Event Notification Report for May 25, 1999

                    U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
                              Operations Center

                              Event Reports For
                           05/24/1999 - 05/25/1999

                              ** EVENT NUMBERS **

30567  35729  35759  35760  35761  35762  

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|General Information or Other                     |Event Number:   30567       |
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| REP ORG:  UTAH DIVISION OF RADIATION CONTROL   |NOTIFICATION DATE: 05/31/1996|
|LICENSEE:  SUNRISE ENGINEERING INC.             |NOTIFICATION TIME: 12:10[EDT]|
|    CITY:  DRAPER                   REGION:  4  |EVENT DATE:        05/30/1996|
|  COUNTY:  SALT LAKE                 STATE:  UT |EVENT TIME:        17:30[MDT]|
|LICENSE#:  UT-1400313            AGREEMENT:  Y  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  05/24/1999|
|  DOCKET:                                       |+----------------------------+
|                                                |PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|                                                |GARY SANBORN         RDO     |
|                                                |FRED COMBS (NMSS)    EO      |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  JULIE FELICE                 |                             |
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  JOHN MacKINNON               |                             |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          N/A                   |                             |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|NAGR                     AGREEMENT STATE        |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
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                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| JULIE FELICE OF THE UTAH DIVISION OF RADIATION CONTROL RECEIVED A REPORT     |
| FROM THE RADIATION SAFETY OFFICER (RSO), FOR SUNRISE ENGINEERING INC., THAT  |
| A TROXLER MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE HAD BEEN STOLEN ON 05/30/96 AT 1730 EDT.    |
|                                                                              |
| THE RSO FOR SUNRISE ENGINEERING INC., LOCATED IN FILLMORE, UTAH, REPORTED    |
| THAT A TROXLER MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE HAD BEEN STOLEN FROM THE BACK OF ONE   |
| OF THEIR PICKUP TRUCKS LOCATED AT THEIR DRAPER, UTAH OFFICE.  THE TROXLER    |
| MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE HAD BEEN CHAINED AND LOCKED IN THE BACK OF THE        |
| PICKUP TRUCK.  SOMEONE USED A CHAIN CUTTER TO STEAL THE TROXLER MOISTURE     |
| DENSITY GAUGE.  THE MODEL # OF THE DENSITY GAUGE IS 3430 AND ITS SERIAL #    |
| IS 23008.  THE SOURCES IN THE GAUGE WERE 8 mCi OF Cs-137 (SERIAL # FOR THE   |
| CESIUM SOURCE IS 75-4813), AND 40 mCi OF Am(241)-Be (SERIAL # FOR THE        |
| Am(241)-Be SOURCE IS 47-18815).  LICENSEE NOTIFIED THE SALT LAKE CITY        |
| POLICE DEPARTMENT OF THE STOLEN TROXLER MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE AND THE       |
| POLICE CASE # FOR THIS THEFT IS 96-71082.  THE UTAH DIVISION OF RADIATION    |
| CONTROL WILL TRY TO HAVE THE LOCAL NEWS STATIONS ANNOUNCE THAT A TROXLER     |
| MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE WAS STOLEN.                                           |
|                                                                              |
| * * * UPDATE AT 1432 ON 5/24/99 BY FELICE TAKEN BY WEAVER * * *              |
| The device was recovered after being recognized as radioactive material at a |
| yard sale.  The device appeared to be intact.  HOO notified RIVDO (Andrews). |
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|Power Reactor                                    |Event Number:   35729       |
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| FACILITY: SUMMER                   REGION:  2  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 05/18/1999|
|    UNIT:  [1] [] []                 STATE:  SC |NOTIFICATION TIME: 02:07[EDT]|
|   RXTYPE: [1] W-3-LP                           |EVENT DATE:        05/18/1999|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME:        00:41[EDT]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  MIKE ECKHART                 |LAST UPDATE DATE:  05/24/1999|
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  LEIGH TROCINE                +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          N/A                   |RUDOLPH BERNHARD     R2      |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|ARPS 50.72(b)(2)(ii)     RPS ACTUATION          |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR|   INIT RX MODE  |CURR PWR|  CURR RX MODE   |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|1     M/R        Y       83       Power Operation  |0        Hot Standby      |
|                                                   |                          |
|                                                   |                          |
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                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
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| MANUAL REACTOR TRIP FROM 73% POWER DUE TO UNEXPECTED HIGH  MAIN TURBINE      |
| VIBRATION                                                                    |
|                                                                              |
| While the licensee was in the process of increasing load after exiting a     |
| refueling outage, vibrations on the #1 and #2 bearings for the main turbine  |
| were noted to be increasing unexpectedly.  As a result, operators began to   |
| decrease load at 0036 on 05/18/99 with the unit at approximately 83% reactor |
| power.  Operators manually tripped the reactor from 73% power at 0041.  At   |
| that time of the manual reactor trip, vibrations on the #1 and #2 bearings   |
| were at a level of about 10� mills and 12 mils, respectively.  The limits on |
| vibration are either 10 mils for 15 minutes or when a vibration of 12 mils   |
| is reached.                                                                  |
|                                                                              |
| All control rods fully inserted as a result of the manual reactor trip, and  |
| all systems functioned as required.  There were no engineered safety feature |
| actuations or emergency core cooling system injections, and none were        |
| required.                                                                    |
|                                                                              |
| The unit is currently stable in Mode 3 (Hot Standby).  The reactor coolant   |
| pumps, normal charging and letdown, and pressurizer heaters and sprays are   |
| being utilized for primary system transport, level, and pressure control.    |
| All containment parameters are normal.  Emergency feedwater was manually     |
