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Due to a lapse in appropriations, the NRC has ceased normal operations. However, excepted and exempted activities necessary to maintain critical health and safety functions—as well as essential progress on designated critical activities, including those specified in Executive Order 14300—will continue, consistent with the OMB-Approved NRC Lapse Plan.

Event Notification Report for April 2, 2004

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center

Event Reports For
04/01/2004 - 04/02/2004

** EVENT NUMBERS **


40578 40627 40629 40632

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!!!!! THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED. THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED !!!!!
Other Nuclear Material Event Number: 40578
Rep Org: US DEPT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Licensee: VA BOSTON HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
Region: 1
City: BOSTON State: MA
County:
License #: 03-23853-01VA
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: GARY WILLIAMS
HQ OPS Officer: MIKE RIPLEY 		Notification Date: 03/09/2004
Notification Time: 13:06 [ET]
Event Date: 03/08/2004
Event Time: [EST]
Last Update Date: 04/01/2004
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
20.2201(a)(1)(i) - LOST/STOLEN LNM>1000X
 Person (Organization):
EUGENE COBEY (R1)
KENNETH RIEMER (R3)
FRED BROWN (NMSS)

Event Text

LOSS OF LICENSED MATERIAL

The Department of Veterans Affairs reported the following via facsimile:

"I am calling to report a loss of licensed material. The loss occurred at a medical broad-scope permittee authorized under the master materials license issued to the Department of Veterans Affairs, NRC License 03-23853-01VA. The permittee is VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts.

"The loss was reported to the permittee Radiation Safety Officer on March 8, 2004.

"The basis for reporting the loss is under 10 CFR 20.2201(a)(i) in that a waste vendor reported that a drum from the permittee triggered a radiation detector at a landfill. The activity involved although unknown at this time could potentially be greater than the reporting limit.

"Specifically, the vendor (New York Environmental Services) indicated that a survey meter reading on contact with the drum was 4.8 millirem per hour. The drum is being returned to the permittee for radionuclide evaluation.

"The Department of Veterans Affairs will evaluate the circumstances related to the loss and submit a written report to NRC, Region III, within 30 days."

* * * RETRACTION ON 3/31/04 AT 1406 EST FROM J. WISSING TO A. COSTA * * *

The following retraction was faxed to the NRC Operations Center on 3/31/04. Categorization of this information as a retraction was reviewed and approved by K. O'Brien, NRC Region 3.

"The licensed material was recovered and returned to the VA Boston Healthcare System for evaluation on March 11, 2004. The medical center RSO evaluated the drum contents for radionuclidic identity and activity. The National Health Physics Program (NHPP) performed an inspection at the Medical Center on March 18, 2004. The NHPP inspection included a review of the Medical Center RSO's analysis of the recovered. Licensed material.

"Analysis of the recovered drum indicated a total activity of less than 100 [microcuries] of I-125, (less than 1000 times Appendix C, 10 CFR 20) reportable quantity specified by 10 CFR 20.2201(a)(i). Since the material was recovered and is in the possession of permittee, a 30-day report specified by 10 CFR 20.2201(a)(ii) is not required."

Notified NMSS EO (C. Miller), R1DO (K. Jenison),

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General Information or Other Event Number: 40627
Rep Org: SC DIV OF HEALTH & ENV CONTROL
Licensee: PALMETTO HEALTH BAPTIST HOSPITAL
Region: 1
City: Columbia State: SC
County:
License #: 076
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: MELINDA BRADSHAW
HQ OPS Officer: ARLON COSTA 		Notification Date: 03/30/2004
Notification Time: 16:30 [ET]
Event Date: 03/17/2004
Event Time: [EST]
Last Update Date: 03/30/2004
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
 Person (Organization):
KENNETH JENISON (R1)
ROBERTO TORRES (NMSS)

Event Text

SOUTH CAROLINA - AGREEMENT STATE REPORT ON PERSONNEL EXTERNAL CONTAMINATION

The following event description report (ID No. SC040001) was received at the Operations Center via facsimile:

"The SC Department of Health and Environmental Control was notified on Tuesday, March 30, 2004, by the physicist/consultant for the facility that a pharmacist in training in the nuclear pharmacy had sustained external contamination on his hand and forearm. The pharmacist was in the process of compounding Iodine-131 from a vial when a spill apparently took place. His arm and forearm were contaminated. This vent took place on Wednesday, March 17, 2004. The pharmacist did not notify anyone that this event had taken place. He performed clean up of the area and decontamination of the skin. He continued work until March 19, 2004, at which, time he performed a bioassay prior to going on vacation. He returned to work on Monday, March 29, 2004, at which time the nuclear pharmacist in charge discovered the elevated readings on the person's arm and forearm. The appropriate hospital/nuclear medicine personnel were notified. The person involved has been suspended from any and all duties involving radioactive material. The consultant for this facility is in the process of assimilating additional data and the person involved has had two whole body scans performed to determine if there was any internal uptake of the radioiodine. These scans have produced no indication of internal uptake at this point. The event is still under investigation and updates will be made through the national NMED system as they become available."

