Event Notification Report for March 12, 1999
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center
Event Reports For
03/11/1999 - 03/12/1999
** EVENT NUMBERS **
35458 35459 35460 35461
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|Fuel Cycle Facility |Event Number: 35458 |
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| FACILITY: PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT |NOTIFICATION DATE: 03/11/1999|
| RXTYPE: URANIUM ENRICHMENT FACILITY |NOTIFICATION TIME: 14:31[EST]|
| COMMENTS: 2 DEMOCRACY CENTER |EVENT DATE: 03/11/1999|
| 6903 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE |EVENT TIME: 10:30[EST]|
| BETHESDA, MD 20817 (301)564-3200 |LAST UPDATE DATE: 03/11/1999|
| CITY: PIKETON REGION: 3 +-----------------------------+
| COUNTY: PIKE STATE: OH |PERSON ORGANIZATION |
|LICENSE#: GDP-2 AGREEMENT: N |RONALD GARDNER R3 |
| DOCKET: 0707002 |DON COOL, EO NMSS |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: ERIC SPAETH | |
| HQ OPS OFFICER: JOHN MacKINNON | |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: N/A | |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|NBNL RESPONSE-BULLETIN | |
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| | |
| | |
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EVENT TEXT
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| - NRC BULLETIN 91-01, 4 HOUR REPORT - |
| |
| THE FOLLOWING IS A PORTION OF A FACSIMILE FROM PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION |
| PLANT: |
| |
| ON MARCH 11,1999 AT l030 HOURS, THE NUCLEAR CRITICALITY SAFETY (NCS) STAFF |
| DETERMINED THAT A NUCLEAR CRITICALITY SAFETY APPROVAL (NCSA) FOR X-705, THAT |
| DEALT WITH DISASSEMBLY OF EQUIPMENT, WAS DEFICIENT. NCSA-0705_038 WAS |
| DEFICIENT IN THAT IT FAILED TO IDENTIFY THE CONTROLS NECESSARY TO ENSURE |
| THAT THE DISASSEMBLY OF EQUIPMENT, PREVIOUSLY CLASSIFIED "UH (UNCOMPLICATED |
| HANDLING) BASED ON GEOMETRY", DID NOT LEAD TO AN UNSAFE CONFIGURATION FOR |
| NCS. BUILDING AND NCS PERSONNEL HAVE ASSESSED THE AREA AND NO UNSAFE |
| CONDITIONS OR DISASSEMBLY ACTIVITIES WERE FOUND. |
| |
| THE NCSA DID NOT ADEQUATELY CONSIDER THE EFFECT OF DISASSEMBLY ON EQUIPMENT |
| CLASSIFIED AS "UH BASED ON GEOMETRY" THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UNSAFE |
| CONFIGURATION. |
| |
| X-705 BUILDING MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL HAVE DISCONTINUED DISASSEMBLY OPERATIONS |
| OF EQUIPMENT INVOLVING COMPONENTS PREVIOUSLY CLASSIFIED AS "UH BASED ON |
| GEOMETRY". APPLICABLE NCSAs WILL BE CORRECTED AND IMPLEMENTED. |
| |
| THERE WAS NO LOSS OF HAZARDOUS/RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL OR |
| RADIOACTIVE/RADIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION EXPOSURE AS A RESULT OF THIS EVENT. |
| |
| THE LICENSEE INFORMED THE NRC RESIDENT INSPECTOR. |
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|Other Nuclear Material |Event Number: 35459 |
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| REP ORG: GAI CONSULTANTS, INC |NOTIFICATION DATE: 03/11/1999|
|LICENSEE: GAI CONSULTANTS, INC |NOTIFICATION TIME: 13:43[EST]|
| CITY: MONROEVILLE REGION: 1 |EVENT DATE: 03/11/1999|
| COUNTY: ALLEGHENY STATE: PA |EVENT TIME: 07:10[EST]|
|LICENSE#: 37-09180-01 AGREEMENT: N |LAST UPDATE DATE: 03/11/1999|
| DOCKET: |+----------------------------+
| |PERSON ORGANIZATION |
| |TOM MOSLAK R1 |
| |DON COOL, EO NMSS |
+------------------------------------------------+EDWARD MCALPINE R2 |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: CHUCK FORD, RSO | |
| HQ OPS OFFICER: DICK JOLLIFFE | |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: N/A | |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|BAB1 20.2201(a)(1)(i) LOST/STOLEN LNM>1000X | |
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EVENT TEXT
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| - TROXLER MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE STOLEN FROM A LOCKED COMPANY PICKUP TRUCK |
| - |
| |
| AT 0710 ON 03/11/99, CHUCK FORD, RADIATION SAFETY OFFICER, GAI CONSULTANTS, |
| INC, MONROEVILLE, PA, (LICENSE #37-09180-01) WAS NOTIFIED THAT A TROXLER |
| MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE HAD BEEN STOLEN FROM THE BACK OF A COMPANY PICKUP |
| TRUCK WITH A LOCKED CAMPER TOP. THE TRUCK WAS PARKED IN THE PARKING LOT OF |
| THE COMFORT INN IN MARTINSBURG, WV. THE CAMPER TOP LOCK WAS DAMAGED AND THE |
