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Event Notification Report for February 21, 2003








                    U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

                              Operations Center



                              Event Reports For

                           02/20/2003 - 02/21/2003



                              ** EVENT NUMBERS **



39468  39594  39602  39603  39604  39605  39608  



!!!!!!!!! THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED. THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED  !!!!!!!

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

|Power Reactor                                    |Event Number:   39468       |

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| FACILITY: PALISADES                REGION:  3  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 12/23/2002|

|    UNIT:  [1] [] []                 STATE:  MI |NOTIFICATION TIME: 15:02[EST]|

|   RXTYPE: [1] CE                               |EVENT DATE:        12/23/2002|

+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME:        13:00[EST]|

| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  ROGER SHAFFER                |LAST UPDATE DATE:  02/20/2003|

|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  HOWIE CROUCH                 +-----------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------+PERSON          ORGANIZATION |

|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |ANNE MARIE STONE     R3      |

|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |

|AINC 50.72(b)(3)(v)(C)   POT UNCNTRL RAD REL    |                             |

|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                                   

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| CONTAINMENT HYDROGEN MONITOR CHANNEL OUT OF SERVICE                          |

|                                                                              |

| At 1300 on 12/23/02, it was determined that two vent caps were found removed |

| from the supply and return headers on the right channel of the containment   |

| hydrogen monitor, EC-162,  which constituted a reportable condition under 10 |

| CFR 50.72(b)(3)(v)(C) and (D), 8-hour report.  This is based on a release    |

| path available such that if the hydrogen monitor was placed in service,      |

| post-accident, the site release limits could be exceeded.  Also, with the    |

| openings in the supply and return lines, a valid hydrogen concentration      |

| could not be obtained.  As a result, operator action to place the hydrogen   |

| recombiner in service could have been missed.  There are no indications that |

| these caps were removed maliciously or as an act of sabotage.  It should be  |

| noted that the other (left channel) hydrogen monitor is the preferred        |

| monitor to be placed in service due to input to the Emergency Response Data  |

| System.  Both the 3/8 inch vent caps were re-installed upon discovery.       |

|                                                                              |

| The licensee stated that no recent maintenance in the area.  The last time   |

| the vent caps were known to be removed were in May, 2001 for testing.  The   |

| caps were documented as being re-installed after the test was complete.      |

|                                                                              |

| The licensee notified the NRC resident inspector.                            |

|                                                                              |

|                                                                              |

| * * * UPDATE ON 2/20/03 @ 1041 BY MALONE TO GOULD * * *   RETRACTION         |

|                                                                              |

| THE LICENSEE IS RETRACTING THIS EVENT                                        |

|                                                                              |

| An analysis has since determined that the potential release from the         |

| uninstalled pipe caps and the potential delay in placing a hydrogen          |

| recombiner in service are bounded by their respective analyses of record,    |

| considering reasonable assumptions of recognition of the condition from      |

| available indications.                                                       |

|                                                                              |

| Consequently, there was no condition which could have prevented the          |

| fulfillment of a safety function needed to control the release of            |

| radioactive material or mitigate the consequences of an accident.            |

|                                                                              |

| The NRC Resident Inspector was notified.                                     |

|                                                                              |

| Region 3 RDO(Madera) was notified.                                           |

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+



+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

|General Information or Other                     |Event Number:   39594       |

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| REP ORG:  MISSISSIPPI DIV OF RAD HEALTH        |NOTIFICATION DATE: 02/18/2003|

|LICENSEE:  SOUTHERN INSPECTION SERVICES         |NOTIFICATION TIME: 09:36[EST]|

|    CITY:  MOSS POINT               REGION:  2  |EVENT DATE:        02/17/2003|

|  COUNTY:                            STATE:  MS |EVENT TIME:             [CST]|

|LICENSE#:  MS-747-01             AGREEMENT:  Y  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  02/18/2003|

|  DOCKET:                                       |+----------------------------+

|                                                |PERSON          ORGANIZATION |

|                                                |CHARLES R. OGLE      R2      |

|                                                |FRED BROWN           NMSS    |

+------------------------------------------------+                             |

| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  B. J. SMITH                  |                             |

|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  GERRY WAIG                   |                             |

