Event Notification Report for October 4, 2001
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center
Event Reports For
10/03/2001 - 10/04/2001
** EVENT NUMBERS **
38342 38343 38344 38345
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|Other Nuclear Material |Event Number: 38342 |
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| REP ORG: STERIGENICS |NOTIFICATION DATE: 10/03/2001|
|LICENSEE: STERIGENICS |NOTIFICATION TIME: 13:10[EDT]|
| CITY: ROCKAWAY REGION: 1 |EVENT DATE: 10/02/2001|
| COUNTY: MORRIS STATE: NJ |EVENT TIME: 23:59[EDT]|
|LICENSE#: 29-30308-01 AGREEMENT: N |LAST UPDATE DATE: 10/03/2001|
| DOCKET: |+----------------------------+
| |PERSON ORGANIZATION |
| |RICHARD CONTE R1 |
| |FRED BROWN NMSS |
+------------------------------------------------+JOSEPH HOLONICH IRO |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: STANLEY YAP | |
| HQ OPS OFFICER: LEIGH TROCINE | |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY | |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|MAAA 36.83(a)(1) UNSHIELD STUCK SOURCE | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
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EVENT TEXT
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| COMMERCIAL IRRADIATOR FACILITY REPORT REGARDING A SOURCE HANG UP |
| |
| Sterigenics is a panoramic, wet-source storage, commercial, irradiator |
| facility. At approximately midnight on 10/02/01, a 2.6-megacurie cobalt-60 |
| source got stuck in the unshielded position for approximately 1 hour. |
| Because the source got stuck on the way down, the licensee lifted the source |
| rack, freed it, and successfully returned it to the shielded position. The |
| licensee is still investigating the cause of this event but stated that |
| there were no obvious reasons at this time. There were no personnel |
| radiation exposures or injuries as a result of this event, and there was no |
| source leakage. |
| |
| (Call the NRC operations officer for a site contact telephone number.) |
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|General Information or Other |Event Number: 38343 |
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| REP ORG: SORRENTO ELECTRONICS |NOTIFICATION DATE: 10/03/2001|
|LICENSEE: SORRENTO ELECTRONICS |NOTIFICATION TIME: 16:12[EDT]|
| CITY: SAN DIEGO REGION: 4 |EVENT DATE: 10/03/2001|
| COUNTY: STATE: CA |EVENT TIME: [PDT]|
|LICENSE#: AGREEMENT: Y |LAST UPDATE DATE: 10/03/2001|
| DOCKET: |+----------------------------+
| |PERSON ORGANIZATION |
| |CLAUDE JOHNSON R4 |
| |RICHARD CONTE R1 |
+------------------------------------------------+KEVIN RAMSEY, MOB NMSS |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: DIRK KOOPMAN | |
| HQ OPS OFFICER: LEIGH TROCINE | |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY | |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|CCCC 21.21 UNSPECIFIED PARAGRAPH | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
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EVENT TEXT
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| 10 CFR PART 21 NOTIFICATION REGARDING MICROPROCESSOR BASED RADIATION MONITOR |
| RM-2000 |
| |
| The following text is portion of a facsimile received from Sorrento |
| Electronics: |
| |
| "The information following is in accordance with the reporting requirements |
| of 10 CFR 21.21(d)(4):" |
| |
| "ii) Identification of the basic component which contains the defect: The |
| basic component which contains the defect is software version 16.0 and |
| higher of the microprocessor based radiation monitor, RM-2000, with the |
| 'SAVE MASTER DATABASE' function, where the master database has been restored |
| at least once." |
| |
| "iii) Identification of the firm supplying the basic component: Sorrento |
| Electronics, Inc. [...]" |
| |
| "iv) Nature of the defect and the safety hazard which is created by the |
| defect: The defect was noted at Sorrento Electronics following a power up |
| on a RM-2000 skid, where the detectors had been detached while the monitor |
| was powered down. When the monitor was powered up, the channels associated |
| with the detectors continued to indicate a green operate status rather than |
| indicating a NO PULSES operate failure condition. Further interrogation of |
| the database revealed the monitor was not responding to taking the channel |
| in and out of service or to changing the alarm status. The monitor showed a |
| constant radiation on the channel display. The affected channels would not |
| return to a normal operating condition until the detector was reconnected." |
| |
| "This failure will cause the RM-2000 to not process the following tasks |
| associated with the affected channel: |
| 1. Temperature correction |
| 2. Tracking algorithm |
| 3. No pulses |
| 4. Display checksource value |
| 5. Over range |
| 6. Background subtract |
| 7. Pressure correction |
| 8. Limit to minimum value |
| 9. Display current count rate |
| 10. Limit to maximum value |
| 11. Perform checksource |
| 12. Channel in service |
| 13. Check alarms |
| 14. Reset alarms after power failure" |
| |
| "v) Date on which the information was obtained: The information was noted |
| on software discrepancy notice, (SDN 545), on August 14, 2001, for review of |
| possible 10 CFR [Part] 21 implications. Evaluation by [Sorrento |
| Electronics'] engineering of the problem for 10 CFR [Part] 21 applicability |
| was immediately begun. The evaluation was completed and declared reportable |
| on October 1, 2001." |
| |
| "vi) The number and location of the components subject to the regulations |
| per 10 CFR [Part] 21: The following safety-related equipment is affected: |
| |
| PLANT RADIATION MONITOR ASSEMBLY NUMBER RM-2000 |
| VERSION |
| |
| Salem (PG & E) 04231701-001, S/N: 001 (Gas Monitor) |
| 16.6 |
| Salem (PG & E) 04233101-001, S/N: 001 (Duct Monitor) |
| 16.6 |
| Salem (PG & E) 04231201-001, S/N: 001 (Particulate Iodine Gas Monitor) |
| 16.6 |
| |
| "vii) Name of the implementing organization and time frame for implementing |
