Event Notification Report for January 09, 2009

AGREEMENT STATE - LOST TRITIUM EXIT SIGNS

The State of Alabama was notified by a Wal-Mart corporate representative located in Bentonville, AR, indicating that Wal-Mart was unable to account for 320 tritium exit signs (which are general licensed materials) that were used at one time in Wal-Mart stores throughout the State of Alabama. The Wal-Mart representative informed the State Office that Wal-Mart had exhausted searching for the tritium exit signs and considered them to be lost and/or missing. Additionally, Wal-mart's report also relayed information regarding 21 damaged tritium exit signs that were used at several stores in the State of Alabama. The State of Alabama was provided a listing from corporate Wal-Mart of the store locations along with information on the tritium exit sign manufacturers, model and serial numbers and curie content where known.

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

DURING TESTING, A SPECIALTY FUELS FACILITY FURNANCE FAILED TO SHUTDOWN WHEN REQUIRED

"A furnace in the Specialty Fuels Facility (SFF) was being tested in order to return it to operation. As part of the test, the airflow for the ventilation was checked to ensure that if the airflow decreased to a level below what was required per the Integrated Safety Analysis (ISA), then the appropriate furnace systems would automatically shutdown. During the test with hydrogen gas flowing into the furnace and therefore the ventilation system, the shutdown sequence shutdown the hydrogen flow when the flow was at 100%, but it did not shutdown the hydrogen flow when the flow was at 8%. There was no immediate risk or threat to the safety of workers or the public as a result of this event.

"An evaluation is currently being performed.

"BWXT is making this 24 hour report in accordance with 10 CFR 70.61, Appendix A (b)(1) - 'Any event or condition that results in the facility being in a state that was not analyzed, was improperly analyzed, or is different from that analyzed in the Integrated Safety Analysis, and which results in failure to meet the performance requirements of 70.61.'

"The furnace is shutdown pending further investigation."

The licensee will notify the NRC Resident Inspector.

* * * UPDATE FROM CHERYL GOFF TO JOE O'HARA AT 1505 ON 01/14/09 * * *

"On January 9, 2009 BWXT made event notification #44761 regarding a furnace in the Specialty Fuels Facility (SFF) which failed to perform the shutdown sequence for a given hydrogen flow level required per the Integrated Safety Analysis (ISA). The furnace was shutdown pending further investigation. As a result of the ongoing investigation supplemental information to this notification is being provided.

"In reviewing the programming code for the furnace a note was detected related to the flow of Carbon Monoxide (CO). Specifically, the note allowed for the continuation of the flow of CO if the temperature in the furnace was above 1000 C. Simulation testing of the validity of this note was performed and the test proved that the gas would continue to flow until the temperature of the furnace reached a level below 1000 C.

"An evaluation is currently being performed. The furnace continues to be shutdown pending further investigation."

The licensee informed the NRC Resident Inspector.

Notified R2DO(Rudisail), NMSS EO(Davis), and Fuels Group via e-mail.

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOST TRITIUM EXIT SIGNS

The State of Maine was notified by a Wal-Mart corporate representative located in Bentonville, AR, indicating that Wal-Mart was unable to account for 87 tritium exit signs (which are general licensed materials) that were used at one time in Wal-Mart stores throughout the state. The Wal-Mart representative informed the state office that Wal-Mart had exhausted searching for the tritium exit signs and considered them to be lost and/or missing. The state was provided a listing from corporate Wal-Mart of the store locations along with information on the tritium exit sign manufacturers, model and serial numbers, and curie content where known.

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.