Event Notification Report for January 23, 2002

                         
                    U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
                              Operations Center

                              Event Reports For
                           01/22/2002 - 01/23/2002

                              ** EVENT NUMBERS **

38609  38644  38645  38646  

!!!!!!!!! THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED. THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED  !!!!!!!
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|Power Reactor                                    |Event Number:   38609       |
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| FACILITY: PRAIRIE ISLAND           REGION:  3  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 01/05/2002|
|    UNIT:  [1] [2] []                STATE:  MN |NOTIFICATION TIME: 23:33[EST]|
|   RXTYPE: [1] W-2-LP,[2] W-2-LP                |EVENT DATE:        01/05/2002|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME:        17:50[CST]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  WAYNE IRVIN                  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  01/22/2002|
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  LEIGH TROCINE                +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |GARY SHEAR           R3      |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|AUNA 50.72(b)(3)(ii)(B)  UNANALYZED CONDITION   |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|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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| DISCOVERY THAT PROPANE TANKS ON SITE EXCEEDED THE VOLUME ASSUMED IN
THE      |
| CONTROL ROOM HABITABILITY TOXIC GAS ANALYSIS                                 |
|                                                                              |
| The following text is a portion of a facsimile received from the licensee:   |
|                                                                              |
| "Propane tanks on site exceeded the volume assumed in the toxic gas analysis |
| for control room habitability.  The analysis assumes 1,000 gallons were      |
| available for release.  Instead, there were two locations were two           |
| 1,000-gallon tanks were available for release (filled with propane on        |
| January 4th and then emptied on January 4th).  Upon determination that the   |
| 1,000-gallon limit was exceeded, the control room outside air intake dampers |
| were closed and remained closed until the tanks were emptied.  Reanalysis    |
| (completed today) assuming a release of 2,000 gallons results in the         |
| calculated concentration of propane in the control room exceeding the        |
| acceptance criteria."                                                        |
|                                                                              |
| The licensee stated that there was nothing unusual or misunderstood and that |
| all systems functioned as required.                                          |
|                                                                              |
| The licensee plans to notify the NRC resident inspector.                     |
|                                                                              |
| * * * RETRACTED AT 1636 EST ON 1/22/02 BY ANDREWS TO FANGIE JONES * * *      |
|                                                                              |
| "The event reported on January 5, 2002 (Propane tanks on-site exceeded the   |
| volume assumed in the toxic gas analysis for the control room. NRC Event     |
| Number 38609) is hereby retracted.                                           |
|                                                                              |
| "Subsequent analysis (via updated methodology, consistent with the guidance  |
| in the proposed Revision 1 to Reg Guide 1.78, 'EVALUATING THE HABITABILITY   |
| OF A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT CONTROL ROOM DURING A POSTULATED
HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL |
| RELEASE') has demonstrated that the maximum propane concentration in the     |
| control room would be well below the acceptable level.                       |
|                                                                              |
| "Thus, although the plant had been in an unanalyzed condition, that          |
| condition has now been shown to have not significantly degraded plant safety |
| and is, therefore, not reportable under the requirements 10 CFR              |
| 50.72(b)(3)(ii)(B)."                                                         |
|                                                                              |
| The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.  The R3DO (Sonia Burgess)  |
| has been informed.                                                           |
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+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Power Reactor                                    |Event Number:   38644       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                         
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| FACILITY: GINNA                    REGION:  1  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 01/22/2002|
|    UNIT:  [1] [] []                 STATE:  NY |NOTIFICATION TIME: 11:17[EST]|
|   RXTYPE: [1] W-2-LP                           |EVENT DATE:        01/21/2002|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME:        11:11[EST]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  ROBIN NYE                    |LAST UPDATE DATE:  01/22/2002|
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  JOHN MacKINNON               +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |PETE ESELGROTH       R1      |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|ACOM 50.72(b)(3)(xiii)   LOSS COMM/ASMT/RESPONSE|                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR|   INIT RX MODE  |CURR PWR|  CURR RX MODE  
|
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|1     N          Y       100      Power Operation  |100      Power Operation  |
|                                                   |                          |
|                                                   |                          |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| FAILURE OF 23 OUT OF 24 EMERGENCY SIRENS IN  MONROE COUNTY                   |
|                                                                              |
| At 0851, January 22, 2002, Ginna Station Emergency Planning received the     |
| weekly Siren Silent Test results from Monroe County 911 center.  Results     |
| indicated a 96% failure (23 out of 24) of the Monroe County sirens on        |
| 01-21-02 at 11:11 AM.                                                        |
|                                                                              |
| On 1-21-02 at 11:11AM, RG&E technician was notified by Monroe County of the  |
| failure and responded to the 911 center to investigate.  The 911 center      |
| representative gave the siren test results to the technician.  The           |
| technician then performed a successful silent test from the central control  |
| unit located at RG&E's West Avenue location, however, Monroe County plans do |
| not include the RG&E West Avenue location as an activation or test           |
| location.                                                                    |
|                                                                              |
| Due to a holiday on 01-21-02, the Monroe County Cobbs Hill location was not  |
| staffed and therefore a silent test was not performed from that location.    |
