| U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center Event Reports For
02/07/2006 - 02/08/2006 ** EVENT NUMBERS ** |
 | Fuel Cycle Facility | Event Number: 42226 | Facility: NUCLEAR FUEL SERVICES INC.
RX Type: URANIUM FUEL FABRICATION
Comments: HEU CONVERSION & SCRAP RECOVERY
NAVAL REACTOR FUEL CYCLE
LEU SCRAP RECOVERY
Region: 2
City: ERWIN State: TN
County: UNICOI
License #: SNM-124
Agreement: Y
Docket: 07000143
NRC Notified By: MIKE C. TESTER
HQ OPS Officer: ARLON COSTA | Notification Date: 12/23/2005
Notification Time: 13:30 [ET]
Event Date: 12/22/2005
Event Time: 14:00 [EST]
Last Update Date: 02/07/2006 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
70.50(b)(2) - SAFETY EQUIPMENT FAILURE
21.21 - UNSPECIFIED PARAGRAPH
| Person (Organization):
PAUL FREDRICKSON (R2)
SANDY WASTLER (NMSS)
THOMAS BLOUNT (IRD)
| Event Text SAFETY EQUIPMENT FAILURE
"While performing semi-annual criticality accident alarm system (CAAS) testing, one unit in a pair of detectors failed to initiate the site wide alarm. Spare unit was immediately installed and all systems successfully tested. Production facility covered by this CAAS [was] in a shutdown status at the time of testing. Subsequent troubleshooting indicated a faulty electronic relay contact in the failed unit.
"Testing of CAAS is conducted on a semi-annual basis in accordance with procedure, NFS-HS-A-80, Sections 5.5 & 5.6. [The] Detector pair on 2nd floor of Oxide Conversion Facility did not activate site-wide alarm as expected. Alarm indication did occur as expected at the local read-out panel, and at the central alarm panel located in an adjacent building occupied by security guards. Investigation revealed failed relay contact in Eberline Instruments Model RMS-3 read-out meter. [The] Unit [was] replaced, and [a] subsequent test [was] satisfactory.
"No actual safety consequences occurred as a result of this event; however, there was a risk of potential health and safety consequence to the occupational workforce, involving significant radiation exposure from accidental criticality event with no warning to initiate prompt site-wide evacuation."
The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.
* * * UPDATE FROM MICHAEL TESTER TO HUFFMAN AT 1626 EST ON 2/06/06 * * *
Following evaluation of this event by the licensee's Part 21 review committee, Nuclear Fuel Services has reached the conclusion that this event was the result of a design defect in the relay used in the RMS-3 read-out meter. This event is being updated to reflect the Part 21 reportability conclusion. The Eberline RMS-3 read-out meter is manufactured by Thermo Electron Corporation. Nuclear Fuel Services has been in contact with Eberline during its investigation and Eberline is aware of the conclusions. The defective relay is manufactured by Potter and Brumsfield.
Immediate corrective actions included replacement of the defective equipment, and re-testing to ensure operability; long term corrective action includes design and installation of PLC based surveillance equipment to continuously monitor the function of system components by NFS Engineering Department in approximately 3 - 6 months.
The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector. The R2DO (Bernhard), NMSS EO ( Janosko) and Part 21 coordinator (Markley) have been notified.
* * *UPDATE BY HUFFMAN ON 2/7/06 * * *
This event has been decontrolled to make it publicly available and permit information about this problem to be shared with all affected parties. NRC management has determined that the report does not contain information about sensitive operations at the NFS site.
R2DO(Bernhard) and NMSS (Morell) notified. |
| General Information or Other | Event Number: 42302 | Rep Org: LOUISIANA RADIATION PROTECTION DIV
Licensee: PRECISION ENERGY SERVICES
Region: 4
City: PORT BARRE State: LA
County:
License #: LA-4413-L01
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: MIKE HENRY
HQ OPS Officer: GERRY WAIG | Notification Date: 02/02/2006
Notification Time: 11:21 [ET]
Event Date: 12/02/2005
Event Time: [CST]
Last Update Date: 02/02/2006 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
MIKE RUNYAN (R4)
GREG MORELL (NMSS)
| Event Text AGGREEMENT STATE - ABANDONED WELL LOGGING SOURCE
The following information was received from the State of Louisiana, Department of Environmental Quality, via facsimile:
"Precision Energy Services abandoned two sources in Well Logging operations. The logging tool was initially stuck on December 2, 2005 and abandoned on December 7, 2005. A 20 Ci source of Americium-241 (Beryllium) and a 2 Ci source of Cs-137 were abandoned at a depth of 6197 Feet. All abandonment procedures were followed. Deflection devises and cement were filled to a depth of 5902 Feet."