+------------------------------------------------+                             |

|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |                             |

|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |

|NAGR                     AGREEMENT STATE        |                             |

|                                                |                             |

|                                                |                             |

|                                                |                             |

|                                                |                             |

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+



                                   EVENT TEXT                                   

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| AGREEMENT STATE - RADIATION WORKER EXCEEDED TEDE DOSE LIMIT                  |

|                                                                              |

| "Description of Incident: On the afternoon of February 14, 2003, DRH         |

| received a call from Sonny Mallette with Southern Inspection Services,       |

| concerning a radiographer receiving a TEDE for calendar year 2002 exceeding  |

| 5 rem. Mr. Mallette stated that the employee had received 4722 mrem          |

| [millirem] by the end of the 11th report for 2002, and they had watched his  |

| dosimeter readings closely, but when they received the end of year report he |

| had gone over the 5 rem limit [5,066 millirem]. He stated that the dose was  |

| received in work situations where shielding and distance are at a minimum.   |

| One setup involved shooting up in a oil drilling rig derrick where no        |

| shielding is available."                                                     |

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+



+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

|Fuel Cycle Facility                              |Event Number:   39602       |

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| FACILITY: FRAMATOME ANP RICHLAND               |NOTIFICATION DATE: 02/20/2003|

|   RXTYPE: URANIUM FUEL FABRICATION             |NOTIFICATION TIME: 15:04[EST]|

| COMMENTS: LEU CONVERSION                       |EVENT DATE:        02/20/2003|

|           FABRICATION & SCRAP RECOVERY         |EVENT TIME:        06:30[PST]|

|           COMMERCIAL LWR FUEL                  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  02/20/2003|

|    CITY:  RICHLAND                 REGION:  4  +-----------------------------+

|  COUNTY:  BENTON                    STATE:  WA |PERSON          ORGANIZATION |

|LICENSE#:  SNM-1227              AGREEMENT:  Y  |KRISS KENNEDY        R4      |

|  DOCKET:  07001257                             |ROBERT PIERSON       NMSS    |

+------------------------------------------------+                             |

| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  CAL MANNING                  |                             |

|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  RICH LAURA                   |                             |

+------------------------------------------------+                             |

|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |                             |

|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |

|KFIR 70.50(b)(4)         FIRE/EXPLOSION         |                             |

|                                                |                             |

|                                                |                             |

|                                                |                             |

|                                                |                             |

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+



                                   EVENT TEXT                                   

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| LOW LEVEL RADWASTE INCINERATOR FIRE EVENT AT FRAMATOME                       |

|                                                                              |

| "At approximately 0630 hrs. a cardboard waste box, containing about 9.75     |

| grams of U-235, was being fed into the low level rad waste incinerator. The  |

| box entered into the feed box area of the incinerator and the outer door     |

| closed, however the inner door, separating the feed box from the             |

| incinerator, only partially opened and prevented the waste box from being    |

| fed into the incinerator. The waste box caught fire in the feed box area     |

| which resulted in damage to the primary HEPA filter and associated           |

| pre-filter for the feed box and incinerator shroud (located just above and   |

| directly downstream of the feed box area). The final HEPA filters remained   |

| undamaged. The ventilation duct upstream of the final HEPA filters is        |

| equipped with a fire deluge system, which remained unactivated indicating    |

| the temperature seen by the final filters was below the deluge system        |

| activation temperature (less than 180 degrees F). The fire self-extinguished |

| when the inner door was fully closed and the waste box and contents were     |

| consumed. There was no unusual release of radioactive material from the      |

| facility as demonstrated by stack air sample results and samples taken from  |

| the roof and surroundings. The two employees in the facility were checked    |

| and no detectable contamination, and only minimal (less than .1 DAC hrs.)    |

| exposure occurred. An Incident Investigation Board (IIB) has been convened.  |

| The equipment is currently shutdown and will remain down until the IIB       |

| report is complete and appropriate corrective actions are completed."        |

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+



+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

|Power Reactor                                    |Event Number:   39603       |

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| FACILITY: LASALLE                  REGION:  3  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 02/20/2003|

|    UNIT:  [] [2] []                 STATE:  IL |NOTIFICATION TIME: 17:32[EST]|

|   RXTYPE: [1] GE-5,[2] GE-5                    |EVENT DATE:        02/18/2003|

+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME:        10:16[CST]|

| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  KEITH TABER                  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  02/20/2003|

|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  ERIC THOMAS                  +-----------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------+PERSON          ORGANIZATION |

|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |JOHN MADERA          R3      |

|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |

|AINV 50.73(a)(1)         INVALID SPECIF SYSTEM A|                             |

|                                                |                             |

|                                                |                             |

|                                                |                             |

+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+

|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR|   INIT RX MODE  |CURR PWR|  CURR RX MODE   |

