Event Notification Report for April 09, 1999

DISCREPANCIES DISCOVERED IN APPENDIX R PROCEDURES

"A review associated with an Engineering fire protection self-assessment has identified discrepancies in manual actions specified in select Unit 1 post-fire safe shutdown procedures. Steps in these procedures require certain manual actions to be taken that have been determined to be inappropriate. Performing these actions could place Unit 1 in a condition which is outside the design basis of the Fire Protection Program involving Appendix R Safe Shutdown capability. These actions involve manually de-energizing non-essential class 1E power circuits. The intent of these actions is to turn off circuits that are not required for safe shutdown in order to eliminate the potential for circuit faults due to a postulated fire that could trip out an entire AC distribution panel. However, performing these actions would result in de-energizing the power to the diesel building exhaust dampers. It has been determined that the dampers revert to the closed position when their power supply is de-energized. This could have resulted in the emergency diesel generator operating with insufficient ventilation for diesel room cooling. This condition could have prevented the fulfillment of the safety function of the emergency diesel generators needed to satisfy the Appendix R Safe Shutdown requirements. As a result of these procedural deficiencies, the ability to mitigate the consequences of a fire event and to place the plant in a safe shutdown condition cannot be assured.

"A condition report has been written to document these procedural discrepancies. The root cause and corrective actions are being addressed through the corrective action program."

The licensee will inform the NRC resident inspector of this notification.

NUCLEAR ALERT TELEPHONE SYSTEM INOPERABLE

The licensee reported that the Nuclear Alert telephone, which links the plant to local police departments, is inoperable. FTS2000 and commercial telephone service is unaffected.

PLANT ENTERED 3.0.3 DUE TO BOTH TRAINS OF CONTROL ROOM VENTILATION BEING INOPERABLE.

A SPURIOUS SIGNAL ON THE CHLORINE DETECTOR ON UNIT 1 "B" TRAIN CONTROL ROOM VENTILATION INTAKE WAS RECEIVED WHILE UNIT 2 VENTILATION INTAKE WAS CLOSED. UNIT 2 CONTROL ROOM INTAKE HAD PREVIOUSLY CLOSED ON A SPURIOUS SIGNAL( SEE EVENT 35561) AND IT WAS STILL CLOSED FOR TROUBLESHOOTING. BOTH UNITS CONTROL ROOM VENT SYSTEMS BEING CLOSED RESULTS IN THE INOPERABILITY OF BOTH TRAINS OF CONTROL ROOM VENTILATION, PLACING BOTH UNITS IN TS 3.0.3.

THE RESIDENT INSPECTOR WILL BE NOTIFIED.

*** UPDATE AT 0530 BY HOLLAND TO GOULD ***

THEY EXITED 3.0.3 AT 0526 WHEN THE "B" TRAIN WAS RESTORED TO OPERABLE CONDITION.

THE RESIDENT INSPECTOR WILL BE NOTIFIED.

EMERGENCY SIRENS INOPERABLE

At 0837, the control room received a report from the Beaver County Emergency Management Agency (BCEMA 911 center) that the emergency notification sirens for Beaver County were inoperable. The computer that activates the sirens was damaged by a lightning strike. This constitutes a major loss of emergency communications capability as listed in 10CFR50.72.(b)1.v. Crews are working to repair the main (damaged) computer and are also working to place the backup computer in service. They expect to have the emergency sirens returned to service within 1 hour.

The licensee notified the NRC resident inspector.

*** UPDATE ON 4/9/99 @ 1431 BY SHIPE TO GOULD ***

ALL SIRENS WERE RETURNED TO SERVICE AT 1401.

THE RESIDENT INSPECTOR WILL BE INFORMED. R1DO (KINNEMAN) WAS NOTIFIED.

LOST TROXLER MOISTURE/DENSITY GAUGE

A technician, en route to a project site, encountered problems with his pickup truck approximately one mile from the company offices. The technician was transporting a Troxler model 3430 gauge, containing one 8 mCi Cs-137 source and one 40 mCi Am-241/Be source. A second truck was sent to retrieve the technician and his equipment. However, when the gauge was moved to the second truck, it was not properly secured to the bed of the truck, nor was the tailgate raised. Upon arrival at the office, the technician discovered that the gauge had fallen from the truck. The technician immediately retraced the route of travel, but did not find the gauge. The licensee believes that a passing motorist may have picked it up. The gauge was locked inside of its storage case at the time of the loss. The local police department has been contacted by the licensee.

THE LICENSEE REPORTED A PART 21 DEFECT ON A REPLACEMENT TURBOCHARGER SUPPLIED BY COLTEC INDUSTRIES.

THE LICENSEE REPLACED A TURBOCHARGER(MODEL 730), SUPPLIED BY COLTEC INDUSTRIES, ON THEIR "B" EMERGENCY DIESEL GENERATOR (ALCO MODEL 16-251F) AT GINNA STATION. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFICIENCY IN THE REPLACEMENT TURBOCHARGER WHICH CONSISTED OF A MISSING DRAIN PORT IN THE INTERMEDIATE CASING ON THE TURBINE END WHICH WOULD PREVENT ENGINE LUBRICATING OIL FROM BEING ABLE TO DRAIN BACK TO THE ENGINE SUMP FROM THE TURBOCHARGER SHAFT AND BEARINGS. THIS DEFICIENCY CREATED A CONDITION WHERE ENGINE LUBE OIL WAS BEING DIRECTED INTO THE CYLINDERS THROUGH THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD PIPING, WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS ENGINE DAMAGE.

RADIATION DEVICE CONTAINING 1 CURIE OF AMERICIUM POSSIBLY STOLEN

Arvan Industries of Greenwood, Indiana contacted the Payne Firm (Dan Woody acting as representative) late Friday, 4/9/99, for consultation concerning a radiation device containing 1 Ci of Am-241 that is believed stolen. The device is missing from the Arvan Exhaust Greenwood Facility located at 101 Center St., Greenwood, Indiana during ongoing closure activities. The device weighs about 200 pounds, contains a sealed source of 1 Ci of Am-241, and was used to measure the thickness of rolled steel. The device, an Xact Ray Thickness Gauge 3500 Model, serial #48761-1 and source serial #2786LX was manufactured by the Loral Control Systems of Archbald, Pennsylvania. The manufacturer is no longer in business.

There is an ongoing investigation and a written report will be submitted later.

The police have not been contacted at this time. It will probably be reported to the Greenwood, Indiana police or possibly the Indiana Highway police.

NRC HOO notified Mr John Ruyack of the Indiana Dept of Radiation Protection