The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is in the process of rescinding or revising guidance and policies posted on this webpage in accordance with Executive Order 14151 Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing, and Executive Order 14168 Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government. In the interim, any previously issued diversity, equity, inclusion, or gender-related guidance on this webpage should be considered rescinded that is inconsistent with these Executive Orders.

Event Notification Report for December 09, 2002



                    U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
                              Operations Center

                              Event Reports For
                           12/06/2002 - 12/09/2002

                              ** EVENT NUMBERS **

39413  39417  39422  39427  39428  39429  

!!!!!!!!! THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED. THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED  !!!!!!!
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Power Reactor                                    |Event Number:   39413       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| FACILITY: COOPER                   REGION:  4  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 12/02/2002|
|    UNIT:  [1] [] []                 STATE:  NE |NOTIFICATION TIME: 00:31[EST]|
|   RXTYPE: [1] GE-4                             |EVENT DATE:        12/01/2002|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME:        17:33[CST]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  STEVE WHEELER                |LAST UPDATE DATE:  12/06/2002|
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  MIKE NORRIS                  +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |LINDA HOWELL         R4      |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|AIND 50.72(b)(3)(v)(D)   ACCIDENT MITIGATION    |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|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                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| STATION STARTUP AND EMERGENCY STATION SERVICE TRANSFORMERS DECLARED          |
| INOPERABLE                                                                   |
|                                                                              |
| "Available plant indicators showed that main generator output exceeded 150   |
| MVARs [million volt-amperes reactive] for approximately 4 minutes due to     |
| local grid conditions at 17:33 hours on December 1, 2002. The maximum value  |
| noted was 155 MVARs. Recent analysis and procedural guidance requires the    |
| two offsite power sources, consisting of the Station Startup Service         |
| Transformer and the Emergency Station Service Transformer to be declared     |
| inoperable above 150 MVARs. The grid operator was contacted and action was   |
| taken to lower local MVARs to below the allowed limit. The offsite power     |
| sources were declared operable at 17:37 hours."                              |
|                                                                              |
| The Licensee has notified the NRC Resident inspector.                        |
|                                                                              |
| * * * * RETRACTION FROM COY BLAIR TO MIKE RIPLEY ON 12/6/02 AT 1358 EST * *  |
| * *                                                                          |
|                                                                              |
| "EN # 39413 reported declaring both off-site power sources inoperable due to |
| generator MVAR output being above procedural limitations. An updated         |
| loadflow analysis was performed to evaluate off-site grid response under the |
| conditions existing at the time of the event.  The results of this           |
| evaluation demonstrated that procedural MVAR limits were conservative and    |
| that off-site power sources remained operable during the period of time that |
| generator MVAR output was above procedural limitations."                     |
|                                                                              |
| The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.   Notified the R4DO (W.    |
| Jones).                                                                      |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|General Information or Other                     |Event Number:   39417       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| REP ORG:  CALIFORNIA RADIATION CONTROL PRGM    |NOTIFICATION DATE: 12/02/2002|
|LICENSEE:  GEOSOILS                             |NOTIFICATION TIME: 17:42[EST]|
|    CITY:  VAN NUYS                 REGION:  4  |EVENT DATE:        11/29/2002|
|  COUNTY:                            STATE:  CA |EVENT TIME:        09:00[PST]|
|LICENSE#:  CA 4741-19            AGREEMENT:  Y  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  12/06/2002|
|  DOCKET:                                       |+----------------------------+
|                                                |PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|                                                |WILLIAM JONES        R4      |
|                                                |THOMAS ESSIG         NMSS    |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  BARBARA HAMRICK              |                             |
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  FANGIE JONES                 |                             |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |                             |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|NAGR                     AGREEMENT STATE        |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE                       |
|                                                                              |
| "This is to report a stolen moisture density gauge in the State of           |
| California (California incident number 112902).                              |
|                                                                              |
| "The licensee is Geosoils in Van Nuys, California (California license number |
| 4741-19).  The gauge was reported stolen via a voice-mail message left       |
| Friday morning, November 29, 2002.  The State offices were closed that day   |
| for the Thanksgiving holiday.                                                |
|                                                                              |
| "The gauge was stolen some time mid-morning on November 29, 2002, from the   |
