Event Notification Report for January 22, 2009

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - MISSING TRITIUM EXIT SIGNS

The State of New Hampshire was notified by a Walmart corporate representative located in Bentonville, AR, indicating that Walmart was unable to account for 35 tritium exit signs (which are general licensed materials) that were used at one time in Walmart stores throughout the State of New Hampshire. The Walmart representative informed the State office that Walmart had exhausted searching for the tritium exit signs and considered them to be lost and/or missing. The state of New Hampshire was provided a listing from corporate Walmart 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

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - DAMAGED TRITIUM EXIT SIGNS

The State of New Hampshire was notified by a Walmart corporate representative located in Bentonville, AR, of a total of three (3) tritium exit signs (TES) (which are general licensed materials) that were damaged at Walmart stores throughout the State of New Hampshire. All three signs have been properly packaged and shipped to a specific licensee authorized to receive damaged TES. There were no overexposures to Walmart personnel. All contamination has been cleaned and all areas were free released.

DAMAGED MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE

A moisture density gauge was run over by construction equipment and badly damaged. The source is not within the gauge. The RSO did not know the sources however the police on the scene identified the source as Cs-137 and that the dose rate was approximately 5 REM on contact and background at 20 feet.

Location: 4424 Old Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA

The state EOC was contacted and verified that a contractor was hired to clean up the source.

LOSS OF PHONE COMMUNICATIONS

"At approximately 0930 CST on 01/22/2009, the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant became aware of a loss of ENS, HPN, and ERDS lines as well as a partial loss of in-coming commercial lines. Cell phone communications were not affected. The NRC Operations Center was contacted, and a back-up means of communication was established. The back-up communication methods to off-site State and Local agencies remained available. The ENS communications were conducted via commercial phone lines or a cell phone line to the NRC Operations Center.

"The NRC Resident Inspector, NRC Region III, NRC Operations Center, State and local government agencies were notified.

"At 1300, all communications were re-established. At 1455 communication capabilities in the Control Room, Shift Managers Office, TSC, and EOF were verified to be operating properly. Communications were lost due to a problem at the local telephone company office, and not due to any on-site equipment issues.

"This notification is being made in accordance with 10 CFR 50.72(b)(3)(xiii)."

POSITIVE FITNESS FOR DUTY TEST

A non-licensed contract supervisor had a confirmed positive for alcohol during "for-cause" fitness-for-duty test. The contractor's access to the plant has been terminated. Contact the Headquarters Operations Officer for additional details.

The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.