Event Notification Report for April 5, 1999

                    U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
                              Operations Center

                              Event Reports For
                           04/02/1999 - 04/05/1999

                              ** EVENT NUMBERS **

35540  35541  35542  35543  

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|General Information or Other                     |Event Number:   35540       |
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| REP ORG:  H & G INSPECTION                     |NOTIFICATION DATE: 04/02/1999|
|LICENSEE:  H & G INSPECTION                     |NOTIFICATION TIME: 11:08[EST]|
|    CITY:  HOUSTON                  REGION:  4  |EVENT DATE:        04/02/1999|
|  COUNTY:                            STATE:  TX |EVENT TIME:        04:40[CST]|
|LICENSE#:  42-26838-01           AGREEMENT:  Y  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  04/02/1999|
|  DOCKET:                                       |+----------------------------+
|                                                |PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|                                                |LINDA HOWELL         R4      |
|                                                |DON COOL             NMSS    |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  CRAIG KONIECZNY              |                             |
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  STEVE SANDIN                 |                             |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          N/A                   |                             |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|IBBE 30.50(b)(2)(i)      ACCID MIT EQUIP FAILS  |                             |
|IBBF 30.50(b)(2)(ii)     EQUIP DISABLED/FAILS   |                             |
|IBBG 30.50(b)(2)(iii)    REDUNDANT EQUIP INOP   |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
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                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
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| SUSPECTED FAILURE OF AUTO LOCKING MECHANISM PREVENTING RETRACTION OF IR-192  |
| SOURCE IN A RADIOGRAPHY CAMERA.                                              |
|                                                                              |
| DURING A CAMERA SHOT AT A POWER PLANT LOCATED A COUPLE MILES FROM THE        |
| EVANSTON, WYOMING, OFFICE, THE IRIDIUM-192 SOURCE WOULD NOT RETRACT INTO THE |
| SHIELDED VOLUME.  THE  LICENSEE (H & G INSPECTION COMPANY)  AREA MANAGER     |
| RESPONDED TO THE SCENE AND TRANSFERRED THE SOURCE TO AN EMPTY CAMERA.  BOTH  |
| THE RADIOGRAPHER AND THE AREA MANAGER ARE ESTIMATED TO HAVE RECEIVED LESS    |
| THAN 200 MREM/EACH.  (THE DOSIMETRY REMAINED ON-SCALE.)                      |
|                                                                              |
| SPECIFIC INFORMATION IS AS FOLLOWS:                                          |
|                                                                              |
| 1.  THE CAMERA WAS MANUFACTURED BY INDUSTRIAL NUCLEAR LOCATED IN CALIFORNIA, |
| MODEL                                                                        |
| IR100.                                                                       |
| 2.  THE SOURCE WAS MANUFACTURED BY SOURCE PRODUCTION COMPANY  LOCATED IN     |
| LOUISIANA, S/N 4258.                                                         |
|                                                                              |
| THE LICENSEE REQUIRED APPROXIMATELY 5 HOURS TO RECOVER THE FRESHLY INSTALLED |
| SOURCE (ABOUT 100 CURIES) DURING WHICH TIME THE POWER PLANT WAS SHUTDOWN.    |
| THE LICENSEE IS CONDUCTING AN INVESTIGATION AND PLANS ON RETURNING THE       |
| CAMERA TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR EVALUATION.  AT THIS TIME, THE LICENSEE       |
| SUSPECTS A FAILURE IN THE AUTO LOCKING MECHANISM.                            |
|                                                                              |
| AN NRC REGION 4 INSPECTOR (CRUZ) WAS PRESENT IN THE HOUSTON OFFICE AND WAS   |
| AWARE OF THE INCIDENT.  THE LICENSEE PLANS TO SUBMIT A WRITTEN REPORT.       |
|                                                                              |
| CALL THE HEADQUARTERS OPERATIONS OFFICER FOR CONTACT INFORMATION.            |
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|Power Reactor                                    |Event Number:   35541       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
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| FACILITY: OYSTER CREEK             REGION:  1  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 04/02/1999|
|    UNIT:  [1] [] []                 STATE:  NJ |NOTIFICATION TIME: 12:11[EST]|
|   RXTYPE: [1] GE-2                             |EVENT DATE:        04/02/1999|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME:        12:00[EST]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  STEVE FULLER                 |LAST UPDATE DATE:  04/02/1999|
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  FANGIE JONES                 +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          N/A                   |KATHLEEN MODES       R1      |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|AOUT 50.72(b)(1)(ii)(B)  OUTSIDE DESIGN BASIS   |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR|   INIT RX MODE  |CURR PWR|  CURR RX MODE   |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|1     N          Y       100      Power Operation  |100      Power Operation  |
|                                                   |                          |
|                                                   |                          |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| THREE CABLE TRAYS FOUND IN REACTOR BUILDING DO NOT MEET SEPARATION           |
| CRITERIA.                                                                    |
|                                                                              |
| The licensee discovered three cable trays in the reactor building that do    |
| not meet the design criteria for separation of trains.  The discovery was    |
| during a walkdown of cable trays in the plant following review of similar    |
| events in the industry.                                                      |
|                                                                              |
| Corrective action will be to install fire barrier material between the       |
| division 1 and 2 cable trays.  The design for the barriers has been started, |
| and the actual work is expected to be complete within 2 weeks.  It has been  |
| determined that interim measures, such as a fire watch, are not necessary    |
| because the cable trays carry only low amperage instrument and control       |
| cables and because they are fused.                                           |
|                                                                              |
