Event Notification Report for October 3, 2001
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center
Event Reports For
10/02/2001 - 10/03/2001
** EVENT NUMBERS **
38332 38339 38340
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|Power Reactor |Event Number: 38332 |
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| FACILITY: PALO VERDE REGION: 4 |NOTIFICATION DATE: 09/30/2001|
| UNIT: [] [] [3] STATE: AZ |NOTIFICATION TIME: 20:28[EDT]|
| RXTYPE: [1] CE,[2] CE,[3] CE |EVENT DATE: 09/30/2001|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME: 14:00[MST]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: STEVE BANKS |LAST UPDATE DATE: 10/02/2001|
| HQ OPS OFFICER: LEIGH TROCINE +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY |GREG PICK R4 |
|10 CFR SECTION: |JOHN ZWOLINSKI NRR |
|ADEG 50.72(b)(3)(ii)(A) DEGRADED CONDITION | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR| INIT RX MODE |CURR PWR| CURR RX MODE |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
| | |
| | |
|3 N N 0 Cold Shutdown |0 Cold Shutdown |
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EVENT TEXT
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| EVIDENCE OF REACTOR COOLANT SYSTEM PRESSURE BOUNDARY LEAKAGE DISCOVERED |
| WHILE IN COLD SHUTDOWN. |
| |
| The following text is a portion of a facsimile received from the licensee: |
| |
| "The following event description is based on information currently |
| available. If through subsequent reviews of this event, additional |
| information is identified that is pertinent to this event or alters the |
| information being provided at this time, a follow-up notification will be |
| made via the ENS or under the reporting requirements of 10CFR50.73." |
| |
| "On September 30, 2001, at approximately 1400 MST, Palo Verde Nuclear |
| Generating Station (PVNGS) Unit 3 discovered evidence of reactor coolant |
| system (RCS) pressure boundary leakage. PVNGS Unit 3 was shut down in Mode |
| 5 conducting cooldown and depressurization in its [ninth] refueling outage |
| at the time of discovery. Current RCS temperature is approximately 135 |
| degrees Fahrenheit and RCS pressure is approximately 20 psia." |
| |
| "The leakage was discovered at two [Inconel] alloy 600 nozzle locations |
| during inservice inspection (ISI); one in a RCS hot leg temperature detector |
| nozzle and another in a pressurizer heater sleeve. The RCS hot leg leakage |
| is located in the RTD nozzle for an inservice temperature [detector] (Loop |
| #1, Equipment ID: 3JRCETW112HD). The pressurizer heater sleeve leakage is |
| located at pressurizer heater B17. The leakage was identified in the form |
| of small deposits of boron accumulation around the circumferences of the hot |
| leg nozzle and that of the pressurizer sleeve. PVNGS has conducted |
| inspections of these nozzles [and] sleeves during each refueling outage |
| since the discovery that Inconel alloy 600 nozzles are susceptible to axial |
| cracking. No evidence of leakage was identified when inspected during the |
| last refueling outage approximately 18 months ago." |
| |
| "The timing of this ENS report was based on the determination at 14:00 MST |
| on September 30, 2001, that the boron accumulation represented a serious of |
| a principle safety barrier. PVNGS Unit 3 Technical Specification Limiting |
| Condition for Operation (LCO) 3.4.14 (RCS Operational Leakage) permits no |
| reactor coolant system pressure boundary leakage. It was therefore |
| conservatively concluded that any evidence of pressure boundary leakage, |
| regardless of magnitude, represents serious degradation of a principle |
| safety barrier. Technical Specification [LCO] 3.4.14 is applicable in Modes |
| 1, 2, 3, and 4. Unit 3 was in Mode 5 in a planned refueling outage at the |
| time of discovery; therefore, LCO 3.4.14 is currently not applicable. |
| The-hot leg nozzle and pressurizer sleeve will be repaired prior to |
| re-entering Mode 4. It is anticipated that the repair will be utilizing the |
| Mechanical Nozzle Seal Assembly (MNSA). No ESF actuations occurred and none |
| were required. No structures systems or components were inoperable that |
| contributed to this event particularly the fuel cladding and the containment |
| fission product barriers. The event did not result in the release of |
| radioactivity to the environment and did not adversely affect the safe |
| operation of the plant or the health and safety of the public." |
| |
| The licensee notified the NRC resident inspector. |
| |
