| U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center Event Reports For
12/07/2004 - 12/07/2004 ** EVENT NUMBERS ** |
 | General Information or Other | Event Number: 41237 | Rep Org: ALABAMA RADIATION CONTROL
Licensee: BP AMOCO CHEMICALS
Region: 1
City: DECATUR State: AL
County:
License #: AL 256
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: DAVID TURBERVILLE
HQ OPS Officer: BILL GOTT | Notification Date: 12/02/2004
Notification Time: 16:14 [ET]
Event Date: 12/01/2004
Event Time: 15:00 [CST]
Last Update Date: 12/02/2004 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
JAMES TRAPP (R1)
GARY JANOSKO (NMSS)
| Event Text DAMAGED GAUGE
On the morning of December 2, 2004, the Agency received telephone notification from BP Amoco Chemicals in Decatur, Alabama, that on December 1, 2004 at 3:00 pm, the shutter handle of one their fixed gauges containing radioactive material had broken. The company is licensed to possess and use the device under their Alabama Radioactive Material License No. 256. The shutter of the gauge, an Ohmart model SH-F2-45, serial number 4789GK containing 500 millicuries of Cesium-137 was in the closed position and when the licensee attempted to open the shutter, the shutter was found to be stuck and in the process of trying to open the shutter, the shutter handle broke. The handle is used to lock the shutter in place. Because the shutter was stuck in the closed position, no overexposure of personnel occurred. The device has been isolated and an Ohmart representative has been contacted to package the device and return the unit to Ohmart for repair. |
| General Information or Other | Event Number: 41238 | Rep Org: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Licensee: NUCLEAR SOURCES & SERVICES INC (NSSI)
Region: 4
City: HOUSTON State: TX
County:
License #: L-02991
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: KAREN VERSER
HQ OPS Officer: BILL HUFFMAN | Notification Date: 12/02/2004
Notification Time: 16:00 [ET]
Event Date: 12/01/2004
Event Time: 11:00 [CST]
Last Update Date: 12/02/2004 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
DAVID GRAVES (R4)
GARY JANOSKO (NMSS)
| Event Text PERSONNEL CONTAMINATION FROM SEALED SOURCE RUPTURE
The following information was received via facsimile from the Texas Department of State Health Services Radiation Branch:
"A contamination incident occurred at NSSI the morning of December 1, 2004. The incident involved the breaching of a sealed source as it was being removed from a device. The source involved was a 50 mCi Am-241Be source that was a part of a water salinity test device.
"The NSR-N source is inside an 8 inches long aluminum tube of about 1.5 inches diameter and is held in the center of the tube by two concentric tubes inserted from each end of the primary tube and pinned in place. The aluminum tube also contains a neutron detector to measure the backscatter neutrons when measuring the water in the device. In preparation for disposal of the source, the neutron tube is removed and discarded and the aluminum tube holding the source is removed from the water device.
"At the time of the incident, two persons were involved: The person operating the saw and the health physics monitor. A third person was in the machine shop area and about 4 feet away doing other work.
"The source rupture was noted immediately and health physics support was called to the area. Health physics personnel conducted initial surveys and removed the three personnel from the area. The involved personnel were surveyed out of the area, suited in ppe [personal protected equipment] and were escorted to the hot lab shower area. Nose wipes were collected for assay and each of the personnel showered to remove contamination and surveyed. (Water from this shower is captured in a tank for recovery and treatment.) After completing the release surveys, the involved personnel were released and sent home. "
The Texas Department of Health was contacted by the Headquarters Operations Center and added the following information. The source was apparently mispositioned in the tube and was cut by a band saw during the extraction process. Two of the individuals that were contaminated had nasal smears of 0.1 and 0.2 nanocuries. The third individual did not have any indication of contamination in the nasal smear. The contaminated individuals are scheduled to receive whole body counts. |
| Power Reactor | Event Number: 41242 | Facility: SUMMER
Region: 2 State: SC
Unit: [1] [ ] [ ]
RX Type: [1] W-3-LP
NRC Notified By: STEVEN WEBSTER
HQ OPS Officer: JOHN MacKINNON | Notification Date: 12/04/2004
Notification Time: 02:50 [ET]
Event Date: 12/03/2004
Event Time: 22:30 [EST]
Last Update Date: 12/07/2004 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
50.72(b)(3)(xiii) - LOSS COMM/ASMT/RESPONSE
| Person (Organization):
PAUL FREDRICKSON (R2)
|
| Unit | SCRAM Code | RX CRIT | Initial PWR | Initial RX Mode | Current PWR | Current RX Mode | | 1 | N | Y | 100 | Power Operation | 100 | Power Operation | Event Text EARLY WARNING SIREN SYSTEM FAILURE
"Actual failure was 100% (106 sirens) due to loss of power to station on-site/off-site radio repeaters. Failure occurred at 22:30 12-03-04. System was restored on temporary power at 23:06 12-03-04. State and local counties notified of failure at 23:26 12-03-04. System returned to normal power a 01:00 12-04-04. Station resident inspectors notified (J. Zeiler and M. King). System verified communications at 92% availability" | |