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Event Notification Report for April 17, 2002

                         
                    U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
                              Operations Center

                              Event Reports For
                           04/16/2002 - 04/17/2002

                              ** EVENT NUMBERS **

38856  38857  38858  

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|Other Nuclear Material                           |Event Number:   38856       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                         
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
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| REP ORG:  MICHIGAN DEPT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUAL  |NOTIFICATION DATE:
04/15/2002|
|LICENSEE:  FORD MOTOR COMPANY                   |NOTIFICATION TIME: 16:00[EDT]|
|    CITY:  DEARBORN                 REGION:  3  |EVENT DATE:        03/15/2002|
|  COUNTY:                            STATE:  MI |EVENT TIME:             [EDT]|
|LICENSE#:                        AGREEMENT:  N  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  04/15/2002|
|  DOCKET:                                       |+----------------------------+
|                                                |PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|                                                |FRED BROWN           NMSS    |
|                                                |JOHN MADERA          R3      |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  JOSEPH BONACCHI              |                             |
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  RICH LAURA                   |                             |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |                             |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|BAB1 20.2201(a)(1)(i)    LOST/STOLEN LNM>1000X  |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
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                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| LOSS OF POLONIUM-210 STATIC ELIMINATOR                                       |
|                                                                              |
| "This letter is pertinent to the lost of an anti-static air gun. The model   |
| number is P-2021. The serial number A2AW9S4 is on lease number 007136 and    |
| was shipped on 3/19/01. The device was used for spraying acrylic and also to |
| prevent dust. The device was used in the Plastic Shop. It was last used      |
| during the month of August, 2001. To my knowledge, the device was misplaced  |
| or stolen. The efforts that was made was searching of the shop and           |
| questioning the shop personnel. This situation has been brought to           |
| management attention, The decision was made to not replace the anti-static   |
| gun."                                                                        |
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+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Other Nuclear Material                           |Event Number:   38857       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                         
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
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| REP ORG:  NORTHERN ENGRAVING                   |NOTIFICATION DATE: 04/16/2002|
|LICENSEE:  NORTHERN ENGRAVING                   |NOTIFICATION TIME: 16:33[EDT]|
|    CITY:  GALEVILLE                REGION:  3  |EVENT DATE:        04/16/2002|
|  COUNTY:                            STATE:  WI |EVENT TIME:        15:00[CDT]|
|LICENSE#:                        AGREEMENT:  N  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  04/16/2002|
|  DOCKET:                                       |+----------------------------+
|                                                |PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|                                                |JOHN MADERA          R3      |
|                                                |DON COOL             NMSS    |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  RANDY NEDRELO                |                             |
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  LEIGH TROCINE                |                             |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |                             |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|BAB1 20.2201(a)(1)(i)    LOST/STOLEN LNM>1000X  |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| DISCOVERY THAT AN AMERICIUM-241 SOURCE WAS MISSING FROM NORTHERN
ENGINEERING |
| IN GALEVILLE, WISCONSIN                                                      |
|                                                                              |
| At approximately 1500 CDT, the licensee discovered that an americium-241     |
| source with an activity of about 11 millicuries was missing from the         |
| Galeville facility.  It had previously been used as a static eliminator.     |
| Apparently, the licensee discontinued use of these static eliminators some   |
| time ago.  Two had been returned to the supplier (NRD), one was found in an  |
| unusual location, and one was unaccounted.                                   |
|                                                                              |
| The licensee stated that the corporate office was located in Sparta,         |
| Wisconsin.                                                                   |
|                                                                              |
| The licensee notified the NRC Region 3 office (Mike Lafranzo).               |
|                                                                              |
| (Call the NRC operations officer for a licensee contact telephone number.)   |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Fuel Cycle Facility                              |Event Number:   38858       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| FACILITY: PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT   |NOTIFICATION DATE:
