Event Notification Report for March 20, 2003
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center
Event Reports For
03/19/2003 - 03/20/2003
** EVENT NUMBERS **
39631 39666 39668 39671 39676 39679 39680 39681
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|Power Reactor |Event Number: 39631 |
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+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| FACILITY: SAINT LUCIE REGION: 2 |NOTIFICATION DATE: 03/02/2003|
| UNIT: [1] [2] [] STATE: FL |NOTIFICATION TIME: 16:00[EST]|
| RXTYPE: [1] CE,[2] CE |EVENT DATE: 03/02/2003|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME: 14:30[EST]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: CHARLES PIKE |LAST UPDATE DATE: 03/19/2003|
| HQ OPS OFFICER: GERRY WAIG +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY |WALTER RODGERS R2 |
|10 CFR SECTION: |DAVID AYRES R2 |
|APRE 50.72(b)(2)(xi) OFFSITE NOTIFICATION | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|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
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| OFFSITE NOTIFICATION TO STATE AGENCY OF EXPIRED GREEN SEA TURTLE FOUND AT |
| BARRIER NET |
| |
| "NRC notification [is] being made due to state notification to [the] Florida |
| Wildlife Commission regarding a Green Sea Turtle found dead at barrier net |
| pursuant to 10 CFR 50.72(b)(2)(xi)." |
| |
| The turtle was found on the surface at the barrier net with no injuries or |
| abnormalities except for fresh cuts common for turtles coming through pipes. |
| The cause of death is unknown at this time. A necropsy is planned. |
| |
| The NRC Resident Inspector will be notified by the licensee. |
| |
| * * * UPDATE ON 3/15/03 @ 1033 EST FROM TEREZAKIS TO CROUCH * * * |
| |
| "On 3-15-03, a green sea turtle was retrieved from the plant's intake canal. |
| The turtle was determined to be in need of rehabilitation. The injuries to |
| the turtle are not causal to plant operation. Per the plant's turtle permit, |
| the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) was notified at |
| 0920 EST. This non-emergency notification is being made pursuant to 10 CFR |
| 50.72(b)(2)(xi) due to the notification of FWCC." |
| |
| The NRC Resident Inspector will be notified by the licensee. |
| |
| * * * UPDATE ON 3/19/03 AT 1222 EST FROM E. SUMNER TO RIPLEY * * * |
| |
| "On 03/19/03 @ 1105 hrs., one loggerhead turtle was retrieved from the |
| plant's intake canal. The turtle was determined to be in need of |
| rehabilitation. The injury to the turtle is not causal to plant operation. |
| Per the plant's turtle permit, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation |
| Commission (FWCC) was notified at 1115 EST." |
| |
| The NRC Resident Inspector was notified. |
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|General Information or Other |Event Number: 39666 |
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| REP ORG: NEW MEXICO RAD CONTROL PROGRAM |NOTIFICATION DATE: 03/13/2003|
|LICENSEE: CARDINAL HEALTH |NOTIFICATION TIME: 15:00[EST]|
| CITY: ALBUQUERQUE REGION: 4 |EVENT DATE: 03/03/2003|
| COUNTY: STATE: NM |EVENT TIME: [MST]|
|LICENSE#: AGREEMENT: Y |LAST UPDATE DATE: 03/19/2003|
| DOCKET: |+----------------------------+
| |PERSON ORGANIZATION |
| |MARK SHAFFER R4 |
| |THOMAS ESSIG NMSS |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: BILL FLOYD | |
| HQ OPS OFFICER: RICH LAURA | |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY | |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|NAGR AGREEMENT STATE | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
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EVENT TEXT
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| NEW MEXICO AGREEMENT STATE REPORT ON LOST SOURCE |
| |
| "On March 3, 2003, Cardinal Health in Albuquerque shipped out an ammo-can, |
| via Federal Express Overnight, containing 1.251 Giga-Becquerel of I-131 in |
| an inorganic salt, solid state to the Cardinal Health facility in Amarillo, |
| TX. for delivery on 03/04/03. The Amarillo facility called on Tuesday, |
| 03/04/03, to state they never received it. [DELETED ] placed a call with |