| back of a pick-up truck, parked at a residence in the city of Gardena.  The  |
| chain securing the gauge package to the truck was cut.  The local police     |
| took a report.  The licensee will be running an ad offering a reward for the |
| return of the gauge for the next 10 days in the local newspaper.             |
|                                                                              |
| "This is all the information we have at the present time.  We are awaiting a |
| report from the licensee, confirming the activity and nuclide(s) in the      |
| gauge, as well as the serial number, and other information."                 |
|                                                                              |
| * * * * UPDATE FROM ROBERT GREGOR TO MIKE RIPLEY (VIA FAX) AT 1509 EST ON    |
| 12/6/02                                                                      |
|                                                                              |
| "On December 5, 2002, GeoSoils left a message on my voicemail stating that   |
| the gauge had been recovered, and was intact.                                |
|                                                                              |
| "December 6, 2002, telephone call with Ron Allen, RSO. The gauge was founded |
| abandoned on Alabama Street, in South Central Los Angeles.                   |
|                                                                              |
| "LAPD and LAFD were notified that there was a suspicious orange package with |
| radiation symbols that was unattended in the street. Both agencies           |
| responded, inspected the package, and determined that it was undamaged and   |
| so they checked it into evidence at the Lynwood Police Dept.                 |
|                                                                              |
| "GeoSoils was notified by LAPD that their property had been found, and they  |
| could come retrieve it.                                                      |
|                                                                              |
| "GeoSoils took photographs of the gauge, determined that the sources were    |
| still in the gauge, and will send the gauge to Maurer Associates (the local  |
| CPN authorized service representative) for a thorough inspection."           |
|                                                                              |
| Notified R4DO (Williams) and NMSS EO (Fred Brown)                            |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Power Reactor                                    |Event Number:   39422       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| FACILITY: CATAWBA                  REGION:  2  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 12/05/2002|
|    UNIT:  [1] [2] []                STATE:  SC |NOTIFICATION TIME: 01:52[EST]|
|   RXTYPE: [1] W-4-LP,[2] W-4-LP                |EVENT DATE:        12/05/2002|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME:        00:43[EST]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  JIMMY BURGESS                |LAST UPDATE DATE:  12/08/2002|
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  STEVE SANDIN                 +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |ANNE BOLAND          R2      |
|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  |
|2     N          Y       100      Power Operation  |100      Power Operation  |
|                                                   |                          |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| LOSS OF OFFSITE EMERGENCY SIRENS DUE TO ADVERSE WEATHER                      |
|                                                                              |
| "Twenty-four (24) emergency sirens out-of-service due to loss of power       |
| because of ice storm.  These sirens have been out-of-service more than one   |
| hour and preparations underway to restore to service."                       |
|                                                                              |
| The licensee will inform state/local agencies and the NRC resident           |
| inspector.                                                                   |
|                                                                              |
| * * * UPDATE ON 12/05/02 @ 1028 BY BRADLEY TO GOULD * * *                    |
|                                                                              |
| The site currently has 47 of 89 sirens out of service and has placed their   |
| backup route alerting system in service in the affected counties.  They also |
| have a reverse 911 callup system in place in the county that the site is     |
| located.                                                                     |
|                                                                              |
| Present estimates for returning power to the counties and thus to the sirens |
| is approximately one or two days.                                            |
|                                                                              |
| The Resident Inspector was notified.                                         |
|                                                                              |
| * * * UPDATE ON 12/08/02 AT 1730 EST BY BRADLEY TO JONES * * *               |
|                                                                              |
| "This report is concerning Catawba Nuclear Station present siren status.     |
| There are still 9 out of 89 CNS sirens out of service due to loss of power   |
| in the EPZ Counties from the ice storm.                                      |
|                                                                              |
| "Significant progress has been made on restoring power to the EPZ counties   |
| as shown by the following siren status: 2 of 72 in York County, 3 of 6 in    |
| Gaston County, and 4 of 11 in Mecklenburg equals 9 out of 89 sirens without  |
| power.  Route alerting for all counties is still in place and available if   |
| needed.  Present estimation for the return of these nine sirens [is] one to  |
| two more days."   The NRC Resident Inspector will be notified.               |
|                                                                              |
| Notified R2DO (B. Bonser)                                                    |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Power Reactor                                    |Event Number:   39427       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| FACILITY: SAN ONOFRE               REGION:  4  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 12/06/2002|
