Event Notification Report for November 28, 2005

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT INVOLVING RADIOACTIVE I-131 SPILL

"On November 29, 2005 the corporate radiation safety officer contacted the Division by telephone concerning an event that occurred at a nuclear pharmacy operated by Medi-Physics, Inc, dba GE Healthcare (license number IL-01052-01) located at 1053 W. Grand, Chicago, IL. During the call, the Division was advised that, 100 mCi of Na I-131 was spilled at 15:10 on November 28, 2005, when a vial was dropped to the floor and broke outside a fume hood in the iodine room located within the restricted area of the facility. Contamination was detected on the operator's pants and shoes and on various surfaces in the room. However, no personal contamination was detected following removal of the individual's lab coat, shoes, and other clothing. Bioassay results taken shortly after the incident and the next day indicated thyroid uptake was minimal.

"A response team from the licensee's main offices performed remediation that evening to contain and shield much of the activity and employ other measures to prevent the spread of contamination. As a result of these efforts, contamination was confined within the iodine room of the restricted area of the pharmacy. Air monitoring results show that there was no elevation of airborne radioactivity in the restricted area or in the effluent air at the release point from the facility that was above regulatory limits. A recovery drum was used to collect and hold waste and materials generated as a result of the clean up. The dose rate on the surface of the container was approximately 350 µSv/h (35 mR/h) and the dose rate at the nearest outside wall in an unrestricted area was 4 µSv/h (0.4 mR/h).

"The area will be monitored on an ongoing basis until routine conditions are restored. Although measured dose rates are only slightly elevated at the workstations within the room, access to the room has been limited to monitoring activities, in the interest of ALARA. Prescriptions for radioiodine are temporarily being referred to the company's alternate radiopharmacy."

IL Report Number: IL050070

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT INVOLVING A STOLEN NUCLEAR GAUGE

"At 0830 on November 28, 2005, RHB-Brea received a call from the licensee that one of their gauges (CPN, MC1-DRP, #MD20306488 containing 10 mCi Cs-137 and 50 mCi Am-241:Be) was stolen out of their construction trailer that was located at a temporary job site (KB Homes - "The Cove" construction site, located at the corner of Warren Road and Cottonwood in San Jacinto, CA). Three of the four construction trailers at this job site had been broken into over the same time period - the security metal plates (covering the locks to the doors) had all been pried open and the locks to the doors were cut off and were removed from the site. The theft occurred sometime between 1130 on November 23, 2005 (when the gauge user secured the gauge inside the construction trailer) and 0722 on November 28, 2005 (when the gauge user returned to the job site and discovered the theft). The last leak test for this gauge was performed on January 4, 2005 and was negative for removable contamination. The licensee contacted the San Jacinto Police Department to report the theft. They will also post a $1000 reward for the gauge in the local paper."

"CA NMED #: XCA-824"

* * * UPDATE FROM D. KRAJEWSKI TO W. GOTT AT 1925 ON 03/02/06 * * *

The gauge was located about a week ago and returned to the owner Leighton and Associates. The gauge was not damaged. A leak test was performed and the results are pending. Local law enforcement are still investigating.

Notified R4DO (Whitten), NMSS EO (Flanders), emailed to ILTAB and Mexico.

Sources that are "Less than IAEA Category 3 sources," are either sources that are very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury. Some of these sources, such as moisture density gauges or thickness gauges that are Category 4, the amount of unshielded radioactive material, if not safely managed or securely protected, could possibly - although it is unlikely - temporarily injure someone who handled it or were otherwise in contact with it, or who were close to it for a period of many weeks.

AUTOMATIC REACTOR TRIP FOLLOWING MAIN FEED PUMP TRIP

"At 22:19 CST, Main Feedwater Pump B tripped on over current. A secondary plant runback from 100% power was automatically initiated. During the secondary plant runback, the reactor automatically tripped on Steam Generator B low-low level at 22:20 CST.

"All three Auxiliary Feedwater pumps automatically started due to low-low Steam Generator level. The plant has been stabilized at Hot Shutdown (RCS temperature approximately 547 degrees F, RCS pressure approximately 2235 psig). Investigation into the cause of the trip is on-going.

"This event is being reported under 10CFR50.72(b)(2)(iv)(B) for actuation of the reactor protection system (RPS) when the reactor is critical and 10CFR50.72(b)(3)(iv)(A) for valid actuation of the Auxiliary Feedwater System."

All control rods fully inserted on the automatic trip. Steam generator water levels have recovered to indicate in the narrow range. The current decay heat removal path is auxiliary feedwater to the steam generators steaming through the power operated relief valves. There are no known primary to secondary leaks. All safety related buses are powered from offsite power. Emergency diesel generators are available and in standby.

The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.