| Federal Express immediately to trace the package. She continued to place |
| calls with Federal Express on 03/05/03 and 03/06/03 to check on the status |
| of the package. On each occasion, Federal Express stated they had yet to |
| locate the package. On Friday 03/07/03 I called [DELETED ] at our Quality |
| and Regulatory Dept. to notify them of the missing package. He, in turn, |
| placed a call with the New Mexico Environment Dept. On Monday, 03/10/03, I |
| called Federal Express and spoke with [DELETED ] of the Amarillo office. She |
| stated that they had done a thorough search of the Amarillo office and could |
| not find the package. She also stated that there was to be a search of the |
| Memphis location and that they would hopefully know something by Tuesday |
| 03/11/03. I notified [DELETED ] of my conversation with Federal Express. We |
| did not hear anything from FedEx on Tuesday. On Wednesday 03/12/03, I called |
| FedEx again and spoke with a representative by the name of [DELETED]. She |
| confirmed that the package had still not been located. I then contacted |
| [DELETED ] again to report the information. I also left a message with the |
| New Mexico Environment Dept. regarding the current state of the matter. We |
| will continue to monitor the situation. The tracking number for the package |
| is [DELETED]." |
| |
| * * * UPDATE RECEIVED VIA EMAIL FROM W. FLOYD TO M. RIPLEY AT 1454 EST |
| 03/19/03 * * * |
| |
| The missing I-131 package was delivered to the licensee's pharmacy in |
| Amarillo, TX on 03/18/03. The package was in good condition and had not |
| been opened. The licensee continues to discuss the issue with FedEx to |
| reduce recurrence of such events. |
| |
| Notified R4DO (C. Johnson) and NMSS EO (F. Brown) . |
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!!!!!!!!! THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED. THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED !!!!!!!
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|Hospital |Event Number: 39668 |
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| REP ORG: REGIONS HOSPITAL |NOTIFICATION DATE: 03/13/2003|
|LICENSEE: REGIONS HOSPITAL |NOTIFICATION TIME: 17:27[EST]|
| CITY: ST PAUL REGION: 3 |EVENT DATE: 03/07/2003|
| COUNTY: STATE: MN |EVENT TIME: 09:00[CST]|
|LICENSE#: 22-02003-04 AGREEMENT: N |LAST UPDATE DATE: 03/19/2003|
| DOCKET: |+----------------------------+
| |PERSON ORGANIZATION |
| |KENNETH O'BRIEN R3 |
| | |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: SOGARD | |
| HQ OPS OFFICER: CHAUNCEY GOULD | |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY | |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|BSUR 20.1906(d)(1) SURFACE CONTAM LEVELS >| |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
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EVENT TEXT
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| SURFACE CONTAMINATION ON AMMO BOX GREATER THAN ACCEPTABLE LIMITS |
| |
| On March 7 @ 0900 an ammo box was received from Syncor that measured |
| 0.3mr/hr at the surface and had a wipe of approximately 9707 DPM (2200 DPM |
| is acceptable). Syncor was notified of the contamination on the box. The |
| box was put into the hospital's storage area until March 11 when the |
| measurements taken were at background. The box was than returned to |
| Syncor. |
| |
| * * * RETRACTION RECEIVED FROM R. SOGARD BY M. RIPLEY 1505 EST ON 03/19/03 * |
| * * |
| |
| After review of applicable reportability criteria and discussions with NRC |
| Region 3, the licensee is retracting this notification. Because the surface |
| contamination criteria for items received is actually 22,000 DPM (vice 2,200 |
| DPM for items being shipped), the box contamination is not reportable by |
| this licensee. |
| |
| Notified R3DO (J. Creed) and NMSS (F. Brown). |
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|General Information or Other |Event Number: 39671 |
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| REP ORG: ILLINOIS DEPT OF NUCLEAR SAFETY |NOTIFICATION DATE: 03/14/2003|
|LICENSEE: COOK COUNTY HOSPITAL |NOTIFICATION TIME: 17:13[EST]|