| ***** UPDATE FROM DAN MARKS TO LEIGH TROCINE AT 1304 EDT ON 10/02/01 ***** |
| |
| The following text is a portion of a facsimile received from the licensee: |
| |
| "The following event description is based on information currently |
| available. If through subsequent reviews of this event, additional |
| information is identified that is pertinent to this event or alters the |
| information being provided at this time, a follow-up notification will be |
| made via the ENS or under the reporting requirements of 10CFR50.73." |
| |
| "This is a follow-up notification from the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating |
| Station (PVNGS) Unit 3 to remove the references to reactor coolant system |
| (RCS) pressure boundary leakage at a pressurizer heater sleeve. The |
| notification of pressure boundary leakage from a Resistance Temperature |
| Detector (RTD) nozzle remains as identified in the original ENS report |
| #38332 of September 30, 2001 at 1728 ET. Chemistry and radiological |
| analysis of the residue located in the vicinity of the pressurizer heater |
| sleeve and engineering personnel review of the analysis results determined |
| the residue was not evidence of pressure boundary leakage." |
| |
| "On September 30, 2001, at approximately 1400 MST, Palo Verde Nuclear |
| Generating Station Unit 3 discovered evidence of RCS pressure boundary |
| leakage. PVNGS Unit 3 was shut down in Mode 5 conducting cooldown and |
| depressurization in its ninth refueling outage at the time of discovery. |
| Current RCS temperature is approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit and RCS |
| pressure is approximately 18 psia." |
| |
| "The leakage was discovered at one Inconel alloy 600 nozzle location during |
| inservice inspection (ISI), in a RCS hot leg temperature detector nozzle. |
| The RCS hot leg leakage is located in the RTD nozzle for an inservice |
| temperature [detector] (Loop #1 Equipment ID: 3JRCETW112HD). The leakage |
| was identified in the form of small deposits of boron accumulation around |
| the circumference of the hot leg nozzle. PVNGS has conducted inspections of |
| these nozzles during each refueling outage since the discovery that Inconel |
| alloy 600 nozzles are susceptible to axial cracking. No evidence of leakage |
| was identified when inspected during the last refueling outage approximately |
| 18 months ago." |
| |
| "The timing of the Initial ENS #38332 report at 1428 MST (1728 ET) on |
| September 30, 2001, was based on the determination at 1400 MST that the |
| boron accumulation represented a serious degradation of a principal safety |
| barrier. PVNGS Unit 3 Technical Specification Limiting Condition for |
| Operation (LCO) 3.4.14 (RCS Operational Leakage) permits no reactor coolant |
| system pressure boundary leakage." |
| |
| "It was therefore conservatively concluded that any evidence of pressure |
| boundary leakage, regardless of magnitude, represents serious degradation of |
| a principle safety barrier. Technical Specification [LCO] 3.4.14 is |
| applicable in Modes 1, 2, 3, and 4. Unit 3 was in Mode 5 in a planned |
| refueling outage at the time of discovery; therefore, LCO 3.4.14 is |
| currently not applicable. The hot leg nozzle will be repaired prior to |
| re-entering Mode 4." |
| |
| "No ESF actuations occurred and none were required. No structures systems |
| or components were inoperable that contributed to this event, particularly |
| the fuel cladding and the containment fission product barriers. The event |
| did not result in the release of radioactivity to the environment and did |
| not adversely affect the safe operation of the plant or the health and |
| safety of the public." |
| |
| The licensee notified the NRC resident inspector. The NRC operations |
| officer notified the R4DO (Claude Johnson) and NRR EO (Tad Marsh). |
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|General Information or Other |Event Number: 38339 |
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| REP ORG: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH |NOTIFICATION DATE: 10/02/2001|
|LICENSEE: HI-TECH TESTING SERVICE, INC. |NOTIFICATION TIME: 11:44[EDT]|
| CITY: LONGVIEW REGION: 4 |EVENT DATE: 09/25/2001|
| COUNTY: STATE: TX |EVENT TIME: 09:16[CDT]|
|LICENSE#: 05021 AGREEMENT: Y |LAST UPDATE DATE: 10/02/2001|
| DOCKET: |+----------------------------+
| |PERSON ORGANIZATION |
| |CLAUDE JOHNSON R4 |
| |FRED BROWN NMSS |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: LELEN WATKINS (facsimile) | |