| The licensee intends to notify the NRC Resident Inspector.                   |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|General Information or Other                     |Event Number:   35542       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
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| REP ORG:  COGEMA MINING, INC.                  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 04/03/1999|
|LICENSEE:  COGEMA MINING, INC.                  |NOTIFICATION TIME: 14:21[EST]|
|    CITY:                           REGION:  4  |EVENT DATE:        04/03/1999|
|  COUNTY:  CONVERSE                  STATE:  WY |EVENT TIME:        09:00[MST]|
|LICENSE#:  SIA1341               AGREEMENT:  N  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  04/03/1999|
|  DOCKET:                                       |+----------------------------+
|                                                |PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|                                                |LINDA HOWELL         R4      |
|                                                |LARRY CAMPER         NMSS    |
+------------------------------------------------+JOE STOMBERG         DOE     |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  JOHN VASELIN                 |JIM RABB             HHS     |
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  FANGIE JONES                 |E. CLAIRE            EPA     |
+------------------------------------------------+GARY BELCHER         FEMA    |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          N/A                   |                             |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|NONR                     OTHER UNSPEC REQMNT    |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
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                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 13,000 GALLONS OF RESTORATION WATER SPILLED CONTAINING 1.4 PPM U3O8.         |
|                                                                              |
| This report is made in compliance with a license requirement to report any   |
| spill greater than 10,000 gallons.  This is in mine unit #9 which is located |
| about 90 miles northeast of Casper, WY.  The spill is from an underground    |
| water trunk line and is estimated at approximately 13,000 gallons.  The      |
| water contains 1.2 ppm uranium or 1.4 ppm U3O8; the drinking water limit is  |
| 5 ppm uranium.  This spill has no threat or adverse impact to the public or  |
| the environment.  The nearest habitation is about 4 miles away, and the      |
| nearest town is about 15 miles away.  The water is part of the restoration   |
| of ground water program.  Flow through the trunk line has been secured.      |
|                                                                              |
| Recovery of the water is not likely as there is between 2 and 3 feet of snow |
| on the ground.                                                               |
|                                                                              |
| The licensee plans to make a written report to NRC Region 4 and NRC          |
| Headquarters.                                                                |
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|Fuel Cycle Facility                              |Event Number:   35543       |
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| FACILITY: PADUCAH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT      |NOTIFICATION DATE: 04/04/1999|
|   RXTYPE: URANIUM ENRICHMENT FACILITY          |NOTIFICATION TIME: 12:58[EDT]|
| COMMENTS: 2 DEMOCRACY CENTER                   |EVENT DATE:        04/03/1999|
|           6903 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE                 |EVENT TIME:        13:40[CST]|
|           BETHESDA, MD 20817    (301)564-3200  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  04/04/1999|
|    CITY:  PADUCAH                  REGION:  3  +-----------------------------+
|  COUNTY:  McCRACKEN                 STATE:  KY |PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|LICENSE#:  GDP-1                 AGREEMENT:  Y  |MARK RING            R3      |
|  DOCKET:  0707001                              |LARRY CAMPER         NMSS    |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  THOMAS WHITE                 |                             |
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  STEVE SANDIN                 |                             |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          N/A                   |                             |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|OCBA 76.120(c)(2)(i)     ACCID MT EQUIP FAILS   |                             |
|OCBB 76.120(c)(2)(ii)    EQUIP DISABLED/FAILS   |                             |
|OCBC 76.120(c)(2)(iii)   REDUNDANT EQUIP INOP   |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
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                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
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| 2-MINUTE LOSS OF AUDIBLE ALARMS FOR NUMEROUS BUILDINGS' CRITICALITY ACCIDENT |
| ALARM SYSTEMS DURING MAINTENANCE TROUBLESHOOTING                             |
|                                                                              |
| The following text is a portion of a facsimile received from Paducah:        |
|                                                                              |
| "At 1340 CST on 4-3-99, during troubleshooting activities on a Criticality   |
| Accident Alarm System (CAAS) Cluster Trouble alarm on C-710 Cluster AQ,      |
| 48-VDC breakers RA-5 and RA-7 tripped.  The troubleshooting activities were  |
| being performed under an approved Maintenance Work Package at the time the   |
| breakers tripped.  As a result of the breakers tripping, control power was   |
| lost to the C-333, C-333A, C-337, C-360, C-710, C-720, and C-746Q CAAS       |
| building horns and lights, thus losing audibility of the CAAS systems.       |
| C-710 CAAS system was inoperable at the time of the trip, but the other      |
| facilities CAAS systems were required to be available and operable.  The     |
| loss of the 48 VDC was annunciated on a CAAS alarm panel in C-300 and was    |
| immediately investigated.  On discovery of the two breakers being tripped,   |
| the breakers were reclosed.  The 48-VDC power was off for approximately 2    |
| minutes.                                                                     |
|                                                                              |
| "The inaudibility of the CAAS systems is reportable as a 24-hour event       |
| report per 10CFR76.120(c)(2).                                                |
|                                                                              |
| "The NRC resident inspector has been notified of this event."                |
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