| GAUGE HAD BEEN STOLEN BETWEEN 1900 ON 03/10/99 TO 0630 ON 03/11/99. THE |
| UNDAMAGED LOCKED GAUGE (MODEL #3440, SERIAL #29575) CONTAINED SEALED 8 |
| MILLICURIES OF Cs-137 AND 40 MILLICURIES OF Am-241-Be SOURCES. |
| |
| MR. FORD REPORTED THE THEFT TO THE WV STATE POLICE AND NRC REGION 1 (JUDY |
| JOUSTRA) AND PLANS TO SUBMIT A WRITTEN REPORT TO THE NRC WITHIN 30 DAYS. |
| THE WV STATE POLICE ISSUED A PRESS RELEASE REGARDING THIS THEFT. |
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|Power Reactor |Event Number: 35460 |
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| FACILITY: SEABROOK REGION: 1 |NOTIFICATION DATE: 03/11/1999|
| UNIT: [1] [] [] STATE: NH |NOTIFICATION TIME: 16:08[EST]|
| RXTYPE: [1] W-4-LP |EVENT DATE: 03/11/1999|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME: 14:30[EST]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: DENNIS BEMIS |LAST UPDATE DATE: 03/11/1999|
| HQ OPS OFFICER: DICK JOLLIFFE +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: N/A |TOM MOSLAK R1 |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|APRE 50.72(b)(2)(vi) OFFSITE NOTIFICATION | |
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+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR| INIT RX MODE |CURR PWR| CURR RX MODE |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|1 N Y 100 Power Operation |100 Power Operation |
| | |
| | |
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EVENT TEXT
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| - LICENSEE NOTIFIED EPA & NH OF SANITARY WASTE WATER DISCHARGE INTO ATLANTIC |
| OCEAN - |
| |
| AT 1430 ON 03/11/99, THE LICENSEE NOTIFIED THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION |
| AGENCY AND THE NEW HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES THAT |
| APPROXIMATELY 60 GALLONS OF SANITARY WASTE WATER HAD INADVERTENTLY BEEN |
| DISCHARGED INTO A PLANT STORM DRAIN WHICH DISCHARGES INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN |
| IN VIOLATION OF THEIR NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM |
| PERMIT. |
| |
| THE LICENSEE INFORMED THE NRC RESIDENT INSPECTOR. |
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|Power Reactor |Event Number: 35461 |
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| FACILITY: SOUTH TEXAS REGION: 4 |NOTIFICATION DATE: 03/12/1999|
| UNIT: [1] [2] [] STATE: TX |NOTIFICATION TIME: 00:07[EST]|
| RXTYPE: [1] W-4-LP,[2] W-4-LP |EVENT DATE: 03/11/1999|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME: 11:30[CST]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: KLIMPLE |LAST UPDATE DATE: 03/12/1999|
| HQ OPS OFFICER: CHAUNCEY GOULD +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: N/A |GARY SANBORN R4 |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|NINF INFORMATION ONLY | |
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| | |
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+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR| INIT RX MODE |CURR PWR| CURR RX MODE |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|1 N Y 100 Power Operation |100 Power Operation |
|2 N Y 100 Power Operation |100 Power Operation |
| | |
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EVENT TEXT
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| THE PLANT DOES NOT MEET THE DESIGN BASIS REQUIREMENT FOR RHR HEAT EXCHANGER |
| CONTROL VALVES TO BE SECURED IN A SAFE POSITION. |
| |
| DURING A REVIEW OF THE OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR THE RESIDUAL HEAT |
| REMOVAL(RHR) HEAT EXCHANGER SYSTEM, NO STEPS OR LINEUPS WERE FOUND TO |
| IMPLEMENT THE DESIGN BASIS REQUIREMENT FOR THE RHR HEAT EXCHANGER FLOW AND |
| BYPASS CONTROL VALVES TO BE SECURED IN THEIR SAFE POSITION. |
| |
| THE RHR HEAT EXCHANGER FLOW AND BYPASS CONTROL VALVES WERE FOUND TO BE |
| CONFIGURED WITH THE SOLENOID VENT VALVES IN AN ENERGIZED CONDITION, |
| THEREFORE POTENTIALLY ALLOWING THE NON-SAFETY RELATED POSITIONER TO CONTROL |
| THE VALVE. |
| FAILURE OF ONE OF THE NON-SAFETY POSITIONERS (DUE TO ADVERSE CONDITIONS) |
| COULD HAVE DRIVEN THE VALVES TO THEIR NON-SAFETY POSITION AT THE ONSET OF |
| A POSTULATED ACCIDENT, THEREBY PREVENTING THE IMMEDIATE AVAILABILITY OF THE |
| LOW HEAD SAFETY INJECTION FLOW. |
| |
| THIS CONDITION WAS RESOLVED AS SOON AS IT WAS IDENTIFIED BY DE-ENERGIZING |
| AND REMOVING THE FUSES FOR THE VALVES. |
| |
| THE RESIDENT INSPECTOR WAS NOTIFIED. |
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