Event Notification Report for August 05, 2011

MATERIAL DISCOVERED IN AN UNANALYZED CONTAINER

"Condition Description: During the morning of 8/05/2011, Radiation Protection personnel discovered potentially contaminated waste being stored in an unmarked container in the mass spec room. Radiation Protection Management and Criticality Safety personnel were notified. Upon learning at 4:30 pm [that] the unmarked container was not a Safe By Design [SBD] container, a criticality anomalous condition was declared at approximately 4:30 pm, in accordance with CR-3-1000-04, based on a violation of Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS) guidelines and procedural requirements. Thus, at 4:30 pm, a cognizant individual was notified of the potential safety significant condition and, therefore, understood the condition could adversely impact safety. This report is being submitted as a conservative measure as the volume of waste, mostly gloves and wipes, was much less than 12 liters and could easily fit into a SBD container. The material that could be surveyed was cleared as non-radioactive material, and placed in a clean waste container. The material that could not be surveyed was transferred to a SBD container pending further analysis. The initial analysis of the material placed in the SBD container did not indicate the presence of any trace uranic material. At no time was there ever a concern of imminent criticality or for the health and safety of workers at URENCO USA.

"(1) Radiological or chemical hazards involved, including isotopes, quantities, and chemical and physical form of any material released: Potential Uranium 235 contaminated PFPE oil ampules in a solid state.

"(2) Actual or potential health and safety consequences to the workers, the public, and the environment, including relevant chemical and radiation data for actual personnel exposures to radiation or radioactive materials or hazardous chemicals produced from licensed materials (e.g., level of radiation exposure, concentration of chemicals, and duration of exposure): None. Radiological surveys were taken on the material in the container. No radiation levels or contamination levels were noted above background. All of the material, except for 4 ampules, were released as non-radioactive. Although the ampules did not have radiation levels above background, there was a slight potential for a trace level or uranic contamination.

"(3) The sequence of occurrences leading to the Condition, including degradation or failure of structures, systems, equipment, components, and activities of personnel relied on to prevent potential accidents or mitigate their consequences: One 24 liter container was placed in the mass spec room. Instead of a 24 liter container, a 12 liter SBD container should have been utilized. Chemistry personnel used the 24 liter container to store potentially radioactive material. The actual quantity of material in the 24 liter container was less than 12 liters. Personnel should not have used the 24 liter container to store potentially radioactivity contaminated material. This was a violation of site procedure RW-1003-09, Rev. 5.

"(4) Whether the remaining structures, systems, equipment, components, and activities of personnel relied on to prevent potential accidents or mitigate their consequences are available and reliable to perform their function: The structures, systems, equipment, components, and activities of personnel relied on to prevent potential accidents or mitigate their consequences are available and reliable to perform their function.

"(5) External conditions affecting the Condition: None.

"(6) Additional actions taken by the licensee in response to the Condition: Radiation Protection Technician notified her supervisor who notified criticality safety, who then notified the shift manager. The 24 liter container was removed from the mass spec room. Radiological surveys were taken and all material released as clean except for 4 potentially contaminated ampules. Initial surveys did not find radiation levels above background on the 4 ampules. The 4 potentially contaminated ampules were placed into a 12 liter SBD container until they undergo a final analysis to determine if they contained trace uranic material or not. Actions have been initiated to establish a waste accumulation area in the mass spec room in accordance with RW-3-1000-09. Meetings have been set up with Chemistry personnel to review control of potentially contaminated material. The Criticality Safety Officer generated Condition Report 2011-2560 -- Use of non-SBD Container to collect potentially uranic contaminated waste.

"(7) Status of the condition (e.g., whether the condition is on-going or was terminated): The condition is not ongoing as the material has been placed in a SBD container.

"(8) Current and planned site status, including any declared emergency class: Plant is operational; condition is non-emergency.

"(9) Notifications, related to the condition that were made or are planned to any local, State, or other Federal agencies: None

"(10) Status of any press releases, related to the Condition that were made or are planned: None."

24-HOUR FITNESS-FOR-DUTY REPORT

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

The NRC Resident Inspector has been informed.

OFFSITE NOTIFICATION DUE TO INADVERTENT EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SIREN ACTUATION

"One of the 37 prompt notification sirens surrounding the James A. Fitzpatrick (JAF) and Nine Mile Point (NMP) sites spuriously activated at time 1932 EDT.

"The Oswego County 911 Center notified the NMP emergency preparedness department of the inadvertent siren activation.

"Repair technicians have deactivated and silenced the faulty siren as of time 1948 EDT.

"The cause of the inadvertent siren activation is not yet known. This issue has been entered into the site's corrective action program."

The NRC Resident Inspector has been informed. See similar EN #47128.

OFFSITE NOTIFICATION DUE TO INADVERTENT EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SIREN ACTUATION

"The purpose of this report is to provide a telephone notification under 10CFR50.72(b)(2)(xi) to notify the NRC of the inadvertent actuation of one Oswego County Emergency notification siren at approximately 1932 EDT on 8/5/2011. Initial notification to the James A Fitzpatrick control room of the siren activation was via the RECS [Radiation Emergency Communication System] Notification System. Power was removed to the affected siren by off-site repair personnel at 1948 EDT.

"The affected siren provides coverage to Oswego County. The sirens are utility owned and shared with the Nine Mile Point site.

"In the event the sirens are needed, the county has its Hyper-Reach (911 call back system) on standby.

"This issue has been entered into the station corrective action program.

"The NRC Sr. Resident Inspector has been notified."

The licensee notified the State of New York and Oswego County. See similar EN #47127.

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - MISSING TRITIUM EXIT SIGN

The licensee notified the state of California that on 8/5/2011 they had discovered one of its tritium exit signs missing. The licensee is investigating. The sign contained approximately 20 curies of H-3.

* * * RETRACTION BY GENE FORRER TO VINCE KLCO ON 10/25/11 AT 1801 EDT * * *

Following a licensee review of inventory, the missing tritium exit sign was discovered. Therefore, the event is being retracted.

Notified the R4DO (Haire), FSME EO(Chang), ILTAB via email and Mexico via fax.

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