| CITY: CHICAGO REGION: 3 |EVENT DATE: 03/14/2003|
| COUNTY: STATE: IL |EVENT TIME: [CST]|
|LICENSE#: IL-01768-01 AGREEMENT: Y |LAST UPDATE DATE: 03/14/2003|
| DOCKET: |+----------------------------+
| |PERSON ORGANIZATION |
| |KENNETH O'BRIEN R3 |
| |THOMAS ESSIG NMSS |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: JILL CLINGER | |
| HQ OPS OFFICER: RICH LAURA | |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY | |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|NAGR AGREEMENT STATE | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
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EVENT TEXT
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| ILLINOIS AGREEMENT STATE REPORT ON LOST SOURCE |
| |
| "On March 13, 2003 the RSO of Cook County Hospital called the Illinois |
| Northern Regional office to report that an Sr-90 eye applicator source was |
| missing from its storage location along with some exempt quantity |
| calibration and reference sources and some associated records. A thorough |
| survey of the facility had been conducted the previous two days with no |
| success. This hospital is going through the process of relocating to new |
| facilities immediately adjacent to the existing site. At first it was |
| thought that these sources had been moved with other brachytherapy sources |
| and had been merely overlooked in the transition. Further inspection showed |
| that was not the case. Apparently the source has been mistakenly removed |
| during efforts to clean and prepare the area for occupancy by another |
| hospital department. This probably occurred at the end of January 2003 based |
| on interviews with several associated individuals. The room where the source |
| cabinet had been stored had been cleaned and its contents sent for disposal |
| or relocation to the new oncology department on January 30 and 31. The |
| Department sent an inspector to the facility the next morning, 14 March, to |
| conduct interviews, perform monitoring, verify the extent of the search |
| efforts undertaken to this point and make an independent evaluation of the |
| reported fate of the device. Surveys of several areas with a variety of |
| appropriate rate meters and probes including old and new storage locations, |
| oncology departments, shipping and receiving docks, waste handling locations |
| and nuclear medicine departments were unsuccessful in recovery of the |
| applicator. Interviews with the RSO, facility medical director, radiation |
| oncologist, supervisory radiation technician and individuals who performed |
| the clean out work do not provide any additional information as to the fate |
| of the source as all state that they did not remove the source from its |
| storage cabinet. The source was initially 35 milliCuries in 1955 and has |
| since decayed to approximately 11 millicuries to date. The source does not |
| appear in the NRC SSDR due to its age. The manufacturer is listed as |
| TRAUSLAT with model number RA-1 and a serial number of 183. Given the |
| situational circumstances, the existing presence of nearby brachytherapy |
| sources of Cs-137 and a teletherapy source in the area, the limited access |
| to the room, control of keys, and the disappearance of records along with |
| check sources leads the RSO as well as the Department inspector to believe |
| that the eye applicator and exempt quantity reference sources were |
| inadvertently disposed as waste back in late January 2003. There is a slight |
| potential that the material may be discovered in the hospital as the various |
| departments continue their relocation to new facilities. The licensee will |
| file the required report and the department will take appropriate action |
| based on additional information received. Event reported to NRC Operations |
| Center on at 1713 ET 14 March 2003 and assigned event number 39671." |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
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|Other Nuclear Material |Event Number: 39676 |
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| REP ORG: DEFENSE DISTRIBUTION DEPOT |NOTIFICATION DATE: 03/18/2003|