04/16/2002|
|   RXTYPE: URANIUM ENRICHMENT FACILITY          |NOTIFICATION TIME: 22:10[EDT]|
| COMMENTS: 2 DEMOCRACY CENTER                   |EVENT DATE:        04/16/2002|
|           6903 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE                 |EVENT TIME:        13:55[EDT]|
|           BETHESDA, MD 20817    (301)564-3200  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  04/16/2002|
|    CITY:  PIKETON                  REGION:  3  +-----------------------------+
|  COUNTY:  PIKE                      STATE:  OH |PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|LICENSE#:  GDP-2                 AGREEMENT:  N  |JOHN MADERA          R3      |
|  DOCKET:  0707002                              |M. WAYNE HODGES      NMSS    |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  ERIC SPAETH                  |                             |
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  LEIGH TROCINE                |                             |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |                             |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|NBNL                     RESPONSE-BULLETIN      |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| NRC BULLETIN 91-01 RESPONSE - CRITICALITY CONTROL 24-HOUR REPORT             |
|                                                                              |
| The following text is a portion of a facsimile received from the Portsmouth  |
| personnel:                                                                   |
|                                                                              |
| "On 04/16/02, [a Recirculating Cooling Water (RCW)]/FREON status walkdown    |
| was performed to ensure compliance with the Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS) |
| controls of NCSA-0333_015A06.  During the walkdown, it was found that the    |
| R-114 level on cell 33-6-9 Even and the East 'A' Booster could not be seen   |
| on the [sight] glass.  The RCW supply block valves were found to be open."   |
|                                                                              |
| "NCSA-0333_015.A06 requires that: 'The liquid R-114 level on shutdown cells  |
| shall be monitored weekly unless the R-114 is drained.  If the R-114 level   |
| is not visible on the level indicator for the coolant system, the RCW supply |
| block valve shall be closed.' "                                              |
|                                                                              |
| "Since the R-114 was not visible on the [sight] glasses and the RCW supply   |
| block valves were open, the NCSA control was violated."                      |
|                                                                              |
| "SAFETY SIGNIFICANCE OF EVENTS:  The safety significant of this event is     |
| low.  The equipment involved contains less than a safe mass of material, and |
| for water to get to material contained in the process side of the equipment, |
| the condenser tubes must leak (filling the coolant system with water up to   |
| the level of the cooler tubes), and the cooler tubes must leak allowing the  |
| water to enter the process side of the equipment.  The pressure of the       |
| coolant system for Cell 33-6-9 Even is approximately 8 psig, and the         |
| pressure of the East 'A' Booster coolant is greater than 30 psig.            |
| Therefore, neither the condenser nor the cooler tubes appear to be           |
| leaking."                                                                    |
|                                                                              |
| "POTENTIAL CRITICALITY PATHWAYS INVOLVED (BRIEF SCENARIO[S] OF HOW           |
| CRITICALITY COULD OCCUR):  For a criticality to occur, water must leak       |
| across the coolant system (i.e., both the condenser and cooler heat exchange |
| tubes must be breached) and into the process side of the equipment.  Once on |
| the process side of the equipment, the water has to cause material to        |
| relocate and accumulate such that the resulting mixture contains more than a |
| critical mass."                                                              |
|                                                                              |
| "CONTROLLED PARAMETERS (MASS, MODERATION, GEOMETRY, CONCENTRATION,
ETC.):    |
| The controlled parameters in the event are Mass and Moderation."             |
|                                                                              |
| "ESTIMATED AMOUNT, ENRICHMENT, FORM OF LICENSED MATERIAL (INCLUDE
PROCESS    |
| LIMIT AND % WORST CASE OF CRITICAL MASS):  The enrichment on cell 33-6-9     |
| Even is 1.431 wt. percent 235U, the enrichment on East 'A' Booster is 1.763  |
| wt. percent 235U, and there is no equipment in the X-333 facility that has a |
| greater than safe mass deposit.  The safe mass of uranium at 2 wt. percent   |
| is 341.6 pounds."                                                            |
|                                                                              |
| "NUCLEAR CRITICALITY SAFETY CONTROL(S) OR CONTROL SYSTEM(S) AND
DESCRIPTION  |
| OF THE FAILURES OR DEFICIENCIES:  The RCW supply block valve was not         |
| closed."                                                                     |
|                                                                              |
| "CORRECTIVE ACTIONS TO RESTORE SAFETY SYSTEM AND WHEN EACH WAS
IMPLEMENTED:  |
| Required actions were initiated for an NCS Anomalous Condition.  Under the   |
| direction of NCS personnel, the RCW supply block valves were closed, thus    |
| regaining compliance with the NCSA."                                         |
|                                                                              |
| Portsmouth personnel notified the NRC resident inspector and plan to notify  |
| the Department of Energy site representatives.                               |
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