| U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center Event Reports For
12/13/2006 - 12/14/2006 ** EVENT NUMBERS ** |
 | General Information or Other | Event Number: 43043 | Rep Org: MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Licensee: 3M CORPORATION
Region: 3
City: ST PAUL State: MN
County: RAMSEY
License #: GL
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: CRAIG VERKE
HQ OPS Officer: MARK ABRAMOVITZ | Notification Date: 12/11/2006
Notification Time: 10:13 [ET]
Event Date: 11/13/2006
Event Time: [CST]
Last Update Date: 12/12/2006 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
JULIO LARA (R3)
GREG MORELL (NMSS)
BEN SANDLER (TAS)
|
| This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material. | Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOST PO-210 SOURCE
A 0.5 milliCurie Po-210 static eliminator source was lost by 3M Corporation. 3M was performing an inventory and determined the source to be missing on 11/13/2006. The state will follow up with additional details when supplied by the licensee.
* * * UPDATE PROVIDED VIA FAX BY CRAIG VERKE TO JEFF ROTTON AT 1341 EST ON 12/12/06 * * *
The State provided the following information via facsimile:
" The lost device is a model P2042 Nucleospot nuclear static eliminator, manufactured by NRD Inc. The original activity of the source was five millicuries of Polonium-210 at the time of its manufacture in September of 2005. The current, decayed activity of the source is 0.5 millicuries. The static eliminators are leased by NRD for a one year period and returned to NRD at the expiration of the lease.
"3M uses about 40 of these devices in weighing balances in research laboratories at 3M Center, St. Paul MN. Receipt, shipment and annual change outs of the devices at the end of their lease is handled by a member of Corporate Health Physics (CHP). An individual in the laboratory where the device is used is designated as the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) and is responsible for day-to-day use of the device. The RSOs conducts semiannual physical inventories of their devices, most recently in July 2006.
"The device in question was in use in a laboratory of the 3M Pharmaceutical Division in Building 260 on 3M Center. It was not in the balance where it was normally used when CHP attempted to replace it at the end of the lease in November 2006. It was then learned that the RSO for the laboratory had taken a different position at 3M and had not been in the laboratory since the physical inventory in July.
" CHP was not notified of the job transfer by the laboratory RSO. Therefore, there was a period of several months when there was no individual specifically responsible for the device. During that time we believe the device was moved to a different 3M laboratory for use there and placed in a drawer or other storage location by an employee who has since left the company. Since 3M announced plans for the sale of the Pharmaceutical Division, many research employees in that division have taken positions with other companies. The device may have been disposed of in the trash, though this seems unlikely as it has a radioactive material label. It also appears likely that it was stolen as it has no intrinsic value and little usefulness outside of a laboratory.
" Radiation exposure would not result from this device in an unrestricted area. The emitted alpha radiation is completely shielded by clothing or the dead skin layer on the outside of the body. The radioactive material is sealed in a capsule, which is further enclosed in the body of the device itself, thus preventing inhalation or ingestion. Wipe tests performed by 3M in January and July, 2006 showed no contamination at a minimum detection level of 1 x 10-6 microcuries.
" Actions taken to recover the lost device involved interviews with personnel in the laboratory where it was used and searches of that and surrounding laboratories. Emails were sent to persons working in the laboratories asking them to provide any information they had on the location of the device. Flyers with pictures of the device requesting its return were posted in the laboratories.
" Measures to ensure against a recurrence are:
- Reminders to laboratory RSOs and their management to notify Clip of any change in location of a nuclear static eliminator or in the job status of the RSO.
- Reminders were given to those working in the laboratories, during the course of the searches, of the need to leave the nuclear static eliminators in their assigned location."
Notified NMSS EO (Morell), R3DO (Lara), and ILTAB (via email).
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. |
| General Information or Other | Event Number: 43045 | Rep Org: NE DIV OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
Licensee: NO FRILLS SUPERMARKETS
Region: 4
City: OMAHA State: NE
County:
License #: GL0189
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: TRUDY HILLS
HQ OPS Officer: JEFF ROTTON | Notification Date: 12/11/2006
Notification Time: 16:14 [ET]
Event Date: 11/27/2006
Event Time: [CST]
Last Update Date: 12/11/2006 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
LINDA SMITH (R4)
GARY JANOSKO (NMSS)
ILTAB via email ()
|
| This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material. | Event Text NEBRASKA AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - MISSING TRITIUM EXIT SIGN
The licensee provided the following information via email:
"The licensee discovered a missing self-luminous sign (Safety Light Model 2040, Serial number D76434) upon doing the annual inventory. They believe the sign was removed by the contractor during a remodeling project in the building about four months before. They believe the sign is in the landfill. They will replace all of the self-luminous exit signs with non radioactive exit signs in 2007."
