U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Operations Center Event Reports For 02/09/2007 - 02/12/2007 ** EVENT NUMBERS ** | Hospital | Event Number: 43147 | Rep Org: ST. FRANCIS HOSPITAL, HARTFORD, CT Licensee: ST. FRANCIS HOSPTIAL, HARTFORD, CT Region: 1 City: HARTFORD State: CT County: HARTFORD License #: 06-00854-03 Agreement: N Docket: NRC Notified By: E. WILCOX HQ OPS Officer: JOHN MacKINNON | Notification Date: 02/06/2007 Notification Time: 13:49 [ET] Event Date: 02/06/2007 Event Time: 07:00 [EST] Last Update Date: 02/06/2007 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: 35.3045(a)(1) - DOSE <> PRESCRIBED DOSAGE | Person (Organization): WILLIAM COOK (R1) GREG MORELL (NMSS) | Event Text MEDICAL EVENT A patient was being treated for cancer of the cervix. The planned total dose to the cervix was to be 2046.5 cGy, over a 39 hour time period. The licensee was using an LDR Selectron Afterloader. Nine cesium-137 sources, activity of each source 16.7 millicuries, were used in the afterloader. The patient started treatment on 02/05/07 at 1235 EST. Today, 02/06/07, between the hours of 0630 - 0717 EST the patient pulled the applicator out approximately 4 centimeters. The patient was given the correct dose to the cervix for 16.09 hours for a total dose of 844.5 cGy. The patient was given an incorrect dose to the vaginal area for between 30 - 60 minutes. The total dose to the incorrect area is between 50 - 200 (Max) cGy. This incident was not harmful to the patient. The patient's doctor was notified of this incident. The patient will not be retreated. A "Medical Event" may indicate potential problems in a medical facility's use of radioactive materials. It does not necessarily result in harm to the patient. | Power Reactor | Event Number: 43159 | Facility: BROWNS FERRY Region: 2 State: AL Unit: [ ] [ ] [3] RX Type: [1] GE-4,[2] GE-4,[3] GE-4 NRC Notified By: MATTHEW RASMUSSEN HQ OPS Officer: JOE O'HARA | Notification Date: 02/09/2007 Notification Time: 16:32 [ET] Event Date: 02/09/2007 Event Time: 12:08 [CST] Last Update Date: 02/09/2007 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: 50.72(b)(2)(iv)(A) - ECCS INJECTION 50.72(b)(2)(iv)(B) - RPS ACTUATION - CRITICAL | Person (Organization): CAROLYN EVANS (R2) TIM McGINTY (NRR) JEFFREY CRUZ (IRD) | Unit | SCRAM Code | RX CRIT | Initial PWR | Initial RX Mode | Current PWR | Current RX Mode | 3 | A/R | Y | 100 | Power Operation | 0 | Hot Shutdown | Event Text REACTOR SCRAM DUE TO LOW REACTOR WATER LEVEL "At 1208[CST] on 02/09/2007 with Unit 3 at 100% power, an automatic reactor scram (RPS) was received due to lowering water level. Loss of water level was due to lowering condensate flow which in turn caused a reduction in feedwater flow. Reactor water level lowered to -45 Inches. High Pressure Coolant Injection and Reactor Core Isolation Cooling systems initiated as expected. Additionally, the Recirculation Pump breakers tripped as expected. All expected Primary Containment Isolations, Group 2 (RHR Shutdown Cooling), Group 3 (RWCU), Group 6 (Ventilation), and Group 8 (TIP) were received along with the auto start of Control Room Emergency Ventilation (CREV) and 3 Standby Gas Treatment (SBGT) trains. Unit 2 was at 80% power and was unaffected by the event. Investigation has been initiated as to the cause of the lowering condensate flow. "This event is reportable as a 4-hour and 8-hour non-emergency notification in accordance with 10 CFR50.72(b)(2)(iv)(B) as any event or condition that results in actuation of the reactor protection system (RPS) when the reactor is critical, 10 CFR 5172(b)(3)(Iv)(A) as any event or condition that results in valid actuation of any of the systems listed in paragraph (b)(3)(Iv)(b), and 10 CFR 50.72(b)(2)(Iv)(A) as any event or condition that results or should have resulted In ECCS discharging to the reactor coolant system. "All control rods fully inserted, the electrical grid is stable. Decay heat is being removed via the turbine bypass valves to the main condenser. The licensee has notified the NRC Senior Resident Inspector." There was no excessive cooldown rate during the injection phase as cooldown rate did not exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Total injection time for both HPCI and RCIC systems was approximately 2 minutes which resulted in approximately 13,000 gallons of coolant from the condensate storage tank (CST) entering the reactor vessel. Primary plant temperature and pressure are 531 degrees Fahrenheit and 928 psig, respectively. | Other Nuclear Material | Event Number: 43160 | Rep Org: TRACERCO Licensee: TRACERCO Region: 4 City: PASADENA State: TX County: License #: LO3096 Agreement: Y Docket: NRC Notified By: NORMAN LANIER HQ OPS Officer: JOHN MacKINNON | Notification Date: 02/10/2007 Notification Time: 13:45 [ET] Event Date: 02/10/2007 Event Time: 05:30 [CST] Last Update Date: 02/10/2007 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: 20.2201(a)(1)(ii) - LOST/STOLEN LNM>10X | Person (Organization): REBECCA NEASE (R4) WILLIAM RULAND (NMSS) CHUCK CAIN (R4) | This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material. | Event Text MISSING TANTALUM-182 SOURCE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO The following information was provided by Tracerco and BP Pipelines of North America: A pipeline from the Atlantis Platform, 5,000 feet down, was being dewatered with a foam pig. During the process the remotely operated vehicle lost control of the pig causing the pig to surface (normally the pig has negative buoyancy). The pig is currently in the Gulf of Mexico and was last seen in the Grand (Green?) Canyon Block 645, with coordinates of: Latitude 27 degrees 14' 4" North and Longitude 90 degrees 14' 4" West. The pig is 16 inches in diameter and 52 inches long. There is a silver wire inside of the pig which has a Tantalum-182 source. The total activity of the Tantalum-182 when new was 6.25 milliCuries. The source is about 30 days old. The instrumentation is used to track the pig from the platform to the Sub C Collection point. BP Pipelines North America are actively searching for the pig. BP Pipelines North America said that the foam pig will be difficult to find because it will be floating just above or below the surface and that the foam pig will eventually sink. 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. | |