+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+

|                                                   |                          |

|2     N          N       0        Refueling        |0        Refueling        |

|                                                   |                          |

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

                                   EVENT TEXT                                   

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| INVALID SPECIFIED SYSTEM ACTUATION                                           |

|                                                                              |

| "On February 18, 2003, at 1016 hours, with Unit 2 in Mode 5 (refuel), the 2B |

| Emergency Diesel Generator (DG), automatically started during the            |

| restoration from the reactor vessel hydrostatic leakage test.  The apparent  |

| cause was a spurious pressure spike sensed at instrument rack 2H22-P004      |

| while opening the reactor vessel head vent valves.  This pressure spike      |

| caused the associated reactor vessel water level transmitters to sense a low |

| level condition.  This invalid low level signal resulted in the automatic    |

| actuation of the 2B DG (Div. III) which is the emergency power supply to the |

| Unit 2 High Pressure Core Spray (HPCS) system.  The Unit 2 HPCS pump control |

| switch had been placed in the pull to lock position as part of the procedure |

| controls for the hydrostatic leakage test and therefore did not actuate.     |

| This system actuation is reportable under 10 CFR 50.73 (a)(2)(iv)(A).        |

|                                                                              |

| "The 2B DG responded normally and reached normal speed and voltage.  It was  |

| run both loaded and unloaded successfully, and was secured at 1042 on        |

| February 18, 2003.                                                           |

|                                                                              |

| "This report is being made in accordance with 10 CFR 50.73 (a)(1), which     |

| states that in the case of an invalid actuation reported under 10 CFR        |

| 50.73(a)(2)(iv), other than an actuation of the RPS when the reactor is      |

| critical, the licensee may provide a telephone notification to the NRC       |

| Operations Center within 60 days after discovery of the event instead of     |

| submitting a written LER."                                                   |

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+



+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

|Power Reactor                                    |Event Number:   39604       |

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| FACILITY: FERMI                    REGION:  3  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 02/20/2003|

|    UNIT:  [2] [] []                 STATE:  MI |NOTIFICATION TIME: 17:38[EST]|

|   RXTYPE: [2] GE-4                             |EVENT DATE:        02/20/2003|

+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME:        18:00[EST]|

| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  GREGORY MILLER               |LAST UPDATE DATE:  02/20/2003|

|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  RICH LAURA                   +-----------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------+PERSON          ORGANIZATION |

|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |JOHN MADERA          R3      |

|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   |

+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+

|2     N          Y       100      Power Operation  |100      Power Operation  |

|                                                   |                          |

|                                                   |                          |

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

                                   EVENT TEXT                                   

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| ERDS OUT OF SERVICE FOR PLANNED OUTAGE AT FERMI 2                            |

|                                                                              |

| "The safety parameter display system (SPDS) is being removed from service to |

| perform planned upgrades to the system. The removal of the SPDS affects the  |

| transmission of data for the emergency response data system (ERDS). The SPDS |

| will be deactivated at approximately 1800 hours on February 20, 2003, and    |

| will not be returned to service until the end of April 2003. During this     |

| period, the primary plant indicators that supply the SPDS, in conjunction    |

| with the other indication and communication systems available to the plant   |

| operations staff will be used for emergency response if needed. This         |

| condition is reportable in accordance with 10CFR50.72(b)(3)(xiii). The       |

| Senior Resident Inspector, appropriate Region III and NRR Staff members,     |

| have been briefed on this modification."                                     |

|                                                                              |

| The NRC Resident Inspector was notified.                                     |

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+



+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

|Fuel Cycle Facility                              |Event Number:   39605       |

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| FACILITY: PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT   |NOTIFICATION DATE: 02/20/2003|

|   RXTYPE: URANIUM ENRICHMENT FACILITY          |NOTIFICATION TIME: 17:59[EST]|

| COMMENTS: 2 DEMOCRACY CENTER                   |EVENT DATE:        02/20/2003|

|           6903 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE                 |EVENT TIME:        15:30[EST]|

|           BETHESDA, MD 20817    (301)564-3200  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  02/20/2003|

|    CITY:  PIKETON                  REGION:  3  +-----------------------------+

|  COUNTY:  PIKE                      STATE:  OH |PERSON          ORGANIZATION |

|LICENSE#:  GDP-2                 AGREEMENT:  N  |JOHN MADERA          R3      |

|  DOCKET:  0707002                              |ROBERT PIERSON       NMSS    |

+------------------------------------------------+                             |

| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  GARY SAYLERS                 |                             |

|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  ERIC THOMAS                  |                             |