Louisiana Event Report ID Number: LA 050010.
THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "CATEGORY 2" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
Category 2 sources, if not safely managed or securely protected, could cause permanent injury to a person who handled them, or were otherwise in contact with them, for a short time (minutes to hours). It could possibly be fatal to be close to this amount of unshielded radioactive material for a period of hours to days. These sources are typically used in practices such as industrial gamma radiography, high dose rate brachytherapy and medium dose rate brachytherapy.
Although IAEA categorization of this event is typically based on device type, the staff has been made aware of the actual activity of the source, and after calculation determines that it is a Category 2 event.
Note: the value assigned by device type "Category 3" is different than the calculated value "Category 2" |
| General Information or Other | Event Number: 42303 | Rep Org: LOUISIANA RADIATION PROTECTION DIV
Licensee: OWENSBY & KRITIKOS
Region: 4
City: GRETNA State: LA
County:
License #: LA-2234-L01
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: MIKE HENRY
HQ OPS Officer: GERRY WAIG | Notification Date: 02/02/2006
Notification Time: 12:19 [ET]
Event Date: 01/09/2006
Event Time: [CST]
Last Update Date: 02/02/2006 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
MIKE RUNYAN (R4)
GREG MORELL (NMSS)
| Event Text AGREEMENT STATE - PERSONNEL OVEREXPOSURE
The following was received from the State of Louisiana, Department of Environmental Quality, via facsimile:
"Event description: Owensby & Kritikos reported on January 19, 2006 that [deleted] exceeded the 5000 mrem exposure for the year 2005. [Deleted] received a yearly dose of 5117 mrem for the year 2005. [Deleted] is an industrial radiographer. As corrective action, the Radiation Safety Officer discussed the importance of ALARA concepts and the use of survey meters, dosimeters, and film badges."
Louisiana Event Report ID Number: LA060001. |
| General Information or Other | Event Number: 42306 | Rep Org: SC DIV OF HEALTH & ENV CONTROL
Licensee: MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
Region: 1
City: CHARLESTON State: SC
County:
License #: 081
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: MELINDA BRADSHAW
HQ OPS Officer: MARK ABRAMOVITZ | Notification Date: 02/03/2006
Notification Time: 16:25 [ET]
Event Date: 01/16/2006
Event Time: [EST]
Last Update Date: 02/03/2006 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
GARY JANOSKO (NMSS)
GLENN MEYER (R1)
| Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - MEDICAL MISADMINISTRATION
The State provided the following information via facsimile:
"The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control was notified (telephone) on February 3, 2006, by the licensee, that a medical misadministration had occurred. A patient who was scheduled for an Iodine-131 whole body scan (~4 millicuries) was administered an Iodine-131 therapy dose of 200 millicuries instead. This event took place on January 16, 2006, but was not discovered by the Nuclear Medicine Department until February 2, 2006. The Nuc. Med. Dept. notified the Radiation Safety Office on February 3, 2006. The Radiation Safety Office then notified the Department as well on February 3, 2006 at 3:15 p.m. The referring physician has been notified and was in the process of notifying the patient. The licensee knew no additional details at this point. Additional information will be provided by the licensee in a written report within 15 days. Updates to this event will be made through the NMED system as further information is received."
Event Report ID #SC060002 |
| General Information or Other | Event Number: 42307 | Rep Org: CALIFORNIA RADIATION CONTROL PRGM
Licensee:
Region: 4
City: BREA State: CA
County:
License #:
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: BARBARA HAMRICK
HQ OPS Officer: MARK ABRAMOVITZ | Notification Date: 02/03/2006
Notification Time: 19:58 [ET]
Event Date: 01/30/2006
Event Time: 12:30 [PST]
Last Update Date: 02/03/2006 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
MIKE RUNYAN (R4)
GARY JANOSKO (NMSS)
| Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - EIGHT SMOKE DETECTORS FOUND IN A LANDFILL
"At 1230 on Monday, January 30, 2006, RHB received a call from the Brea Landfill that a transfer truck from the South Gate Transfer Station, 9530 Garfield Avenue, South Gate, CA 90280 (562-927-0146) set off their radiation alarm (500 kcpm with a background of 7 kcpm). Using an Inovision, CHP 450, at 1145, survey of the truck found the highest reading on the driver's side of the transfer truck 11'6" from the rear and 1'9" from the bottom. A DOT exemption was issued (CA-CA-06-08) and the truck was returned to the South Gate Transfer Station, which is in the LA County Radiation Management area (LA County will also open their own RH5010 on this incident).
