Event Notification Report for March 17, 2010

ERDS AND SPDS OUT OF SERVICE DUE TO PROCESS COMPUTER UPGRADE

"During the current Unit 2 refueling outage, the Unit 2 plant process computer system will be taken out of service for approximately three weeks to support a planned modification which will install a new (upgraded) plant process computer system. During this timeframe, ERDS [Emergency Response Data System] and SPDS [Safety Parameter Display System] will be unavailable on Unit 2 which will remain in a shutdown condition. The computer outage will have no impact on Unit 1. Should the need arise, plant status information will be communicated to the NRC using other available communication systems. The computer outage is expected to commence at 1130 CDT on 3/17/2010 and the process computer will be restored prior to Unit 2 startup, currently scheduled for 4/11/2010.

"This event is reportable under 10 CFR 50.72(b)(3)(xiii) as a Major Loss of Assessment Capability."

The licensee has notified the NRC Resident Inspector.

* * * UPDATE FROM KENNETH OHR TO CHUCK TEAL AT 1410 ON 4/9/10 * * *

"U2 [Unit 2] ERDS and SPDS have been restored. Acceptance testing was completed on 4/8/2010."

Notified R3DO (Peterson).

LOSS OF SEVEN CURIE SOURCE FROM RADIOGRAPHY CAMERA

The licensee was conducting non-destructive testing (radiography camera x-ray) on an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico. While the radiography was taking place at night, over grating, the pigtail disconnected from the camera and dropped through the grating into the Gulf of Mexico. The area where the source fell is about 6 miles from shore, East Cam 33 CS, and the depth of the water was about 40 feet. Licensee is not going to try to retrieve the source.

The camera source is 7 Ci of Ir-192, s/n QD-1302. The camera is a Spec 150, s/n 814.

THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "CATEGORY 3" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL

Category 3 sources, if not safely managed or securely protected, could cause permanent injury to a person who handled them, or were otherwise in contact with them, for some hours. It could possibly - although it is unlikely - be fatal to be close to this amount of unshielded radioactive material for a period of days to weeks. These sources are typically used in practices such as fixed industrial gauges involving high activity sources (for example: level gauges, dredger gauges, conveyor gauges and spinning pipe gauges) and well logging. For additional information go to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf

Although IAEA categorization of this event is typically based on device type, the staff has been made aware of the actual activity of the source, and after calculation determines that it is a Category 3 event.

Note: the value assigned by device type "Category 2" is different than the calculated value "Category 3"

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - DISCOVERY OF A SEALED SOURCE IN A LOAD OF SCRAP METAL

The following information was received via E-mail:

"The following are the findings of the Arkansas Department of Health, Radioactive Materials Program, concerning Event Number 03-10-01 involving an unknown radioactive source at Nucor-Yamato Steel in Blytheville, Arkansas. The Department was contacted on March 17, 2010 indicating that a sealed source had been discovered in a load of scrap metal. The isotope/activity of the sealed source is unknown at this time. It was also stated that survey readings were 50 mR/hr. Health Physicists from the Arkansas Department of Health went to Nucor-Yamato Steel. [Upon discovery], the cylinder-shaped source had been placed in a metal bucket and then put in a 55 gallon metal drum. Readings inside the barrel with the survey meter probe close to the source, the actual readings were 100-140 mR/hr. After all the shielding was in place, a survey was taken with the highest reading being 0.7 mR/hr at the surface of the drum, and the T.I. index [transport index] was 0.2 mR/hr. The drum containing the source was secured in the back of the state vehicle and transported to the Arkansas Department of Health, Radiation Control in Little Rock, Arkansas.

"The source is awaiting pickup by American Radiation Services for transport to their storage location in New Orleans, Louisiana. Further information and identification of the isotope and activity are pending the report from the vendor.

"The State of Louisiana has been notified."

* * * UPDATE FROM KAYLA AVERY TO HOWIE CROUCH VIA EMAIL @ 1627 EDT ON 6/9/10 * * *

"An employee of American Radiation Services, Inc. (ARS) arrived in Little Rock on March 19, 2010 to retrieve the unknown source. The source was packaged and transported to Port Allen, Louisiana where ARS determined that it was a Cesium-137 source of approximately 0.61 mCi. The manufacturer, model number and serial number are still unknown. ADCO Services, Inc. picked up the source from ARS on April 30, 2010 and transported it to Tinley Park, Illinois where it is waiting disposal.

"The Arkansas Department of Health considers this incident to be closed."

Notified R4DO (Powers) and FSME EO (Mauer).

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