+------------------------------------------------+                             |

|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |                             |

|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |

|NINF                     INFORMATION ONLY       |                             |

|                                                |                             |

|                                                |                             |

|                                                |                             |

|                                                |                             |

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+



                                   EVENT TEXT                                   

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| NON-WORK RELATED DEATH OF PLANT EMPLOYEE                                     |

|                                                                              |

| "On 2-20-03 at 1530 hours, the Occupational safety and Health Administration |

| (OSHA) was notified of a non-occupational related employee death.  The       |

| reporting requirement, 29 CFR 1904.39(b)(5), specifically requires employers |

| to notify OSHA when an employee death occurs within thirty (30) days of a    |

| heart attack which occurred on plant premises.  This is not classified as a  |

| work related event.                                                          |

|                                                                              |

| "This is being reported in accordance with UE2-RA-RE1030 'Nuclear Regulatory |

| Event Reporting,' notification made to another government agency."           |

|                                                                              |

| This worker had two previous heart attacks.  He complained to co-workers of  |

| chest pains during a break on 2/17/03.  On his way to the site medical       |

| facility, he began to feel chest pains and was taken to the local hospital.  |

| He died on the morning of 2/20/03 of heart failure.                          |

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+



+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

|Power Reactor                                    |Event Number:   39608       |

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| FACILITY: PILGRIM                  REGION:  1  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 02/21/2003|

|    UNIT:  [1] [] []                 STATE:  MA |NOTIFICATION TIME: 02:30[EST]|

|   RXTYPE: [1] GE-3                             |EVENT DATE:        02/21/2003|

+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME:        00:25[EST]|

| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  ENGLAND                      |LAST UPDATE DATE:  02/21/2003|

|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  CHAUNCEY GOULD               +-----------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------+PERSON          ORGANIZATION |

|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |CLIFFORD ANDERSON    R1      |

|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |

|ASHU 50.72(b)(2)(i)      PLANT S/D REQD BY TS   |                             |

|                                                |                             |

|                                                |                             |

|                                                |                             |

+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+

|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR|   INIT RX MODE  |CURR PWR|  CURR RX MODE   |

+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+

|1     N          Y       100      Power Operation  |70       Power Operation  |

|                                                   |                          |

|                                                   |                          |

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

                                   EVENT TEXT                                   

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| REACTOR IS BEING SHUT DOWN DUE TO ONE RECIRCULATION LOOP BEING INOPERABLE    |

|                                                                              |

| "On 2/20/03 @ 0525 PNPS experienced a trip/lockout of 1 of their 2 Recirc MG |

| sets. This caused Reactor Power to decrease to 70% of rated.    All other    |

| safety and nonsafety plant equipment functioned normally after the Recirc    |

| MG trip.   Due to our Facility Operating Licenses PNPS entered an Active LCO |

| for One Recirculation Loop Inoperable.  The License states, 'The Reactor     |

| shall not be operated with one reciculation loop out of service for more     |

| than 24 hours. With the reactor operating, the plant shall be placed in a    |

| hot shutdown condition within 24 hours unless the loop is sooner returned to |

| service'.                                                                    |

|                                                                              |

| After extensive trouble shooting activities PNPS decided that the loop will  |

| not be returned to service in the required time frame and has commenced a    |

| normal shutdown to hot shutdown condition on 2/21/03 @ 0025. Reactor         |

| Power at the time of commencement of shutdown was 37%."                      |

|                                                                              |

| The licensee believes the cause was due to a field lead braking  off the     |

| slip rings.  Estimated down time is 5 to 8 days.                             |

|                                                                              |

|                                                                              |

| The NRC Resident Inspector was notified and the licensee may notify the      |

| media.                                                                       |

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+





                    

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