"Later that day, LA County went to South Gate and identified the radionuclides in the load as Ra-226 and Am-241. On January 31, 2006, LA County separated out eight old Ra-226 and Am-241 smoke detectors from the waste. Two of the detectors had identifying information on them. One was a Pyrotonics, Bridgedale Ave, Cedar Knolls, New Jersey, 07927, made in Switzerland, Model F-3 s/n 66078 with 20 microcuries of Ra-226 and the other was a Pyr-Alarm Cerberus F-3/5A, s/n 24B1965, with 80 microcuries of Am-241, distributed by Pyrotronics, manufactured in Switzerland. All of the Am-241 devices appear to have an activity of approximately 80 microcuries and the Ra-226 devices appear to have approximately 20 microcuries each. LA County took possession of all eight devices and they were placed in RHB's radioactive materials storage area."
CA NMED #: XCA-854-013006
THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "LESS THAN CAT 3" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
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.
This source is not amongst those sources or devices identified by the IAEA Code of Conduct for the Safety & Security of Radioactive Sources to be of concern from a radiological standpoint. Therefore is it being categorized as a less than Category 3 source |
| Power Reactor | Event Number: 42317 | Facility: PALISADES
Region: 3 State: MI
Unit: [1] [ ] [ ]
RX Type: [1] CE
NRC Notified By: BARB DOTSON
HQ OPS Officer: BILL HUFFMAN | Notification Date: 02/07/2006
Notification Time: 14:46 [ET]
Event Date: 12/14/2005
Event Time: 06:16 [EST]
Last Update Date: 02/07/2006 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
50.73(a)(1) - INVALID SPECIF SYSTEM ACTUATION
| Person (Organization):
ROGER LANKSBURY (R3)
|
| Unit | SCRAM Code | RX CRIT | Initial PWR | Initial RX Mode | Current PWR | Current RX Mode | | 1 | N | Y | 100 | Power Operation | 85 | Power Operation | Event Text INVALID SYSTEM ACTUATION OF EMERGENCY CORE COOLING SYSTEM COMPONENTS
"This report is being made in accordance with 10 CFR 50.73(a)(1), which states in part, 'in the case of an invalid actuation reported under 10 CFR 50.73(a)(2)(iv), other than the reactor protection system (RPS) when the reactor is critical, the licensee may, at its option, provide a telephone notification to the NRC Operations Center within 60 days after discovery of the event instead of submitting a written LER.
"On December 14, 2005, at 0616 hours EST, a failure of the left channel load sequencer resulted in an invalid actuation of components associated with the left channel design basis accident (DBA) sequencer. Components in the emergency core cooling system were among the components actuated. Therefore, this event constitutes a partial actuation of the emergency core cooling system, which is reportable under 10 CFR 50.73(a)(2)(iv)(A). All components actuated by the event functioned satisfactorily as would be expected for this equipment failure and operating status of the plant at the time of the event."
The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector. |
| Power Reactor | Event Number: 42318 | Facility: OCONEE
Region: 2 State: SC
Unit: [1] [2] [3]
RX Type: [1] B&W-L-LP,[2] B&W-L-LP,[3] B&W-L-LP
NRC Notified By: R.P. TODD
HQ OPS Officer: JOE O'HARA | Notification Date: 02/07/2006
Notification Time: 15:49 [ET]
Event Date: 02/06/2006
Event Time: 20:50 [EST]
Last Update Date: 02/07/2006 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
50.72(b)(3)(ii)(B) - UNANALYZED CONDITION
| Person (Organization):
RUDOLPH BERNHARD (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 | | 2 | N | Y | 100 | Power Operation | 100 | Power Operation | | 3 | N | Y | 100 | Power Operation | 100 | Power Operation | Event Text UNANALYZED CONDITION - NON-CONFORMING FIRE BARRIERS
"Event: Field inspections have discovered several instances of non-conformance with acceptance criteria for fire barriers. The non-conformance has been conservatively assumed to reduce the fire rating of the affected penetrations below the required three hours.
"At 2050 hours on 2-6-06 the Operations Shift Manager conservatively declared the all Oconee 'NRC committed' fire barrier penetration seals 'inoperable' pending further inspection.
"Initial Safety Significance: Per NUREG 1022, Section 3.2.4, loss of fire barrier separation of Appendix R trains is an unanalyzed condition. Some Oconee 'NRC committed' fire barriers provide train separation between Appendix R safe shutdown trains. At this time, no specific Appendix R train separation penetrations have been discovered to be non-conforming. The reportability determination is based on the decision to conservatively declare the penetrations inoperable. Implementation of hourly fire watches in the affected areas reduces the potential for a significant fire to develop in those areas.
"Corrective Actions: Operations entered Selected Licensee Commitment 16.9.5 and established an hourly firewatch in the affected areas. Further inspections continue. Evaluation of inspection findings and repairs will follow."
The licensee will notify the NRC Resident Inspector. | |