Event Notification Report for August 08, 2013

VIOLATION OF THE FITNESS FOR DUTY PROGRAM

A contractor supervisor tested positive for alcohol on a follow-up fitness for duty screening. The individual's construction site access was revoked.

The Unit 2/3 Resident Inspector has been notified.

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - FIRE DAMAGES A TROXLER MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE

The following report was received via fax:

"An employee of GET [Geotechnical Environmental Testing] went home with a Troxler 3430 portable gauge in the bed of his work truck. The employee mishandled charcoal embers after cooking dinner on a grill, which caused the bed of the truck to start on fire. A neighbor noticed the fire and called 911 . When the fire trucks arrived, the employee discovered it was his truck on fire and talked with the VA Beach fire personnel. He stated that a portable gauge containing radioactive material was in the bed of the truck. The VA Beach hazmat team was contacted and arrived on scene. The fire was extinguished and surveys were performed by the hazmat team indicating 1 mR/hr, a normal. reading for a secured gauge. The GET employee began to contact management regarding the situation. The VA Beach GET RSO was on vacation so the North Carolina GET RSO responded and also performed surveys when he arrived. Survey readings indicated the sources were in their shielded position. The RSO was able to package the damaged gauge into another transportation case and return it to the VA Beach office. GET has contacted Troxler and has sent a swab for leak test analysis. The gauge will be returned to Troxler after verification of the sources not leaking. There is no threat to public health or safety from this event. The Virginia RMP [Radiological Materials Program] will be performing an investigation and inspection.

"Media attention: Yes, two local news stations ran a story this morning on the incident."

VA Report ID: VA-13-06

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION VIOLATION DURING CORE RELOAD

While the reactor was shut down for planned maintenance, the licensee was performing a core reload in accordance with procedure. This procedure requires control rods elements to be withdrawn to get a count rate. As expected, the reactor became critical at some point.

It was noted on 8/8/13 that this criticality was a violation of Technical Specification (TS) 3.1.3 which prohibits operating the reactor with any grid position empty.

This procedure has been used multiple times in the past. A core reload is performed approximately every 4 years.

The licensee plans on either modifying their procedure or TS to prevent this in the future.

* * * UPDATE FROM SEAN O'KELLY TO HOWIE CROUCH AT 1624 EDT ON 8/12/13 * * *

Further investigation determined that two other technical specifications were violated during the core reload experiment being conducted.

Technical specification 3.3.1(1) requires reactor water level to be no more than 25" below the overflow standpipe during critical operations. This TS was violated because the experiment was being conducted with the water level at refueling level which is lower than 25" below the standpipe and the reactor became critical, as expected.

Technical specification 3.9.2.1 prohibits critical operation until all fuel elements handled are locked into their grid positions. By the very nature of the experiment, this TS was violated.

The licensee will be notifying their NRC Project Manager. Notified NRR (Yin, Adams, Isaacs).

ALERT DECLARED DUE TO A SWITCHGEAR EXPLOSION THAT SUPPLIES SAFE SHUTDOWN EQUIPMENT

The licensee reported that there was an explosion in a non-safety related electrical bus (Bus 1E2). The bus is designated as a safe shut down bus. The licensee has classified this event as an Alert based on an EAL entry condition of "an explosion of sufficient force to damage permanent structures or equipment within the Protected Area." The licensee is still investigating what loads come off this bus but no safety-related loads have been identified at this time. The plant is currently stable at 92% power. Power was reduced due to the loss of moisture separator reheaters on the secondary side as a result of this event. There is no ongoing fire as a result of the bus explosion. No personnel were injured. No damage to other equipment has been identified at this time.

The licensee has notified state and local authorities and the NRC Resident Inspector.

Notified DHS SWO, DOE, FEMA, HHS, DHS NICC, USDA, EPA, FDA and NuclearSSA via email. NRC PAO (Brenner) notified.

* * * UPDATE AT 0404 EDT ON 8/8/13 FROM TYLER HALYE TO MARK ABRAMOVITZ * * *

"Auxiliary bus 1E2 (safe shutdown equipment bus) is de-energized due to the explosion. The Alert was declared due to the explosion affecting safe shutdown equipment." The licensee also noted that the event was initially classified as an Unusual Event at 0234 EDT and then upgraded to an Alert classification at 0305 EDT when the bus was determined to supply safe shutdown equipment.

The licensee has notified the NRC Resident Inspector.

* * * UPDATE AT 0453 EDT ON 8/8/13 FROM TYLER HALYE TO MARK ABRAMOVITZ * * *

No offsite assistance was requested during this event. The licensee verified that there was no fire. It was noted that the licensee is in Technical Specification Action Statement 3.8.1.1 for the "B" Emergency Diesel Generator being out of service. The EDG is out of service due to loss of power to the "C" and "D" air compressors. The licensee was uncertain if the loss of these air compressors was related to the event.

The licensee has notified the NRC Resident Inspector. R2DO (Shaeffer) and NRR EO (Hiland) notified.

* * * UPDATE AT 0546 EDT ON 8/8/13 FROM SHANNON JONES TO MARK ABRAMOVITZ * * *

The licensee terminated the Alert declaration at 0533 EDT based upon no fire at Bus 1E2 and verification that Bus 1E2 is de-energized and disconnected from all electrical systems. The licensee remains at 92% power. The only noted safety related equipment that was impacted is the "1B" Emergency Diesel Generator which has been declared inoperable due to loss of power to associated air compressors "1C-SB" and "1D-SB."

The licensee has notified the NRC Resident Inspector.

R2DO (Shaeffer), NRR EO (Hiland) and IRD MOC (Morris) notified. Notified DHS SWO, DOE, FEMA, HHS, DHS NICC, USDA, EPA, FDA and NuclearSSA via email. NRC PAO (Brenner) notified.

* * * UPDATE FROM TIM ENGLISH TO HOWIE CROUCH AT 1347 EDT ON 8/10/13 * * *

"It has been determined that operability of the 1B Emergency Diesel Generator (EDG) was not affected by the damage to 480 volt auxiliary bus 1E2. The 1C and 1D starting air compressors for 1B EDG did not lose power and thus the 1B EDG was operable.

"The NRC Resident Inspector has been notified."

Notified R2DO (Shaeffer).