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Event Notification Report for April 29, 1999

                    U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
                              Operations Center

                              Event Reports For
                           04/28/1999 - 04/29/1999

                              ** EVENT NUMBERS **

35645  35646  35647  35648  35649  

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Power Reactor                                    |Event Number:   35645       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| FACILITY: VERMONT YANKEE           REGION:  1  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 04/28/1999|
|    UNIT:  [1] [] []                 STATE:  VT |NOTIFICATION TIME: 11:21[EDT]|
|   RXTYPE: [1] GE-4                             |EVENT DATE:        04/28/1999|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME:        07:30[EDT]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  DENNIS MAY                   |LAST UPDATE DATE:  04/28/1999|
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  BOB STRANSKY                 +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          N/A                   |CLIFFORD ANDERSON    R1      |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|AIND 50.72(b)(2)(iii)(D) ACCIDENT MITIGATION    |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|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                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| HPCI SYSTEM INOPERABLE                                                       |
|                                                                              |
| During an I&C surveillance test of pressure switches associated with the     |
| High Pressure Coolant Injection (HPCI) steam line, one of four low steam     |
| line pressure switches failed its test.  The licensee closed both HPCI steam |
| isolation valves rendering HPCI inoperable.  The licensee has verified the   |
| operability of the Automatic Depressurization System (ADS) as required by    |
| plant Technical Specifications.                                              |
|                                                                              |
| The NRC resident inspector has been informed of this notification by the     |
| licensee.                                                                    |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Fuel Cycle Facility                              |Event Number:   35646       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| FACILITY: ALLIED-SIGNAL INC.                   |NOTIFICATION DATE: 04/28/1999|
|   RXTYPE: URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE PRODUCTION      |NOTIFICATION TIME: 12:20[EDT]|
| COMMENTS: UF6 CONVERSION (DRY PROCESS)         |EVENT DATE:        04/28/1999|
|                                                |EVENT TIME:        10:30[CDT]|
|                                                |LAST UPDATE DATE:  04/28/1999|
|    CITY:  METROPOLIS               REGION:  3  +-----------------------------+
|  COUNTY:  MASSAC                    STATE:  IL |PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|LICENSE#:  SUB-526               AGREEMENT:  Y  |JOHN MADERA          R3      |
|  DOCKET:  04003392                             |DON COOL             NMSS    |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  HUGH ROBERTS                 |                             |
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  LEIGH TROCINE                |                             |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          N/A                   |                             |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|NLTR                     LICENSEE 24 HR REPORT  |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| FAILURE OF AN EMERGENCY SYSTEM WITH NO REDUNDANT EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE FOR     |
| BACKUP - 24-HOUR REPORT IN ACCORDANCE WITH 10CFR40.60(b)                     |
|                                                                              |
| The failure involves a health physics vacuum pump and a communication device |
| (the red lights for notification of respiratory conditions).  Power is not   |
| available to these devices.  The licensee cannot switch to standby power due |
| to a common bus outage.  The licensee was in the process of putting another  |
| scrubber onto this system as part of an annual shutdown.  The power feed     |
| coming in from the local company (CIPS) went down, and the standby system    |
| was not available due to ongoing work.  The power outage occurred at 1003    |
| CDT, and it lasted for 2 minutes and 10 seconds.  The licensee determined    |
| that the health physic pump and red lights were inoperable at 1030 CDT.      |
|                                                                              |
| Prior to this event, the fluorination and distillation portions of this UF6  |
| conversion facility were down, and the licensee was operating the uranium    |
| tetra-fluoride (UF4) portion of the facility.  The licensee shut this        |
| portion of the facility down a few minutes ago because there was no standby  |
| power to the area due to a common bus outage.                                |
|                                                                              |
| The licensee plans to inform the NRC  Region 3 office and three NRC          |
| inspectors that are currently located on site.  (Call the NRC operations     |
| officer for a licensee contact telephone number.)                            |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Power Reactor                                    |Event Number:   35647       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| FACILITY: COOK                     REGION:  3  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 04/28/1999|
|    UNIT:  [1] [2] []                STATE:  MI |NOTIFICATION TIME: 15:57[EDT]|
|   RXTYPE: [1] W-4-LP,[2] W-4-LP                |EVENT DATE:        04/28/1999|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME:        15:00[EDT]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  BRIAN MUTZ                   |LAST UPDATE DATE:  04/28/1999|
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  LEIGH TROCINE                +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          N/A                   |JOHN MADERA          R3      |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|DDDD 73.71               UNSPECIFIED PARAGRAPH  |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR|   INIT RX MODE  |CURR PWR|  CURR RX MODE   |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|1     N          N       0        Cold Shutdown    |0        Cold Shutdown    |
|2     N          N       0        Cold Shutdown    |0        Cold Shutdown    |
|                                                   |                          |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| DISCOVERY OF A SAFEGUARDS SYSTEM DEGRADATION RELATED TO THE PROTECTED AREA   |
| (1-HOUR REPORT)                                                              |