|    UNIT:  [] [2] [3]                STATE:  CA |NOTIFICATION TIME: 15:35[EST]|
|   RXTYPE: [1] W-3-LP,[2] CE,[3] CE             |EVENT DATE:        12/06/2002|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME:        06:32[PST]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  C. E. WILLIAMS               |LAST UPDATE DATE:  12/06/2002|
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  MIKE RIPLEY                  +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |WILLIAM JONES        R4      |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|HFIT 26.73               FITNESS FOR DUTY       |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR|   INIT RX MODE  |CURR PWR|  CURR RX MODE   |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|                                                   |                          |
|2     N          Y       97       Power Operation  |97       Power Operation  |
|3     N          Y       100      Power Operation  |100      Power Operation  |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| FITNESS FOR DUTY                                                             |
|                                                                              |
| A licensed operator tested positive for alcohol during a random test.  The   |
| employee's access to the protected area has been terminated pending          |
| confirmatory testing.                                                        |
|                                                                              |
| The NRC Resident Inspector has been notified.  Contact the HOO for           |
| additional details.                                                          |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Hospital                                         |Event Number:   39428       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| REP ORG:  TENNESSEE DIV OF RAD HEALTH          |NOTIFICATION DATE: 12/06/2002|
|LICENSEE:  VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER |NOTIFICATION TIME: 16:38[EST]|
|    CITY:  NASHVILLE                REGION:  2  |EVENT DATE:        12/05/2002|
|  COUNTY:                            STATE:  TN |EVENT TIME:        15:45[EST]|
|LICENSE#:  R-19014-E05           AGREEMENT:  Y  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  12/06/2002|
|  DOCKET:                                       |+----------------------------+
|                                                |PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|                                                |ROBERT HAAG          R2      |
|                                                |DANIEL GILLEN        NMSS    |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  DEBRA SHULTS                 |                             |
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  HOWIE CROUCH                 |                             |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |                             |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|NAGR                     AGREEMENT STATE        |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL SPILL IN X-RAY ROOM            |
|                                                                              |
|                                                                              |
| Tennessee Event Report ID No.:   TN-02-170                                   |
|                                                                              |
| "[State of Tennessee] DRH [Division of Radiological Health] was notified on  |
| 12/6/02 by the Radiation Safety Officer at Vanderbilt University Medical     |
| Center of a spill of Yttrium-90 microspheres.  The material was being used   |
| in an x-ray room for treatment of hepatic tumors.   Approximately 4% of the  |
| 64 millicurie dose was spilled onto the floor of the room.  The room was     |
| isolated and is being decontaminated.  The Radiology Department was closed   |
| after the spill to survey for any possible spread of contamination and was   |
| reopened this morning.  The room where the spill occurred is still           |
| restricted.  The State will investigate and will inform the NRC of the       |
| results of the investigation."                                               |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Power Reactor                                    |Event Number:   39429       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| FACILITY: DRESDEN                  REGION:  3  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 12/07/2002|
|    UNIT:  [] [] [3]                 STATE:  IL |NOTIFICATION TIME: 08:51[EST]|
|   RXTYPE: [1] GE-1,[2] GE-3,[3] GE-3           |EVENT DATE:        12/07/2002|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME:        06:35[CST]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  WOITKIEWICZ                  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  12/07/2002|
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  CHAUNCEY GOULD               +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |KENNETH RIEMER       R3      |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |CHRISTOPHER GRIMES   NRR     |
|ASHU 50.72(b)(2)(i)      PLANT S/D REQD BY TS   |                             |
|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          Y       20       Power Operation  |20       Power Operation  |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| PLANT ENTERED TS 3.4.4 DUE TO PCS BOUNDARY LEAKAGE OF APPROXIMATELY 1.5 GPM  |
|                                                                              |
| During a drywell entry to identify the source of increased drywell leakage,  |
| they discovered a primary coolant system (PCS) leak on the "3A" reactor      |
| recirculation pump discharge loop flow instrument line.  This condition      |
| required entry into TS 3.4.4 which requires that there is no pressure        |
| boundary leakage.  Entering this condition requires that the unit be in mode |
| 3 in 12 hours and mode 4 in 36 hours, which is a TS required shutdown.  The  |
| leakage is estimated to be approximately 1.5 gpm.  They will commence        |
| repairs when they reach mode 4 (may go to mode 5).                           |
|                                                                              |
| The NRC Resident inspector was notified.                                     |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+



Page Last Reviewed/Updated Thursday, March 25, 2021