Event Notification Report for December 12, 2000
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center
Event Reports For
12/11/2000 - 12/12/2000
** EVENT NUMBERS **
37581 37585 37586 37587
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|Other Nuclear Material |Event Number: 37581 |
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| REP ORG: TRU-TEC SERVICES, INC. |NOTIFICATION DATE: 12/08/2000|
|LICENSEE: TRU-TEC SERVICES, INC. |NOTIFICATION TIME: 18:47[EST]|
| CITY: LA PORTE REGION: 4 |EVENT DATE: 12/08/2000|
| COUNTY: HARRIS STATE: TX |EVENT TIME: 03:30[CST]|
|LICENSE#: 07-28386-01 AGREEMENT: Y |LAST UPDATE DATE: 12/11/2000|
| DOCKET: |+----------------------------+
| |PERSON ORGANIZATION |
| |BLAIR SPITZBERG R4 |
| |PAUL FREDRICKSON R2 |
+------------------------------------------------+THOMAS ESSIG NMSS |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: NORMAN LANIER |CHARLES MILLER IRO |
| HQ OPS OFFICER: LEIGH TROCINE |JOHN ROGGE R1 |
+------------------------------------------------+STAMBAUGH DOE |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: N/A | |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|NONR OTHER UNSPEC REQMNT | |
|NTRA TRANSPORTATION EVENT | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
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EVENT TEXT
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| RECEIPT OF A TRU-TEC SERVICES, INC., CONTAINER OF BROMINE-82 THAT APPEARED |
| TO HAVE BEEN OPENED AND RE-PACKAGED INCORRECTLY DURING TRANSPORT BETWEEN |
| TEXAS A&M AND ST. CROIX IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS |
| |
| On 12/04/00, Tru-Tec Services, Inc., shipped an empty container from their |
| facility in La Porte, Texas, to Texas A&M via Acme Trucking. The container |
| was similar in shape to a propane tank (but taller). It was lead filled and |
| weighed between 700 and 750 pounds. It also had a 3-inch by 3-inch cavity |
| inside and a lid with a T-bar to hold the lid in place. Texas A&M loaded |
| the empty container with bromine-82, and the activity of the bromine-82 at |
| noon on 12/04/00 was 900 millicuries. The bromine-82 was double |
| encapsulated (inside three glass ampoules which were also inside a metal |
| swagelock container with a screw on cap). After Texas A&M loaded the |
| container, Acme Trucking transported the container to Federal Express at |
| Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, on 12/04/00. Apparently, the |
| container arrived at a Federal Express hub in Memphis, Tennessee, on |
| 12/05/00, and it remained there until 12/07/00. On 12/07/00, the shipment |
| left Memphis, Tennessee, via Federal Express and arrived in Puerto Rico on |
| the morning of 12/08/00. It was then transported by 4 Star Air Cargo to St. |
| Croix in the Virgin Islands. Tru-Tec Services, Inc., received the container |
| between approximately 1600 and 1630 EST on 12/08/00. |
| |
| Upon arrival in St. Croix, Tru-Tec personnel discovered a problem with the |
| container. It appeared that the container had been opened and put back |
| together incorrectly. The container's T-bar was missing, and the lid was |
| upside-down with the bromine-82 on the outside of the container rather than |
| shielded on the inside of the container. The bromine-82 appeared to be |
| intact. Smear tests were performed using a GM detector, and there was no |
| evidence of contamination or of a breech in the double encapsulated |
| material. Survey readings with the bromine-82 unshielded on the outside of |
| the package resulted a dose rate of 6 millirem per hour at a distance of 6 |
| feet. The bromine-82 is currently under control and in the possession of |
| the Tru-Tec Services, Inc. |
| |
