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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  

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Power Reactor                                    |Event Number:   38332       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 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    |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 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).           |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|General Information or Other                     |Event Number:   38339       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 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        |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 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                                               |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Power Reactor                                    |Event Number:   38340       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 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  |
|                                                   |                          |
|                                                   |                          |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 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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