| HQ OPS OFFICER: LEIGH TROCINE | |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY | |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|NAGR AGREEMENT STATE | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
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EVENT TEXT
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| AGREEMENT STATE REPORT REGARDING A RADIOGRAPHY CAMERA THAT WAS LOST AND |
| FOUND IN LONGVIEW, TEXAS (Texas Incident #7806) |
| |
| A logging source was found at the intersection of Eastman Road and Cotton |
| Street in Longview, Texas. The Longview Fire Department responded to the |
| scene, and the licensee, Hi-Tech Testing Service, Inc., was contacted. A |
| licensee representative also responded to the site and performed a complete |
| survey of the exposure device using a calibrated survey meter. There were |
| no abnormally high readings observed during this survey. The IR100 exposure |
| device was also visually examined for any damage to the body, locking |
| mechanism, and outlet port. There was no physical damage seen during this |
| examination. |
| |
| The exposure device was returned to the licensee's shop, thoroughly |
| inspected, and locked inside a radioactive storage area. This subsequent |
| detailed inspection revealed that all mechanical components were functioning |
| properly, and there was no apparent damage to the exposure device body. One |
| transport label was replaced because some of the information was illegible. |
| It was later determined that the exposure device had unknowingly fallen onto |
| the highway from the bumper of a pickup truck. |
| |
| NOTE: Exposure Device S/N 4573, Source S/N 00564B, Type and Activity of |
| Source Material - Not Reported |
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|Power Reactor |Event Number: 38340 |
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| FACILITY: HOPE CREEK REGION: 1 |NOTIFICATION DATE: 10/02/2001|
| UNIT: [1] [] [] STATE: NJ |NOTIFICATION TIME: 16:20[EDT]|
| RXTYPE: [1] GE-4 |EVENT DATE: 10/02/2001|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME: 15:57[EDT]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: KENNETH KLASS |LAST UPDATE DATE: 10/02/2001|
| HQ OPS OFFICER: LEIGH TROCINE +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY |RICHARD CONTE R1 |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|NONR OTHER UNSPEC REQMNT | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR| INIT RX MODE |CURR PWR| CURR RX MODE |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|1 N Y 95 Power Operation |95 Power Operation |
| | |
| | |
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EVENT TEXT
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| 24-HOUR REPORT REGARDING AN OPERATING LICENSE CONDITION VIOLATION (POTENTIAL |
| MAXIMUM POWER LEVEL VIOLATION) |
| |
| The following text is a portion of a facsimile received from the licensee. |
| |
| "General Electric (GE) report titled, 'Impact of Steam Carryover Fraction on |
| Process Computer Heat Balance Calculations, September 2001,' documents a |
| non-conservative assumption for moisture carryover used in the calculation |
| of core thermal power. The assumed carryover fraction of 0.1% was |
| discovered to be closer to 0.0% (non-conservative) in later model GE BWRs. |
| Hope Creek Generating Station may be affected by the non-conservative core |
| thermal power calculation with an estimated bias of less than 4 MWt. As a |
| result, there is a potential that Hope Creek Generating Station has operated |
| at power levels in excess of Operating License condition 2.C(1) which |
| requires that the facility be operated at reactor core power levels not in |
| excess of 3339 MWt." |
| |
| "This notification is being made in accordance with Hope Creek Operating |
| License Condition 2.F, as a potential violation of Hope Creek Operating |
| License Condition 2.C(1)." |
| |
| "An administrative shift average power limit of 3335 MWt has been |
| implemented when the Crossflow ultrasonic flow measurement system is |
| available. If Crossflow is unavailable, shift average power will be |
| administratively limited to 3289 MWt." |
| |
| "PSEG Nuclear is continuing to evaluate the effect of the moisture carryover |
| term on the heat balance calculation." |
| |
| The licensee notified the NRC resident inspector. |
| |
| (Refer to event #38330 for a similar event at Fermi and event #38337 for a |
| similar event at Perry.) |
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