| The bromine-82 was intended for use in tracer studies at chemical plants, |
| and it was manufactured at Texas A&M. It was reported that the half life of |
| bromine-82 is 35 hours, and the estimated activity of the material at noon |
| on 12/08/00 would have been 140 millicuries. bromine-82 is a strong gamma |
| emitter. The Tru-Tec Services, Inc. main office is located in Delaware. |
| |
| The licensee plans to contact the carriers and plans to attempt to trace its |
| path and discover who came into contact with the container. |
| |
| (Call the NRC operations officer for licensee contact information.) |
| |
| * * * UPDATE ON 12/11/00 @ 1140 BY BRIAN SMITH(NMSS) TO GOULD * * * |
| |
| Correction of the dose rate from 6 millirem per hour to 60 millirem per hour |
| at a distance of 6 ft. |
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|Power Reactor |Event Number: 37585 |
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| FACILITY: BEAVER VALLEY REGION: 1 |NOTIFICATION DATE: 12/11/2000|
| UNIT: [] [2] [] STATE: PA |NOTIFICATION TIME: 04:42[EST]|
| RXTYPE: [1] W-3-LP,[2] W-3-LP |EVENT DATE: 12/11/2000|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME: 04:05[EST]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: THOMAS |LAST UPDATE DATE: 12/11/2000|
| HQ OPS OFFICER: CHAUNCEY GOULD +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: UNU |JOHN ROGGE R1 |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|ASHU 50.72(b)(1)(i)(A) PLANT S/D REQD BY TS | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR| INIT RX MODE |CURR PWR| CURR RX MODE |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
| | |
|2 N Y 100 Power Operation |50 Power Operation |
| | |
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EVENT TEXT
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| PLANT ENTERED TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION REQUIRED SHUTDOWN PRIMARY LEAK |
| EXCEEDING ALLOWABLE VALUES. |
| |
| At 0320 Unit 2 received indications of a primary leak in containment that |
| exceeded allowable values in Tech Spec 3.4.6.2. These indications included |
| containment gas activity alert alarm, Pressurizer level reduction, |
| Pressurizer spray valve closure and an increase in charging flow. Indicated |
| charging/letdown mismatch is 7 gpm. Calculated primary leak rate estimate |
| based on VCT and Pressurizer level changes was 9.5 gpm at 0400. At 0412 Unit |
| 2 began a plant shutdown at 2% per minute. This constitutes the initiation |
| of a plant shutdown required by Tech Specs. A containment entry is planned |
| to identify the source of the leak. The entry will be made after the reactor |
| is subcritical. |
| |
| The NRC Resident Inspector will be notified. |
| |
| |
| * * * UPDATE ON 12/20/00 @ 0603 BY THOMAS TO GOULD * * * |
| |
| Update at 0543: Estimated RCS leak rate based on charging/letdown mismatch |
| exceeds 10 gpm. An Unusual Event was declared at 0536 due to Unidentified |
| Leakage exceeding 10 gpm. Current leak rate estimate is between 12 and 20 |
| gpm. Plant is currently at 22% power. |
| |
| The NRC Resident Inspector was notified. FEMA(Bagwell), RDO(Rogge), |
| EO(Zwolinski), and IRO(Miller) |
| |
| * * * UPDATE ON 12/11/00 @ 0825 * * * |
| |
| NRC entered monitoring mode at 0825. |
| |
| |
| * * * UPDATE ON 12/11/00 @ 1412 PER RICK HASSELBERG * * * |
| |
| The plant entered cold shutdown at 1357 and exited the unusual event at |
| 1405. The leak rate has been reduced to 5 gpm. The NRC exited monitoring |
| mode at 1412. FEMA (Canupp), R1DO (White) and NRR EO (Tappert) notified. |
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!!!!!!!!! THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED. THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED !!!!!!!
