Event Notification Report for February 26, 2010

AGREEMENT STATE - POTENTIAL OVEREXPOSURE DURING RADIOGRAPHY

A representative of the State of Nebraska has received preliminary information about a radiography incident that may have resulted in overexposures. The incident occurred during radiography of elevated piping at a pumping station. The radiographer and a contactor operating an aerial lift bucket had just completed a radiography shot on some overhead piping. The assistant radiographer was in a different location and had supposedly retracted the source into its safe position. Because the radiographer had his alarming rate meter under his clothing, and because there was significant ambient noise in the work area, the radiographer did not immediately hear that his rate meter was alarming as he and the aerial lift operator approached the radiography camera guide tube to set up for the next shot. When the radiographer heard the alarm, he checked his pocket dosimeter and found it off-scale. The radiographer had the assistant re-perform the source retraction and was subsequently able to confirm that the source was now fully retracted into the camera's safe position.

Based on initial estimates by the radiographer, his worst case exposure could be as high as 7.1 REM. The best case scenario would put his exposure around 200 mREM. The aerial lift operator, who is not a radiation worker, is believed to have exposures less than the radiographer. The radiographer's TLD has been sent for immediate processing by Landauer.

The State should have an inspector at the site on 2/28/10. This report will be updated and more details provided after the State completes its initial inspection.

MANUAL REACTOR TRIP DUE TO LOSS OF TWO CIRCULATING WATER PUMPS

The "C" Circulating Water Pump tripped on high delta pressure across the screens. Another Circulating Water Pump was out of service for maintenance. This condition required a shutdown, therefore the reactor was manually tripped. This caused the steam generator level to reach the low level setpoint. There was a loss of Main Feedwater Pumps when breaking condenser vacuum. Auxiliary Feedwater Pumps started automatically upon low level in the steam generators. The letdown system was isolated post trip and the charging and letdown systems are restored to normal lineup. The plant is in Mode 3.

All rods fully inserted. Decay heat is being removed via atmospheric dump valves. There are no known primary to secondary leaks in the steam generator tubes. The electrical lineup is normal with offsite power.

The licensee has notified the NRC Resident Inspector.

MISSING SHUTTER ON TEXAS NUCLEAR LEVEL GAUGE

While on a routine inspection, a technician from Thermal Fisher notified the RSO that a shutter was missing from Texas Nuclear gauge #5202, s/n #B2302. The technician indicated he will try and get a replacement shutter for the gauge. This gauge is used for level indication in a coal hopper and the shutter is normally open. The gauge's source is 200 mCi of Cs-137.

IN-PLANT PAGING SYSTEM OUT OF SERVICE

"At about 0830 CST on 2/26/2010 , it was discovered that the station paging system was not operating. Repair efforts were initiated. The Control Room and station personnel were notified of the pager outage. The automated callout system is available to notify the emergency response organization during the pager outage if needed."

* * * UPDATE FROM JOHN MUSSER TO JOE O'HARA AT 1556 EST ON 2/26/10 * * *

The station paging system was restored to operable status at 1400 CST. The licensee will notify the NRC Resident Inspector.

Notified the R4DO(Lantz).

MISSING MATERIAL IDENTIFIED DURING ANNUAL INVENTORY

A 5.862 mCi sample of C-14 in a dipropylene glycol propyl ether mix was identified as missing on 2/26/10 during the annual physical inventory of radioactive materials. The sample had been present in its approved storage location during the 2009 physical inventory.

The material was lost sometime between March 2009 and February 2010.

The licensee has taken the following actions to locate the material:

- Spoke with all authorized users to identify location or usage within the last year;
- Detailed search of all storage areas and radioisotope-approved labs; and
- Checked waste disposal records.


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. For additional information go to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf

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