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General Information or Other Event Number: 40629
Rep Org: CALIFORNIA RADIATION CONTROL PRGM
Licensee: LOR GEO TECHNICAL
Region: 4
City: VICTORVILLE State: CA
County:
License #: 5459
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: DONELLE KROJEWSKI
HQ OPS Officer: CHAUNCEY GOULD 		Notification Date: 03/30/2004
Notification Time: 23:54 [ET]
Event Date: 03/30/2004
Event Time: 17:00 [PST]
Last Update Date: 03/31/2004
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
 Person (Organization):
DALE POWERS (R4)
SCOTT MOORE (NMSS)
VICTOR GONZALEZ (MEX)

Event Text

STATE LICENSEE REPORTED A CPN GAUGE WAS STOLEN FROM THEIR TECHNICIAN'S TRUCK

Lor Geo Technical of Riverside, CA reported to the state of California that a CPN nuclear gauge model MC1DR serial # MD10506147 was stolen from the back of a technician's pickup truck when it was parked at a fast food restaurant in Victorville, CA. The gauge contained 10 millicuries of Cs-137 and 50 millicuries of Am-241. The local police department was notified and a reward is being offered.

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Power Reactor Event Number: 40632
Facility: WATERFORD
Region: 4 State: LA
Unit: [3] [ ] [ ]
RX Type: [3] CE
NRC Notified By: ROBERT MURILLO
HQ OPS Officer: MIKE RIPLEY 		Notification Date: 04/01/2004
Notification Time: 00:44 [ET]
Event Date: 03/31/2004
Event Time: 19:19 [CST]
Last Update Date: 04/01/2004
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
50.72(b)(3)(ii)(B) - UNANALYZED CONDITION
OTHER UNSPEC REQMNT
 Person (Organization):
DALE POWERS (R4)

Unit SCRAM Code RX CRIT Initial PWR Initial RX Mode Current PWR Current RX Mode
3 N Y 100 Power Operation 100 Power Operation

Event Text

NEW WORST CASE SINGLE FAILURE MAY EXCEED 10 CFR 50.46 ACCEPTANCE CRITERION FOR SBLOCA

"A new worst case single failure was identified on 03-31-04 for the small break LOCA analysis of record due to a postulated loss of a DC power bus. This condition may result in the analysis of record exceeding 10 CFR 50.46 acceptance criterion of 2200 F when a small break LOCA with this failure is postulated.

"The current small break LOCA analysis of record assumes a single failure of one Emergency Diesel Generator (EDG) and credits flow from one charging pump. The peak cladding temperature for the analysis of record is 1929 F compared to the acceptance criteria of less than or equal to 2200 F. Half of the flow from a charging pump is assumed to go to the RCS and half is assumed to flow out the break. It was identified on 03-31-04 that a single failure of a DC power bus would be more limiting than the currently assumed single failure of an EDG. The DC bus failure will result in the EDG failure to start and also cause a charging loop isolation valve to the RCS to fail closed on loss of DC power. The other charging flow path to the RCS is on the assumed broken RCS leg so it is assumed to be spilled to the containment resulting in no charging flow to the RCS. Therefore, no charging flow would be delivered to the RCS as assumed in the current small break LOCA analysis of record. This condition has not been analyzed.

"Engineering judgment indicates that in the event of a small break accident the 10 CFR 50.46 acceptance criterion of 2200 F may be exceeded if the charging flow is not credited in the analysis of record. Therefore, this condition is reportable pursuant to 10 CFR 50.46 and 10 CFR 50.72(b)(3)(ii)(B).

"The current conservatism in the analysis of record and previous Westinghouse SBLOCA non-design basis scoping analyses using the NOTRUMP code provide assurance the plant is operating in a safe manner and is operable. The NOTRUMP analyses included cases with no changing flow. The peak clad temperature for these analyses were significantly below the acceptance criteria of 2200 F by more than 200 F. Thus, if an analysis were performed for Waterford 3 with the NOTRUMP code there is reasonable assurance due to the large margins that acceptable results would be achieved without any charging flow.

"This report is based on conservative judgment and available information. This report may be retracted based on the results of further evaluation."

The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.

Page Last Reviewed/Updated Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Page Last Reviewed/Updated Wednesday, March 24, 2021