| initiated and is currently supplying water to the steam generators.          |
| Secondary steam is being dumped to the condenser.  Offsite power is          |
| available, and the emergency diesel generators and emergency core cooling    |
| systems are operable and available if needed.                                |
|                                                                              |
| The licensee notified the NRC resident inspector.                            |
|                                                                              |
| * * * UPDATE AT 1545 BY PROPPER, TAKEN BY WEAVER * * *                       |
|                                                                              |
| "The cause of the high vibrations experienced on May 18 were attributed to   |
| light rubbing within the new mono-block high turbine rotor. The HP Turbine   |
| initial vibration readings were less then 2 mils during rollup through the   |
| critical speeds when packing rubs would normally be identified. No rubs were |
| identified prior to the 83% power level.                                     |
|                                                                              |
| "While increasing power well within the prescribed limits for power          |
| increases, it is believed that the opening of the #4 control valve at        |
| approximately 83% power caused a thermal transient in the HP Turbine. The    |
| thermal transient resulted in slightly uneven heating and growth of the      |
| turbine casing.                                                              |
|                                                                              |
| Actions taken to preclude this event prior to restart included:              |
|                                                                              |
| Greasing of the HP turbine skids to allow unrestricted shell casing growth   |
|                                                                              |
| Changed setting on the MSR digital controls system which placed the MSR in   |
| pressure mode prior to 75% load. Ensuring that the MSR controls were at 100% |
| open on the high range valve at 75% reactor power.                           |
|                                                                              |
| Decreased the rate of power change at the #4 control valve crack point to    |
| 1.5% per hour to allow more time for thermal expansion of the HP Turbine.    |
|                                                                              |
| "The net result was that the unit increased power uneventfully upon restart  |
| at 0207 on 5/19/99, with breaker closure at 0225. The #4 control valve       |
| started opening at 89% power at 0809 on 5/20/99. The plant is currently at   |
| 98% power and awaiting engineering review prior to increasing to 100%."      |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|General Information or Other                     |Event Number:   35759       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
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| REP ORG:  MARYLAND DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT     |NOTIFICATION DATE: 05/24/1999|
|LICENSEE:  MARYLAND LABORATORY ADMINISTRATION   |NOTIFICATION TIME: 09:02[EDT]|
|    CITY:  BALTIMORE                REGION:  1  |EVENT DATE:        05/05/1999|
|  COUNTY:                            STATE:  MD |EVENT TIME:             [EDT]|
|LICENSE#:  MD 07-040-04          AGREEMENT:  Y  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  05/24/1999|
|  DOCKET:                                       |+----------------------------+
|                                                |PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|                                                |PETER ESELGROTH      R1      |
|                                                |CHARLEY HAUGHNEY     NMSS    |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  ALAN JACOBSON                |                             |
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  FANGIE JONES                 |                             |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          N/A                   |                             |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|NAGR                     AGREEMENT STATE        |                             |
|BAB2 20.2201(a)(1)(ii)   LOST/STOLEN LNM>10X    |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
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                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| MISSING RADIOACTIVE LIQUID REAGENT CONTAINING 80 MICROCURIES OF IODINE-125   |
|                                                                              |
| Sometime between May 3rd and May 5th, 80 �Ci of Iodine-125 was discovered    |
| missing from the walk in freezer in the Neonatal Hypothyroidism Lab in the   |
| Maryland Lab Administration Building.  The I-125 was in 10 bottles of 8 �Ci  |
| each and in the form of a liquid used as a tracer reagent.  It is unknown    |
| whether the I-125 was stolen or disposed of and it is still being            |
| investigated at this time. The Department of General Services Police were    |
| notified and are part of the investigation.                                  |
|                                                                              |
| This constitutes minimal threat to the general public.                       |
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|General Information or Other                     |Event Number:   35760       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
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| REP ORG:  TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH           |NOTIFICATION DATE: 05/24/1999|
|LICENSEE:  MAXIM TECHNOLOGIES INC.              |NOTIFICATION TIME: 11:29[EDT]|
|    CITY:  DALLAS                   REGION:  4  |EVENT DATE:        05/21/1999|
|  COUNTY:                            STATE:  TX |EVENT TIME:             [CDT]|
|LICENSE#:                        AGREEMENT:  Y  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  05/24/1999|
|  DOCKET:                                       |+----------------------------+
|                                                |PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|                                                |THOMAS ANDREWS       R4      |
|                                                |CHARLEY HAUGHNEY     NMSS    |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:                               |                             |
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  FANGIE JONES                 |                             |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          N/A                   |                             |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|NAGR                     AGREEMENT STATE        |                             |