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|Power Reactor |Event Number: 37586 |
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| FACILITY: SAN ONOFRE REGION: 4 |NOTIFICATION DATE: 12/11/2000|
| UNIT: [1] [2] [] STATE: CA |NOTIFICATION TIME: 10:55[EST]|
| RXTYPE: [1] W-3-LP,[2] CE,[3] CE |EVENT DATE: 12/11/2000|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME: 06:55[PST]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: TODD COOK |LAST UPDATE DATE: 12/11/2000|
| HQ OPS OFFICER: STEVE SANDIN +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: N/A |CHUCK CAIN R4 |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|DDDD 73.71 UNSPECIFIED PARAGRAPH | |
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| | |
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+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR| INIT RX MODE |CURR PWR| CURR RX MODE |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|1 N Y 100 Power Operation |100 Power Operation |
|2 N Y 100 Power Operation |100 Power Operation |
| | |
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EVENT TEXT
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| SAFEGUARDS SYSTEM DEGRADATION RELATED TO MONITORING PROTECTED AREA BOUNDARY. |
| IMMEDIATE COMPENSATORY MEASURES TAKEN UPON DISCOVERY. THE LICENSEE WILL |
| INFORM THE NRC RESIDENT INSPECTOR. CONTACT THE HEADQUARTERS OPERATIONS |
| OFFICER FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS. |
| |
| * * * UPDATE AT 1543 ON 12/11/00 AT 1543 BY PLUMLEE, RECEIVED BY WEAVER * * |
| * |
| |
| The licensee requested this event be retracted. The event is an example |
| listed in Generic Letter 91-03 as a loggable event and hence should not have |
| been reported. The licensee will notify the NRC resident inspector. The |
| Operations Officer notified the R4DO (Cain). |
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|General Information or Other |Event Number: 37587 |
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| REP ORG: WA DIVISION OF RADIATION PROTECTION |NOTIFICATION DATE: 12/11/2000|
|LICENSEE: TRANSALTA CENTRALIA MINING LLC |NOTIFICATION TIME: 19:00[EST]|
| CITY: CENTRALIA REGION: 4 |EVENT DATE: 11/21/2000|
| COUNTY: STATE: WA |EVENT TIME: 12:00[PST]|
|LICENSE#: WN-I0241-1 AGREEMENT: Y |LAST UPDATE DATE: 12/11/2000|
| DOCKET: |+----------------------------+
| |PERSON ORGANIZATION |
| |CHUCK CAIN R4 |
| |THOMAS ESSIG NMSS |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: TERRY FRAZEE | |
| HQ OPS OFFICER: DOUG WEAVER | |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: N/A | |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|NAGR AGREEMENT STATE | |
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EVENT TEXT
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| AGREEMENT STATE REPORT |
| |
| This is notification of an event in Washington state as reported to the WA |
| Department of |
| |
| Health Division of Radiation Protection. |
| |
| STATUS: new (related to events #WA-00-054 and #WA-00-046) |
| |
| Licensee: Transalta Centralia Mining LLC |
| City and state: Centralia, WA |
| License number: WN-I0241-1 |
| Type of license: Fixed Gauge |
| |
| Date of event: November 21 & 23, 2000 Location of Event; Centralia, WA |
| ABSTRACT: (where, when, how, why; cause. contributing factors, corrective |
| actions, consequences, DOH on-site investigation; media attention) The |
| licensee notified the WA Department of Health, Division of Radiation |
| Protection, that replacement rods (installed after source rod failures |
| documented in Washington event reports #WA-00-046 and WA-00-054) had failed |
| on November 21 and November 22. |
| |
| As reported previously, the Ronan Engineering Company Model SA-4 gauging |
| device (containing up to 74 gigabecquerels of cesium-137 in an Amersham |
| Model CDC.711M source) is operated by lowering the source at the end of an |
| approximately six foot source rod into a dry well. The gauge is removed from |
| service by pulling up on the source rod until the source enters the shielded |
| body of the gauge. The source rod was originally constructed in several |
| screw-together sections. Failure number 1 (September 13) was the apparent |
| result of mechanical vibration loosening the upper screw joint until it came |
| apart as the source rod was being lifted. Failure number 2 (October 5) was |
| presumed to be metal fatigue in that the male threaded portion of the lower |
| screw joint snapped off from the rod as it was being lifted. Since an exact |
| replacement rod was no longer available from Ronan, the actual replacement |
| consisted of two rod sections connected at each joint by a spring-loaded |
| brass pin and a short manufactured adapter that was tooled for the pin |
| connector at one end and a threaded male connector at the other. |
| |
| Failure number 3 (November 21) and failure number 4 (November 23) also |
| occurred while lifting the source rod. In both instances, the lower |
| pin-connected joint failed apparently as a result of the increased tension |
| as the source enters the shield overcoming the spring tension on the brass |
| pin, thus 'popping' the connector loose. After the second failure of this |
| type, the gauge was taken out of service and the manufacturer requested to |
| provide an exact replacement rod. The 'old style' screw-together sections |
| were installed December 7. The 'new' pin-connected rods provided for the |
| other three gauges had not been installed because no problems had occurred. |
| The licensee plans to replace all four gauges by the end of 2001 when new |
| process equipment is installed. |
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