|                                                                              |
| Ginna Station Emergency planning personnel were not notified of the Siren    |
| Test failure on 01-21-02, or the retest performed immediately following.     |
| Guidelines of EPG-2 specify that Emergency Planning be immediately notified  |
| of siren failures greater than 25% in one county.  Wayne County has 72       |
| sirens and Monroe County has 24 sirens.                                      |
|                                                                              |
| On 12-12-01, communications from Monroe County 911 Center to the transmitter |
| on Cobbs Hill was moved from a leased telephone line to the Monroe County    |
| microwave system.  Since 12-12-01, test performed from this location have    |
| been successful.                                                             |
|                                                                              |
| The recent test on 01-21-02 indicates possible interference on the microwave |
| system appears to cause obstruction with siren communication.                |
|                                                                              |
| The NRC Resident Inspector was notified of this event by the licensee.       |
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+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|General Information or Other                     |Event Number:   38645       |
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| REP ORG:  OHIO BUREAU OF RADIATION PROTECTION  |NOTIFICATION DATE:
01/22/2002|
|LICENSEE:  H. C. NUTTING COMPANY                |NOTIFICATION TIME: 12:10[EST]|
|    CITY:  CINCINNATI               REGION:  3  |EVENT DATE:        01/17/2002|
|  COUNTY:                            STATE:  OH |EVENT TIME:        08:00[EST]|
|LICENSE#:  OH-312103100          AGREEMENT:  Y  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  01/22/2002|
|  DOCKET:                                       |+----------------------------+
|                                                |PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|                                                |SONIA BURGESS        R3      |
|                                                |FRED BROWN           NMSS    |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  MICHAEL SNEE                 |                             |
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  FANGIE JONES                 |                             |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:                                |                             |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|NAGR                     AGREEMENT STATE        |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
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                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN TROXLER MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE              
|
|                                                                              |
| The licensee reported the theft of a Troxler moisture density gauge (model   |
| 3411, serial #16098) containing two sealed sources (40 mCi Am-Be and 8 mCi   |
| Cs-137).  The gauge was stolen from the back of a truck parked at an         |
| employee's residence in Park Hills, KY.  The Park Hills police department    |
| and the Commonwealth of Kentucky were notified.  On 1/22/02 the gauge was    |
| recovered behind a convenience store in Covington, KY.  The licensee has     |
| possession of the gauge which was not damaged.                               |
|                                                                              |
| Ohio reference #OH 02-009.                                                   |
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|General Information or Other                     |Event Number:   38646       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                         
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| REP ORG:  ALABAMA RADIATION CONTROL            |NOTIFICATION DATE: 01/22/2002|
|LICENSEE:  BHATE ENGINEERING CORPORATION        |NOTIFICATION TIME: 15:49[EST]|
|    CITY:  AUBURN                   REGION:  2  |EVENT DATE:        01/18/2002|
|  COUNTY:                            STATE:  AL |EVENT TIME:        17:30[CST]|
|LICENSE#:  AL 655                AGREEMENT:  Y  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  01/22/2002|
|  DOCKET:                                       |+----------------------------+
|                                                |PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|                                                |SON NINH             R2      |
|                                                |SUSAN FRANT          NMSS    |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  JAMES McKEES                 |                             |
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  FANGIE JONES                 |                             |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |                             |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|NAGR                     AGREEMENT STATE        |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN TROXLER GAUGE                                |
|                                                                              |
| "...A Troxler Electronics Model 3430, Serial Number 30208 gauge had been     |
| stolen between 5:00 pm and 5:30 pm on Friday, January 18, 2002.              |
|                                                                              |
| "On Friday evening January 18, 2002, two Bhate employees stopped after work  |
| for dinner at Nifflers Restaurant in Auburn, Alabama. At approximately 5:30  |
| pm they came out of Nifflers and discovered the nuclear gauge. which had     |
| been chained to the bed of the truck was gone. Someone had cut the chain and |
| taken the gauge, which was locked inside the transportation case.            |
|                                                                              |
| "The device was found either Friday night or Saturday morning by the Auburn  |
| Police Department where it had been abandoned on Spring Hill Road in Auburn, |
| Alabama.                                                                     |
|                                                                              |
| "On Saturday afternoon, January 19, 2002, the Auburn Police Department       |
| contacted Dr. Charles Ray of Auburn University, who serves as an advisor to  |
| their local Haz-Mat team. Later that same afternoon, the Auburn Police Dept  |
| delivered to device to Auburn University, who placed the device, still       |
| inside the locked case, in their radioactive materials storage area. At      |
| approximately 8:00 am on the morning of Tuesday January 22, 2002, a          |
| representative of Bhate picked up the device from Auburn University. The     |
| case was still locked and the  'trigger lock'  was also still in place.      |
|                                                                              |
| "Several employees of the Alabama Office of Radiation Control were available |
| and on pager at all times during this holiday weekend. It appears no one     |
| from the Agency was notified. The Agency plans to cite the licensee for      |
| failure to make immediate notification of the stolen device as required by   |
| 420-3-26-.03(51)(a) of the Alabama Administrative Code. A fax sent to the    |
| Agency's offices after hours does not constitute immediate notification."    |
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