| the corrective action: The responsibility for the implementing the |
| corrective action has been delegated to [...] RMS Engineering. Sorrento |
| Electronics will make the individual purchasers aware of this possible |
| problem. Further, the RM-2000 operating code will be revised to correct the |
| deficiency. The new corrected version of the RM-2000 code will be available |
| to customers after November 1, 2001." |
| |
| "viii) Advise related to the defect that will be given to the purchasers: |
| While this defect is not likely to occur during normal operation at a |
| nuclear power plant, it is possible. Therefore, Sorrento Electronics will |
| advise the affected purchasers via a Quality Bulletin of the following |
| interim test procedure to verify operability of the affected RM-2000:" |
| |
| "There are two methods to verify that a RM-2000 has not failed after a power |
| fail sequence. First, if the radiation value being displayed is changing, |
| the monitor is operating correctly. Second, if the radiation value is not |
| changing, then the user should remove the monitor from operation by taking a |
| channel out of service by database manipulation. If the channel goes into a |
| operate fail condition, the RM-2000 is working correctly and the channel can |
| be returned to service. If the monitor does not go into an operate fail |
| condition, the monitor has failed and is not receiving any pulses from the |
| associated detector." |
| |
| (Call the NRC operations officer for reporting organization contact |
| information.) |
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|Power Reactor |Event Number: 38344 |
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| FACILITY: GRAND GULF REGION: 4 |NOTIFICATION DATE: 10/03/2001|
| UNIT: [1] [] [] STATE: MS |NOTIFICATION TIME: 16:28[EDT]|
| RXTYPE: [1] GE-6 |EVENT DATE: 10/03/2001|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME: 13:00[CDT]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: BOB CARROLL |LAST UPDATE DATE: 10/03/2001|
| HQ OPS OFFICER: LEIGH TROCINE +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY |CLAUDE JOHNSON R4 |
|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 100 Power Operation |100 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: |
| |
| "This report is made as required by Grand Gulf Nuclear Station License |
| Condition 2F. Grand Gulf is reporting a potential violation of the maximum |
| power level of 3833 MWT as stated in Licensee Condition 2.C.1." |
| |
| "This event is similar to event number 38337 and 38340 called in by two |
| other BWR plants. Based on the General Electric (GE) report titled, 'Impact |
| of Steam Generator Carryover Fraction on Process Computer Heat Balance |
| Calculations, September 2001.' It is possible that Grand Gulf [may] have |
| exceeded the maximum power level on some occasions in the past by about 3 |
| MWT. The plant has reduced the 100% power limit by 3 MWT until the Heat |
| Balance Equation can be corrected." |
| |
| The licensee notified the NRC resident inspector. |
| |
| (Refer to event #38330 for a similar event at Fermi, event #38337 for a |
| similar event at Perry, event #38340 for a similar event at Hope Creek, and |
| #38445 for a similar event at Columbia Generating Station.) |
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|Power Reactor |Event Number: 38345 |
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| FACILITY: COLUMBIA GENERATING STATIREGION: 4 |NOTIFICATION DATE: 10/03/2001|
| UNIT: [2] [] [] STATE: WA |NOTIFICATION TIME: 18:50[EDT]|
| RXTYPE: [2] GE-5 |EVENT DATE: 10/02/2001|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME: 16:37[PDT]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: DAVE BROWN |LAST UPDATE DATE: 10/03/2001|
| HQ OPS OFFICER: LEIGH TROCINE +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY |CLAUDE JOHNSON R4 |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|NONR OTHER UNSPEC REQMNT | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|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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| 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 Calculation, September 2001,' documents a |
| non-conservative constant for moisture carryover fraction in the equation |
| used to calculate plant heat balance. The report states that a number of |
| later model GE BWR plants report carryover fractions of less than 0.003%. |
| Currently, Columbia Generating Station uses 0.1% for the carryover term in |
| the calculation as directed by the GE design specifications. Use of the |
| 0.1% term in the heat balance calculation may have resulted in Columbia |
| Generating Station exceeding the maximum core thermal power value of 3486 |
| MWt specified in license condition 2.C(1) by approximately 2.83 MWt or 0.08% |
| Rated Thermal Power. As a compensatory measure until this issue is |
| resolved, Columbia Generating Station will adopt a conservative value of |
| 0.0% for the moisture carryover term in the plant heat balance calculation. |
| Consequently, the Plant Process Computer eight hour average core thermal |
| power is currently being administratively controlled at less than or equal |
| to 3482 MWt." |
| |
| "The Columbia Generating Station Operating License (NPF-21) contains a |
| requirement to report a violation of this license condition to the NRC |
| Regional Administrator or the Administrators designee. The NRC Region IV |
| Regional Administrator's designee, Mr. William Jones, has been informed of |
| this condition." |
| |
| The licensee notified the NRC resident inspector. |
| |
| (Refer to event #38330 for a similar event at Fermi, event #38337 for a |
| similar event at Perry, event #38340 for a similar event at Hope Creek, and |
| #38444 for a similar event at Grand Gulf.) |
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Page Last Reviewed/Updated Thursday, March 25, 2021
Page Last Reviewed/Updated Thursday, March 25, 2021