|LICENSEE: DEFENSE DISTRIBUTION DEPOT |NOTIFICATION TIME: 08:06[EST]|
| CITY: NEW CANTERBURY REGION: 1 |EVENT DATE: 02/24/2003|
| COUNTY: STATE: PA |EVENT TIME: [EST]|
|LICENSE#: 37-30062-01 AGREEMENT: N |LAST UPDATE DATE: 03/19/2003|
| DOCKET: |+----------------------------+
| |PERSON ORGANIZATION |
| |PETE ESELGROTH R1 |
| |DAVID AYRES R2 |
+------------------------------------------------+THOMAS ESSIG NMSS |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: DAVID MACK | |
| HQ OPS OFFICER: HOWIE CROUCH | |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY | |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|BLO1 20.2201(a)(1)(i) LOST/STOLEN LNM>1000X | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
EVENT TEXT
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| LOST AMERICIUM-241 SEALED SOURCES |
| |
| On 3/18/2003, NRC Headquarters was informed by the master materials |
| licensee (located in New Cumberland, PA) that on 3/17/2003, it was |
| discovered by the licensee that two Americium-241 sealed sources were |
| unaccounted for. The sources were tracked to a shipment facility at Warner |
| Robbins Air Force Base on 2/24/03, but there is no record that the sources |
| were shipped out of the facility or where they might be stored. The |
| sources are contained in a laser transmitter/receiver and contain 4 |
| microcuries of Americium-241. |
| |
| * * * * UPDATE FROM D. MACK TO M. RIPLEY 1336 EST ON 03/19/03 * * * |
| |
| On 03/18/03, NRC Headquarters was informed that the laser |
| transmitter/receiver (S/N 10425) containing both Americium-241 sources was |
| located at Laken Heath Air Force Base in England on 03/18/03. Further |
| investigation continues. |
| |
| Notified R1DO (P. Eselgroth) and NMSS EO. |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Other Nuclear Material |Event Number: 39679 |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
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| REP ORG: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH |NOTIFICATION DATE: 03/19/2003|
|LICENSEE: SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE |NOTIFICATION TIME: 14:11[EST]|
| CITY: SAN ANTONIO REGION: 4 |EVENT DATE: 03/18/2003|
| COUNTY: STATE: TX |EVENT TIME: 14:15[CST]|
|LICENSE#: L00775 AGREEMENT: Y |LAST UPDATE DATE: 03/19/2003|
| DOCKET: |+----------------------------+
| |PERSON ORGANIZATION |
| |CLAUDE JOHNSON R4 |
| |FRED BROWN NMSS |
+------------------------------------------------+MARVIN MENDONCA NRR |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: GLENN CORBIN | |
| HQ OPS OFFICER: MIKE RIPLEY | |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY | |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|NAGR AGREEMENT STATE | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
EVENT TEXT
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| AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - PACKAGE RECEIVED IN EXCESS OF SURFACE CONTAMINATION |
| LIMITS |
| |
| The following information was extracted from the licensee's report to the |
| Texas Department of Health: |
| |
| Package arrived and was unloaded with forklift at about 2:15 PM. Wet wipe |
| when it came in the door and found 2,500 cpm/290 cm2 above background (8,620 |
| dpm/100 cm2). Second wet wipe found 250 cpm/25 cm2 above background (9,600 |
| dpm/100 cm2). Dry wipe of the wooden pallet found 450 cpm/300 cm2 above |
| background (1,500 dpm/100 cm2) |
| The cask was moved into the east Hot Cell, which has HEPA ventilation. Wet |
| wipes of forks of fork lift were clean; wet wipes of forks of pallet jack |
| were clean. The Truck was called back to check for contamination at 2:30 |
| PM. The truck was frisked at about 3:00 PM and it was found that the truck |
| was clean; the driver's hands were clean; the truck's pallet jack and dolly |
| were clean; and the plywood boards on and by the cask were clean. Dry wipes |
| were begun on the entire surface of the cask and pallet. Wipes on top of |
| cask and pallet had loose contamination ranging from 0 - 3,000 cpm/300 cm2 |
| above background (0 to 10,000 dpm/100 cm2). The sides of cask and pallet |
