample and analyze solution prior to transfer to WWTF. The deficiency in this case is the failure to perform those actions prior to discard.

"Event was identified and entered into Problem Identification, Resolution and Correction System (PIRCS) - PIRCS #15829. Investigation is underway. Both the discard Tank WF03 and the WWTF Tank 29 were sampled."

The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOST TRITIUM EXIT SIGNS

Wal-Mart Corporate Office reported a total of 2 tritium exit signs missing from one store in Iowa. Store management and maintenance personnel have conducted a search and have determined that the signs are not on the premises. Wal-Mart is declaring these signs to be missing.

Wal-Mart Corporate office notified the Iowa Department of Public Health

The device information is as follows:

1. Location: Mason City, Iowa. Manufacturer - SRB Technology, Serial number - 263251, Curie content - 20.

2. Location: Mason City, Iowa. Manufacturer - SRB Technology, Serial number - 263223, Curie content - 20.

* * * UPDATE ON 1/7/2009 AT 1004 FROM RANDAL DAHLIN TO MARK ABRAMOVITZ * * *

"The State of Iowa was notified by the Bentonville, AR, Wal-Mart Project Manager regarding an additional 168 missing Tritium Exit Signs (TES) in the state. This notification occurred on January 6, 2009 at 2:30 pm. The Wal-Mart representative informed this office that Wal-Mart had exhausted all possibilities for location of these signs. The State of Iowa considers these Tritium Exit Signs to be lost and/or missing."

Notified the R3DO (Duncan) and FSME (Turtil), ILTAB.

THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "LESS THAN CAT 3" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL

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.

This source is not amongst those sources or devices identified by the IAEA Code of Conduct for the Safety & Security of Radioactive Sources to be of concern from a radiological standpoint. Therefore is it being categorized as a less than Category 3 source

EXCEEDENCE OF NITRATE SEWERING LIMIT

"AREVA NP's Richland plant wastewater effluent is continuously sampled for uranium and regulated chemicals. Chemical discharge limits are set by the City of Richland as part of the plant's Industrial Wastewater Discharge Permit. The liquid effluent 24-hour composite sample for October 13 indicated a total nitrate discharge of 1759 pounds, exceeding the daily maximum permit limit of 1300 pounds. While the laboratory analysis on the effluent sample was re-run to confirm the exceedence, the elevated discharge is inconsistent with discharge quantities that would have been predicted by either upstream process samples or nitric acid utilization, both of which would have predicted discharges in the range of slightly over 800 pounds of nitrate. Nitrate discharges for the subsequent two days (October 14 and 15) were 641 and 886 pounds nitrate, respectively.

"The October 13 permit violation (revealed via October 16 lab analysis) was reported to the City of Richland on October 17 within 24 hours of confirmation in accordance with permit requirements. Follow-up written notification was provided to NRC Region II for informational purposes in accordance with the Richland site's NRC special nuclear materials license.

"Environmental significance of this single day exceedence is low; the plant's overall daily average nitrate discharge for the month was 564 pounds, well below the applicable daily average permit limit of 1000 pounds. The City of Richland sewage treatment plant was not adversely impacted; that plant does not have a comparable limit on its nitrate discharges."

* * * RETRACTION AT 1923 ON 1/21/09 FROM LOREN MAAS TO MARK ABRAMOVITZ * * *

"The purpose of this correspondence is to officially retract the subject event report filed by AREVA's Richland, Washington fuel fabrication facility. The report was filed under the Concurrent Reports provision of 10 CFR 70 Appendix A in that the Richland plant had exceeded its daily nitrate sewering limit in its City of Richland industrial wastewater discharge permit, an occurrence requiring notification of the city.

"Based on subsequent discussions with inspection staff and management at NRC Region II, and consistent with reporting guidance in Section 3.2.12 of NUREG-1022, Revision 2, it has been determined that this event does not rise to the level intended for concurrent NRC Operations Center notification under 10 CFR 70 Appendix A. Accordingly, NRC Region II has requested that AREVA retract the subject report.

"Environmental significance of this single day exceedence is low; the plant's overall daily average nitrate discharge for the month was 564 pounds, well below the applicable daily average permit limit of 1000 pounds. The City of Richland sewage treatment plant was not adversely impacted; that plant does not have a comparable limit on its nitrate discharges."

Notified the R2DO (Musser) and NMSS (Davis).