Isotope - Tritium, Activity - 25 Curies.
Nebraska Event Number: NE060008
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: 43049 | Facility: PERRY
Region: 3 State: OH
Unit: [1] [ ] [ ]
RX Type: [1] GE-6
NRC Notified By: ROBERT KIDDER
HQ OPS Officer: JOE O'HARA | Notification Date: 12/13/2006
Notification Time: 05:49 [ET]
Event Date: 12/13/2006
Event Time: 04:35 [EST]
Last Update Date: 12/13/2006 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
50.72(b)(2)(iv)(B) - RPS ACTUATION - CRITICAL
| Person (Organization):
JULIO LARA (R3)
|
| Unit | SCRAM Code | RX CRIT | Initial PWR | Initial RX Mode | Current PWR | Current RX Mode | | 1 | M/R | Y | 100 | Power Operation | 0 | Hot Shutdown | Event Text REACTOR SCRAM - LOSS OF INSTRUMENT AIR RESULTING IN FEEDWATER TRANSIENT AND MANUAL REACTOR SCRAM
"A loss of instrument air caused a transient in feed system causing a lowering Hot Surge Tank Level. The Reactor was manually scrammed when Reactor Feed Booster Pumps were cavitating. Control Rod 42-55 did not insert on the initial scram. Control Rod 42-55 did insert when ARI was manually initiated."
The loss of instrument air was the result of an air line rupture, and the licensee is steaming to the condenser while maintaining vessel level with feedwater. There was no ECCS injection, and the licensee is investigating the cause of the line rupture.
The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.
* * * UPDATE AT 0814 ON 12/13/2006 FROM MICHAEL BROGAN TO MARK ABRAMOVITZ * * *
"This update is being made in accordance with 10CFR50.72(c)(2) to immediately report the results of ensuing evaluations or assessments of plant conditions, the effectiveness of response or protective measures taken, and information related to plant behavior that is not understood. On December 13, 2006, at 0549 hours, the Perry Nuclear Power Plant notified the NRC Operations Center (Event Number 43049) of a manual Reactor Protection System actuation associated with a loss of instrument air. In the initial report, it was stated that control rod 42-55 did not insert on the initial scram, but did insert when Alternate Rod Insertion was manually initiated. Subsequently, reactor engineering review of control rod performance during the event determined that the control rod scram time for control rod 4255 was satisfactory and that the problem was with the control rod indication. The plant remains stable at this time."
Control rod indication has two channels. Control rod 42-55 displayed one fully inserted indication and one blinking green indication (i.e. not fully inserted). When the system was reset, all rods indicated fully inserted with a "00" position indication.
The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.
Notified the R3DO (Lara). |
| Power Reactor | Event Number: 43050 | Facility: THREE MILE ISLAND
Region: 1 State: PA
Unit: [1] [ ] [ ]
RX Type: [1] B&W-L-LP,[2] B&W-L-LP
NRC Notified By: STUART BRANTLEY
HQ OPS Officer: JEFF ROTTON | Notification Date: 12/13/2006
Notification Time: 21:00 [ET]
Event Date: 12/13/2006
Event Time: 17:48 [EST]
Last Update Date: 12/13/2006 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
50.72(b)(2)(iv)(B) - RPS ACTUATION - CRITICAL
| Person (Organization):
RICHARD CONTE (R1)
|
| Unit | SCRAM Code | RX CRIT | Initial PWR | Initial RX Mode | Current PWR | Current RX Mode | | 1 | A/R | Y | 100 | Power Operation | 0 | Hot Shutdown | Event Text UNIT REACTOR TRIP DUE TO GRID DISTURBANCE
"While operating at 100 % power the unit experienced an automatic Reactor trip from Reactor Protection System actuation at 17:48 on 12/13/06. At the time of the trip there was a grid disturbance followed by the unit tripping. The cause of the trip is under investigation. All plant systems functioned as designed. The unit is being maintained in Hot Shutdown conditions using applicable plant procedures."
All control rods inserted fully after the reactor trip. S/G safety valves lifted and reset per design during the transient. The S/Gs are being supplied with normal feedwater and decay heat is being removed to the main condenser via the steam dump valves. The electric plant is in a normal shutdown lineup and the EDGs are available.
The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector, PEMA, the Counties of Dauphin, Cumberland, Lancaster, York, and Lebanon. | |