|                                                                              |
| Security personnel discovered a safeguard system degradation related to the  |
| protected area.  Immediate compensatory actions were taken upon discovery.   |
| (Contact the NRC operations officer for additional details.)                 |
|                                                                              |
| The licensee notified the NRC resident inspector.                            |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Power Reactor                                    |Event Number:   35648       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| FACILITY: HATCH                    REGION:  2  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 04/29/1999|
|    UNIT:  [1] [] []                 STATE:  GA |NOTIFICATION TIME: 00:45[EDT]|
|   RXTYPE: [1] GE-4,[2] GE-4                    |EVENT DATE:        04/28/1999|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME:        18:00[EDT]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  BRUCE BUTLER                 |LAST UPDATE DATE:  04/29/1999|
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  DICK JOLLIFFE                +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          N/A                   |AL BELISLE           R2      |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|AESF 50.72(b)(2)(ii)     ESF ACTUATION          |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR|   INIT RX MODE  |CURR PWR|  CURR RX MODE   |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|1     N          Y       16       Power Operation  |16       Power Operation  |
|                                                   |                          |
|                                                   |                          |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| - HPCI SYSTEM INOPERABLE DUE TO TRIPPED BAROMETRIC CONDENSER VACUUM PUMP     |
| BREAKER -                                                                    |
|                                                                              |
| AT 1800 ON 04/28/99, WITH UNIT 1 AT 16% POWER, THE HIGH PRESSURE COOLANT     |
| INJECTION (HPCI) SYSTEM BAROMETRIC CONDENSER VACUUM PUMP TRIPPED DURING A    |
| TECH SPEC SURVEILLANCE TEST.  PLANT OPERATORS WERE UNABLE TO RESET THE       |
| VACUUM PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKER AND SHUT THE HPCI SYSTEM DOWN AND DECLARED THE   |
| IT INOPERABLE.  MAINTENANCE ELECTRICIANS RESET THE VACUUM PUMP CIRCUIT       |
| BREAKER THERMAL OVERLOADS RESTORING POWER TO THE VACUUM PUMP.  MAINTENANCE   |
| ELECTRICIANS REPLACED THE HPCI SYSTEM VACUUM PUMP CONTROL SWITCH BECAUSE THE |
| SWITCH HAS RECENTLY EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS NOT RETURNING TO ITS MID POSITION,  |
| AS DESIGNED.  THE LICENSEE IS CONTINUING TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF THE     |
| VACUUM PUMP TRIP.                                                            |
|                                                                              |
| TECH SPEC LCO ACTION STATEMENT 3.5.1 REQUIRES THE LICENSEE TO VERIFY THE     |
| OPERABILITY OF THE REACTOR CORE ISOLATION COOLING (RCIC) SYSTEM AND RESTORE  |
| THE HPCI SYSTEM TO OPERABLE STATUS WITHIN 14 DAYS OR SHUT UNIT 1 DOWN.  AT   |
| 1925, THE LICENSEE VERIFIED THE OPERABILITY OF THE RCIC SYSTEM.              |
|                                                                              |
| THE LICENSEE PLANS TO INFORM THE NRC RESIDENT INSPECTOR.                     |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Power Reactor                                    |Event Number:   35649       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| FACILITY: RIVER BEND               REGION:  4  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 04/29/1999|
|    UNIT:  [1] [] []                 STATE:  LA |NOTIFICATION TIME: 02:06[EDT]|
|   RXTYPE: [1] GE-6                             |EVENT DATE:        04/28/1999|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME:        21:51[CDT]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  RUSS GODWIN                  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  04/29/1999|
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  DICK JOLLIFFE                +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          N/A                   |DAVID GRAVES         R4      |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|AIND 50.72(b)(2)(iii)(D) ACCIDENT MITIGATION    |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR|   INIT RX MODE  |CURR PWR|  CURR RX MODE   |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|1     N          N       0        Refueling        |0        Refueling        |
|                                                   |                          |
|                                                   |                          |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| - Fuel Building inoperable due to loss of vacuum in Fuel Building due to an  |
| open Fuel Building/Annulus door -                                            |
|                                                                              |
| At 2151 CDT on 04/28/99, with the plant in Operational Condition  5 in a     |
| refueling outage, the Fuel Building was determined to be inoperable.  At the |
| time, fuel inspection activities were in progress in the Fuel Building.      |
|                                                                              |
| The Fuel Building was rendered inoperable when a Fuel Building/Annulus door  |
| was opened. The door was opened to allow entry of personnel for completion   |
| of required testing of lighting circuits. The control room staff was alerted |
| to this condition when the "Fuel Building Pressure High" alarm was received. |
| Upon receipt of the alarm, the Control Room Supervisor directed that fuel    |
| handling activities be suspended.  Fuel handling activities were immediately |
| suspended and not resumed until the door was closed to reestablish Fuel      |
| Building integrity.                                                          |
|                                                                              |
| The fuel inspection activities in progress consisted of removing single fuel |
| pins from an irradiated bundle.  The irradiated bundle was located in the    |
| fuel preparation machine.                                                    |
|                                                                              |
| The Fuel Building/Annulus door was required to be closed to maintain the     |
| leak tightness of the Fuel Building. Plant staff personnel are continuing to |
| evaluate this event.  However, as a result of the open door, the Fuel        |
| Building may not have been able to perform its design function.              |
|                                                                              |
| The licensee informed the NRC Resident Inspector.                            |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+


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