Event Notification Report for January 21, 2020

FITNESS FOR DUTY (FFD) ISSUE INVOLVING CONTRACT PERSONNEL

"At 2005 EST on January 21, 2020, Hatch Security was informed that a contract worker covered by 10 CFR 26.719(b) had been involved in a legal action as defined in 10 CFR 26.5. The contract worker's plant access has been suspended."

The NRC Resident Inspector has been notified.

TEXAS AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE

The following information was obtained from the state of Texas via email:

"On January 21, 2020, the licensee notified the Agency [Texas Department of State Health Services], that one of its company trucks with one of its moisture/density gauges had been stolen from its facility. The technician had pulled the truck into the licensee's yard (fenced area but gate open) and pulled up to the building. He turned off the truck, but left the keys in it, while he took a test sample inside the building. The licensee's video surveillance shows an individual walked into the yard and stole the truck which had a Troxler model 3440 moisture/density gauge in the bed. The gauge has a lock on the insertion rod. The gauge is inside its transport case which has a lock. The transport case is inside a metal box that is bolted in the bed of the pickup that also has a lock. However, the keys to these locks are on the same key ring as the truck ignition key. The licensee immediately notified the local police department who responded to the facility and is investigating. An investigation into this event is ongoing.

"More information will be provided as it is obtained in accordance with SA-300.

"Gauge info: Troxler 3440 SN: 27798
Sources: Am-241/Be: 40 mCi, SN: 479223; Cs-137: 8 mCi, SN: 750-9353"

Texas Incident No. I-9734

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

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - FOUND SOURCE

The following is a synopses of a report received from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (the Division) via email:

On January 21, 2020, a licensee left a message for the Division that a source had been found lying outside of the locked gate of one of the licensee's facilities. The licensee reported that it was not their source, but they moved it inside of their facility in order to secure the source and keep a member of the public from finding it. The licensee did not have much information regarding the source when staff spoke with them, but sent a picture of the source that was found. The picture showed a small can labeled with a Beckman Instruments, Inc. label. The label stated that the can contained 40 microcuries of Cs-137 assayed on July 30, 1981. The label was consistent with a generally licensed source and appeared to have been manufactured in CA. The licensee did not know where the source came from or why it was deposited close to their entrance gate. A member of the Division's staff will go to the licensee's facility tomorrow to read the serial number and the full label from the can.

Utah Event Report ID #: UT200001

CONTAINMENT RELIEF VALVES INOPERABLE

"At 22:18 (EST) on 1/21/20, it was discovered that all Unit 1 containment vacuum relief isolation valves were closed and all vacuum relief lines were simultaneously inoperable; therefore, this condition is being reported as an eight-hour, non-emergency notification per 10 CFR 50.72(b)(3)(v). The isolation valves were opened and the vacuum relief valves were restored to operable.

"There is no impact on the health and safety of the public or plant personnel. The NRC Resident Inspector has been notified."

* * * UPDATE ON 02/20/2020 AT 1626 EST FROM FRANK SCHULTE TO BRIAN P. SMITH * * *

"At 1549 (EST), February 20, 2020, a completed engineering evaluation of the condition initially reported on January 22, 2020 determined that the inoperability of the Sequoyah Unit 1 Containment Vacuum Relief System affected the ability to protect containment against an external pressure event. This condition is not bounded by existing design and licensing documents; however, it poses no impact to the health and safety of the public or plant personnel. The condition was resolved when isolation valves were opened on January 21, 2020 and the vacuum relief lines were restored to an operable status. Therefore, this event is being reported as an eight-hour, non-emergency notification per 10 CFR 50.72(b)(3)(ii)(B), "an unanalyzed condition that significantly degrades plant safety."

"Subsequent to the initial notification, continued evaluation of the reported condition has concluded that the isolation of the containment vacuum relief function did not prevent the fulfillment of a safety function that is needed to control the release of radioactive material; nor mitigate the consequences of an accident therefore this event is not reportable under 10 CFR 50.72(b)(3)(v), "Event or Condition that could have prevented fulfillment of a safety function.

"The NRC Resident has been notified."

Notified R2DO (Musser)