Event Notification Report for June 8, 1999
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center
Event Reports For
06/07/1999 - 06/08/1999
** EVENT NUMBERS **
35789 35803 35804 35805
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|General Information or Other |Event Number: 35789 |
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| REP ORG: WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH |NOTIFICATION DATE: 06/03/1999|
|LICENSEE: NOT APPLICABLE |NOTIFICATION TIME: 14:15[EDT]|
| CITY: SEATTLE REGION: 4 |EVENT DATE: 06/01/1999|
| COUNTY: STATE: WA |EVENT TIME: [PDT]|
|LICENSE#: AGREEMENT: Y |LAST UPDATE DATE: 06/07/1999|
| DOCKET: |+----------------------------+
| |PERSON ORGANIZATION |
| |LINDA HOWELL R4 |
| |FRED COMBS NMSS |
+------------------------------------------------+CHARLES MILLER IRO |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: TERRY FRAZEE |M. ROBERTSON (NRC) EPA |
| HQ OPS OFFICER: FANGIE JONES |email OSP |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: N/A | |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|NAGR AGREEMENT STATE | |
|NINF INFORMATION ONLY | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
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EVENT TEXT
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| U.S. CUSTOMS INTERCEPTED UNAUTHORIZED TRANSPORTATION OF IODINE-131 BY AN |
| INDIVIDUAL. |
| |
| Agreement State Event Report #WA-99-017 |
| |
| The following text is a portion of E-mail received from the Washington |
| Department of Health, Division of Radiation Protection: |
| |
| "On Tuesday, June 1, 1999, U.S. Customs at Seattle-Tacoma International |
| Airport detained a passenger whose luggage was detected to be radioactive. |
| The alarm level was the highest on the U.S. Customs' meters. The passenger |
| was determined to be a [World Health Organization (WHO)] physician in-bound |
| from Thailand on his way home to Alaska. The physician admitted that he |
| was bringing I-131 with him to his home in Alaska where he intended to treat |
| his cat for hyperthyroidism. He did not have a license or any other |
| authorization for the radioactive material. |
| |
| "U.S. Customs contacted the emergency number for the Washington Department |
| of Health, Division of Radiation Protection (WDOH). During this initial |
| contact, it was determined that the glass vial containing 4 to 6 millicuries |
| of I-131 was being carried with NO SHIELDING and appeared to constitute a |
| public health threat. WDOH immediately asked the U.S. Customs to seize the |
| material under state law prohibiting possession of radioactive material |
| without a license. The pouch containing the vial was quickly isolated by |
| U.S. Customs, and staff from WDOH were dispatched. The passenger was |
| allowed to continue home to Alaska. |
| |
| "WDOH staff arrived at U.S. Customs at 6 PM and noted that radiation levels |
| in the office were about twice background. The I-131 had been placed in a |
| storage room about 50 feet away from U.S. Customs staff. Dose rates |
| exceeding 2 mR/hour where noted within several feet of the pouch, and the |
| vial was immediately placed into a lead shield and brought to the office for |
| safe storage. No contamination was detected. |
| |
| "Radiation exposures to the U.S. Customs personnel, airlines personnel, and |
| airline passengers are being assessed. The airline is being advised of this |
| event, and U.S. Customs has notified [the Federal Aviation Administration |
| (FAA)]. |
| |
| "Activity and Isotope(s) involved: I-131, approximately 6 millicuries as of |
| 3 PM (Pacific time), June 2, 1999. |
| Overexposures? Unknown at this time." |
| |
| (Call the NRC Operations Center for contact telephone numbers.) |
| |
| ********** UPDATE AT 1600 EDT ON 06/07/99 RECEIVED BY TROCINE VIA E-MAIL |
| FROM FRAZEE ********** |
| |
| The following text is a portion of an E-mail received from the Washington |
| Department of Health, Division of Radiation Protection: |
| |
| "Potential radiation exposures to the physician, baggage handlers, other |
| passengers, and U.S. Customs personnel were assessed based on interviews and |
| baggage stowage information supplied by the airline. There does not appear |
| to have been significant exposures due to this event. FAA is continuing its |
| investigation. |
| |
| "Overexposures? None. Based on interviews with the physician, U.S. |
| Customs, and the airline; the two situations having the most potential |
| exposure were 1) an individual handling the bare vial and 2) a passenger |
| seated directly over the baggage hold for the long trans-Pacific flight. |
| All other individuals were exposed at a distance and for brief periods. The |
| physician and possibly a U.S. Customs official handled the bare vial for "a |
| few seconds" to transfer it to baggage or to read the label. The estimated |
| dose to the fingers is 300 millirem, with a whole body exposure of less than |
| 10 millirem. Although the airline states that the suitcase carrying the |
| vial was in a bin loaded under the galley area, a hypothetical passenger |
| sitting directly above the suitcase was assumed. The estimated dose for the |
| 10-hour flight was less than 5 millirem. This is less than the added dose |
| due to cosmic radiation resulting from the flight itself." |
| |
| The NRC Operations Center notified the R4DO (Andrews), NMSS EO (Cool), IRO |
| (Miller), OSP via E-mail (Lohaus and Kerr), and Environmental Protection |
| Agency via the National Response Center (Matt Robertson). |
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|Other Nuclear Material |Event Number: 35803 |
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| REP ORG: WESTERN SOIL |NOTIFICATION DATE: 06/07/1999|
|LICENSEE: WESTERN SOIL |NOTIFICATION TIME: 10:10[EDT]|
| CITY: MAYAGUEZ REGION: 2 |EVENT DATE: 06/04/1999|
| COUNTY: STATE: PR |EVENT TIME: 11:00[EDT]|
|LICENSE#: 52-21368-01 AGREEMENT: N |LAST UPDATE DATE: 06/07/1999|
| DOCKET: |+----------------------------+
| |PERSON ORGANIZATION |
| |KENNETH BARR R2 |
| |DON COOL NMSS |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: MAX LAVACUENTE | |