| had no loose contamination. Isotope was determined to be Sc-46 by gamma |
| spec. It has a 83.8 day half life. Talked to HP at Texas A&M, at about |
| 3:15 PM and she described a Sc-46 airborne measurement, that the cask had |
| been cleaned with Fantastic, and that release wipes showed very low |
| contamination (below 75 dpm/100 cm2 contamination). |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Power Reactor |Event Number: 39680 |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| FACILITY: CALLAWAY REGION: 4 |NOTIFICATION DATE: 03/19/2003|
| UNIT: [1] [] [] STATE: MO |NOTIFICATION TIME: 18:16[EST]|
| RXTYPE: [1] W-4-LP |EVENT DATE: 03/19/2003|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME: 11:04[CST]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: E. HENSEN |LAST UPDATE DATE: 03/19/2003|
| HQ OPS OFFICER: MIKE RIPLEY +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY |CLAUDE JOHNSON R4 |
|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 |
| | |
| | |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
EVENT TEXT
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| HATCH MODIFICATION COULD HAVE IMPACTED COMPLETION OF A CONTROL ROOM |
| EVACUATION |
| |
| "At 1104, 3/19/03, while operating at 100% power, Callaway Plant discovered |
| that a modification performed on an equipment hatch impacted the ability to |
| complete a Control Room evacuation in the event of a fire. The modification |
| had installed a hatch in a floor penetration between elevations that had a |
| latching mechanism installed on the bottom side of the hatch but the |
| associated T-handle was not initially installed on top of the hatch. The |
| latch mechanism could still be operated from the top via a large opening in |
| the hatch where a ladder passed through the hatch. This modification could |
| have resulted in the inability to access the area and valves below the hatch |
| that would require manipulation during a Control Room evacuation. When |
| this problem was identified, a T-handle was installed on top of the hatch |
| for operating the latching mechanism and resolved the situation. |
| |
| "This event affects our commitment for the Control Room Fire Safe Shutdown |
| analysis and is being reported as an unanalyzed condition per |
| 10CFR50.72(b)(3)(ii)(B)." |
| |
| The licensee has notified the NRC Resident Inspector. |
| |
| Notified R4DO (C. Johnson) |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Power Reactor |Event Number: 39681 |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| FACILITY: BRUNSWICK REGION: 2 |NOTIFICATION DATE: 03/19/2003|
| UNIT: [1] [] [] STATE: NC |NOTIFICATION TIME: 23:15[EST]|
| RXTYPE: [1] GE-4,[2] GE-4 |EVENT DATE: 03/19/2003|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME: 21:30[EST]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: David Jester |LAST UPDATE DATE: 03/20/2003|
| HQ OPS OFFICER: ERIC THOMAS +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY |CAUDLE JULIAN R2 |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|APRE 50.72(b)(2)(xi) OFFSITE NOTIFICATION | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR| INIT RX MODE |CURR PWR| CURR RX MODE |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|1 N Y 94 Power Operation |94 Power Operation |
| | |
| | |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
EVENT TEXT
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| SINK HOLE IN SITE STABILIZATION POND |
| |
| "The site stabilization pond has developed a sink hole which has created a |
| partial bypass of the normal treatment system from an unauthorized release |
| point. The stabilization pond receives water pumped from a Storm Drain Basin |
| which collects storm drainage from various areas around the site. This |
| release from an unauthorized discharge point requires notification to the |
| State of North Carolina in accordance with our NPDES permit. This report |
| initiated per [50.72(b)(2)(xi)] due to State of North Carolina |
| notification." |
| |
| The licensee has notified the NRC Resident Inspector. |
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Page Last Reviewed/Updated Wednesday, March 24, 2021