|BAB1 20.2201(a)(1)(i)    LOST/STOLEN LNM>1000X  |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
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                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| AGREEMENT STATE REPORT RECEIVED VIA FACSIMILE                                |
|                                                                              |
| The following text is a portion of a facsimile received from the Texas       |
| Department of Health:                                                        |
|                                                                              |
| "10 CFR Part 20.2201(a)(1)(I) - Report of theft/loss of greater than or      |
| equal to 1000 X App C value."                                                |
|                                                                              |
| "Incident report 7463:  On Friday, 5/21/99, Maxim Technologies Inc. of       |
| Dallas, TX notified the Agency of a lost moisture density gauge.  Followup   |
| with the Licensee determined the gauge contained ~40 mCi AmBe-241 and 8 mCi  |
| of Cs-137 and has not been found. The Licensee notified local authorities    |
| and NRC.  The gauge was lost in the Plano area"                              |
|                                                                              |
| There was no additional information available on the facsimile.              |
|                                                                              |
| (Call the NRC Operations Center for a contact telephone number and address.) |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Other Nuclear Material                           |Event Number:   35761       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| REP ORG:  MATERIALS TESTING & INSPECTION INC.  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 05/24/1999|
|LICENSEE:  MATERIALS TESTING & INSPECTION, INC. |NOTIFICATION TIME: 18:19[EDT]|
|    CITY:  ARCO                     REGION:  4  |EVENT DATE:        05/21/1999|
|  COUNTY:                            STATE:  ID |EVENT TIME:        18:00[MDT]|
|LICENSE#:  11-27504-01           AGREEMENT:  N  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  05/24/1999|
|  DOCKET:                                       |+----------------------------+
|                                                |PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|                                                |THOMAS ANDREWS       R4      |
|                                                |CHARLEY HAUGHNEY     NMSS    |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  GEORGE DUPONT                |                             |
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  DOUG WEAVER                  |                             |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          N/A                   |                             |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|NDAM                     DAMAGED GAUGE/DEVICE   |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE DAMAGED DURING TRAFFIC ACCIDENT                       |
|                                                                              |
| A Campbell Pacific moisture density gauge was damaged when the pickup in     |
| which it was secured was involved in a traffic accident.  The gauge broke    |
| loose during the accident and was ejected from the truck.  A company         |
| representative went to the site and surveyed the gauge, which was locked     |
| with the case intact.  Surveys performed at the crash site indicated no      |
| contamination resulted from this incident.                                   |
|                                                                              |
| The gauge contains approximately 10 mCi of Cs-137 and 50 mCi of Am-241.      |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Power Reactor                                    |Event Number:   35762       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| FACILITY: SALEM                    REGION:  1  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 05/24/1999|
|    UNIT:  [1] [] []                 STATE:  NJ |NOTIFICATION TIME: 20:09[EDT]|
|   RXTYPE: [1] W-4-LP,[2] W-4-LP                |EVENT DATE:        05/24/1999|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME:        17:30[EDT]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  SUE SIMPSON                  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  05/24/1999|
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  DOUG WEAVER                  +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          N/A                   |RICHARD CONTE        R1      |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|APRE 50.72(b)(2)(vi)     OFFSITE NOTIFICATION   |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR|   INIT RX MODE  |CURR PWR|  CURR RX MODE   |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|1     N          Y       47       Power Operation  |47       Power Operation  |
|                                                   |                          |
|                                                   |                          |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| OFFSITE NOTIFICATION - CONTAMINATION FOUND ON THE EQUIPMENT HATCH STORAGE    |
| RACK                                                                         |
|                                                                              |
| The licensee notified Lower Alloways Creek Township of the following event.  |
|                                                                              |
| "Radiation Protection supervision notified the on-duty Operations            |
| Superintendent that smearable (loose) contamination was found on a storage   |
| rack which was purchased to store the temporary equipment hatch used at      |
| Salem.   The storage rack has never been in the RCA and has not been in      |
| contact with any licensed radioactive material.  Initial investigation       |
| indicates that the source of the contamination is the paint.  Isotopic       |
| analysis of the smears and paint chips removed show Bi-214 and Pb-214, both  |
| particulate daughters in the uranium decay chain.  No isotopes have been     |
| identified which are attributable to the plant isotopic mix (I.e.,-          |
| corrosion or fission products).                                              |
|                                                                              |
| "Survey results were 10,000 dpm per standard probe area for a large area     |
| smear.                                                                       |
|                                                                              |
| "The storage rack is located in a fenced, locked area."                      |
|                                                                              |
| The licensee notified the NRC resident inspector.                            |
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