| HQ OPS OFFICER: WILLIAM POERTNER | |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: N/A | |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|BAB2 20.2201(a)(1)(ii) LOST/STOLEN LNM>10X | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
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EVENT TEXT
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| STOLEN CPN MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE |
| |
| A CPN moisture density gauge was stolen from a work site in Puerto Rico. |
| The gauge was stolen at approximately 11:00 a.m. on 6/4/99. A report has |
| been filed with the police. The gauge contains 10 mCi Cs-137 and 50 mCi |
| Am-241. The gauge was a model MC-1DR-P82, serial number MD71003957. |
| |
| (Call the NRC Operations Center for a licensee contact telephone number.) |
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|Power Reactor |Event Number: 35804 |
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| FACILITY: TURKEY POINT REGION: 2 |NOTIFICATION DATE: 06/07/1999|
| UNIT: [3] [] [] STATE: FL |NOTIFICATION TIME: 13:14[EDT]|
| RXTYPE: [3] W-3-LP,[4] W-3-LP |EVENT DATE: 06/07/1999|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME: 12:10[EDT]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: TOM WACH |LAST UPDATE DATE: 06/07/1999|
| HQ OPS OFFICER: WILLIAM POERTNER +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: N/A |KENNETH BARR R2 |
|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 |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|3 N Y 100 Power Operation |100 Power Operation |
| | |
| | |
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EVENT TEXT
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| OFFSITE NOTIFICATION OF DEAD CROCODILE IN COOLING CANAL |
| |
| Plant management was notified by land utilization personnel that a deceased |
| 4.5-foot long American crocodile was found yesterday (6/6/99) in the suction |
| of one of the cooling canal skimmer pumps. An autopsy was performed, but |
| the cause of death could not be determined. FPL is notifying state and |
| local authorities and is planning a news release to the press. No further |
| actions are planned. |
| |
| The NRC resident inspector has been notified by the licensee. |
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|Power Reactor |Event Number: 35805 |
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| FACILITY: LIMERICK REGION: 1 |NOTIFICATION DATE: 06/07/1999|
| UNIT: [] [2] [] STATE: PA |NOTIFICATION TIME: 14:09[EDT]|
| RXTYPE: [1] GE-4,[2] GE-4 |EVENT DATE: 06/07/1999|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME: 11:00[EDT]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: TOM DOUGHERTY |LAST UPDATE DATE: 06/07/1999|
| HQ OPS OFFICER: LEIGH TROCINE +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: N/A |JOHN CARUSO R1 |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|AINC 50.72(b)(2)(iii)(C) POT UNCNTRL RAD REL | |
|AIND 50.72(b)(2)(iii)(D) ACCIDENT MITIGATION | |
| | |
| | |
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|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR| INIT RX MODE |CURR PWR| CURR RX MODE |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
| | |
|2 N Y 100 Power Operation |100 Power Operation |
| | |
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EVENT TEXT
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| THE DIVERSITY AND REDUNDANCY FOR AUTOMATICALLY ISOLATING A BREAK OUTSIDE |
| CONTAINMENT IN THE RWCU SYSTEM WAS RENDERED INOPERABLE ON THREE PREVIOUS |
| OCCASIONS. |
| |
| The following text is a portion of a facsimile received from the licensee: |
| |
| "On 06/07/99, at 1100 hours, it was determined that on three occasions in |
| the past, on 07/23/98, 09/17/98, and 09/28/98, while placing the Unit 2 |
| Reactor Water Cleanup (RWCU) System in service, bypassing of the RWCU - Leak |
| Detection System (LDS) isolation function by procedure created a condition |
| that alone could have prevented the fulfillment of the safety function of a |
| system needed to mitigate the consequences of an accident and control the |
| release of radioactive material. |
| |
| "The RWCU-LDS is made up of two subsystems. The first subsystem is the RWCU |
| high differential flow isolation signal which is a protective feature |
| designed to limit the release of radioactive material from a pipe break |
| outside of containment in the 'cold' portions of the RWCU system by |
| detecting a difference between system inlet flow and outlet flow. The |
| second RWCU-LDS subsystem is the RWCU area high temperature isolation |
| signal. This second subsystem is a protective feature designed to limit the |
| release of radioactive material from a pipe break outside of containment in |
| the high energy portions of the RWCU system by detecting high ambient |
| temperature in the RWCU system equipment room areas. Both of these |
| isolation signals are also part of the Primary Containment and Reactor |
| Vessel Isolation Control System (PCRVICS). |
| |
| "The RWCU high differential flow isolation signal was intentionally bypassed |
| by procedure on the three occasions identified above to defeat a potential |
| RWCU system isolation that could be caused by a pressure perturbation in the |
| system while placing the system in service. Recent investigation |
| subsequently revealed that the RWCU area high temperature isolation signal |
| was also bypassed by the same installed jumpers. |
| |
| "The installation of the jumpers in the isolation logic for both the inboard |
| isolation trip system and the outboard isolation trip system for both |
| RWCU-LDS subsystems created a condition such that the diversity and |
| redundancy for automatically isolating a break outside containment in the |
| RWCU system as described in the safety analysis was rendered inoperable. |
| Therefore, this condition is reportable as a condition that alone could have |
| prevented the fulfillment of the safety function of a system needed to |
| mitigate the consequences of an accident and control the release of |
| radioactive material. This notification is being made in accordance with |
| the requirements of 10CFR50.72(b)(2)(iii)." |
| |
| The licensee plans to notify the NRC resident inspector. |
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