U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Operations Center Event Reports For 05/14/2009 - 05/15/2009 ** EVENT NUMBERS ** | Fuel Cycle Facility | Event Number: 45053 | Facility: B&W NUCLEAR OPERATING GROUP, INC. RX Type: URANIUM FUEL FABRICATION Comments: HEU FABRICATION & SCRAP Region: 2 City: LYNCHBURG State: VA County: CAMPBELL License #: SNM-42 Agreement: N Docket: 070-27 NRC Notified By: CHERYL GOFF HQ OPS Officer: JOHN KNOKE | Notification Date: 05/11/2009 Notification Time: 12:28 [ET] Event Date: 05/11/2009 Event Time: 08:30 [EDT] Last Update Date: 05/11/2009 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: PART 70 APP A (c) - OFFSITE NOTIFICATION/NEWS REL | Person (Organization): EUGENE GUTHRIE (R2DO) LARRY CAMPBELL (NMSS) FUELS GROUP - Email () | Event Text CONCURRENT REPORT - VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY NOTIFIED OF WASTE TREATMENT RELEASE "On May 10, 2009 at about 0215 Waste Treatment operations began pumping sanitary sludge from the sanitary sludge holding tank to the Low Level Radioactivity (LLR) press. This is accomplished by activating an air-actuated diaphragm pump which suctions from the holding tank and discharges to the LLR press. Observations by area operators both at the press and the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) display showed no abnormal conditions. "Near or around 0345 area security officers notified the area operators that liquid was accumulating on the ground under the sanitary sludge holding tank. The operator attending to the reported release observed a leak on the discharge side of the diaphragm pump. The pump was halted and the isolation valve at the bottom of the holding tank was closed to halt the release. "Plant supervision was promptly notified and efforts were initiated to contain the release using absorbent pads and dykes. Most of the liquid was contained and pumped back into the sanitary system, and approximately 10-20 gallons drained to the system Final Effluent Pond (FEP 601). No liquid was observed to have been released to the James River. "On May 11, 2009 at approximately 8:30 am the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) was notified of the release both verbally and by email. This notification was performed to satisfy the notification requirements contained in the current site Virginia Pollutant Discharge Eliminations System (VPDES) permit for unanticipated bypasses of treatment systems. Notification is required verbally (within 24 hours) and in writing (within 5 days) upon discovery of the circumstances surrounding the bypass. "There were no radiological concerns with this event." The licensee will contact the NRC Resident Inspector. | General Information or Other | Event Number: 45054 | Rep Org: COLORADO DEPT OF HEALTH Licensee: PRIVATE CITIZEN Region: 4 City: DENVER State: CO County: License #: Agreement: Y Docket: NRC Notified By: ED STROUD HQ OPS Officer: JOHN KNOKE | Notification Date: 05/11/2009 Notification Time: 15:31 [ET] Event Date: 05/07/2009 Event Time: [MDT] Last Update Date: 05/11/2009 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: AGREEMENT STATE | Person (Organization): VIVIAN CAMPBELL (R4) MARK SHAFFER (FSME) | Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - RADIUM SOURCE FOUND The State of Colorado sent this report in by fax. "On 5/7/09, the Department received a request for assistance from a private citizen regarding the disposition of a load of scrap metal that he sent to a scrap metal recycling facility. The load was rejected after it tripped the gate radiation monitor. "On 5/8/09, representatives from the Department went to the owner's site to investigate. After sifting through the pile of scrap, a radium source was found. The source, which was approximately 2 inches [in] diameter and 0.25 thick, had a glass face and appeared to be some type of light source. The back of the source was stamped with the following, 'USRC, UNDARK, 22MTTR58, Poison Inside.' The source was reading approximately 35 millirem per hour on contact and 0.3 millirem per hour at one foot. No removable contamination was detected by wipe test. The owner, who was cleaning out an old building on the property, did not know where the source came from. "The source is currently being stored inside a locked, empty building on the property pending disposition. No other details are available at this time." | General Information or Other | Event Number: 45059 | Rep Org: FLORIDA BUREAU OF RADIATION CONTROL Licensee: NODARSE & ASSOCIATES Region: 1 City: WEST PALM BEACH State: FL County: License #: Agreement: Y Docket: NRC Notified By: STEVE FURNACE HQ OPS Officer: RYAN ALEXANDER | Notification Date: 05/12/2009 Notification Time: 13:05 [ET] Event Date: 05/12/2009 Event Time: [EDT] Last Update Date: 05/12/2009 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: AGREEMENT STATE | Person (Organization): DANIEL HOLODY (R1DO) ANGELA MCINTOSH (FSME) LAURA PEARSON (ILTA) | This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material. | Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - FOUR TROXLER GAUGES FOUND MISSING The State of Florida provided the following via fax: "[The licensee RSO] found 4 Troxler gauges missing from [a] storage facility [located in Winter Park, FL] on 12 May 2009. [The] gauge handles were locked, also a second lock to [the] structure and door was locked to storage room [when last checked by the licensee]. [The] owner is contacting local police department and will offer an award. [The Florida Bureau of Radiation Protection] Orlando Inspection Office will investigate." The four Troxler gauges each contained 8 mCi Cs-137 and 40 mCi Am-241/Be sources. Three of the Troxler gauges were Model 3430 (S/N: 29922, 35106, and 35474), and the fourth Troxler gauge was a Model 3440 (S/N: 23037). Florida Incident Number FL09-042. 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. | Power Reactor | Event Number: 45066 | Facility: BELLEFONTE Region: 2 State: AL Unit: [1] [2] [ ] RX Type: [1] B&W-R-LP (205),[2] B&W-R-LP (205) NRC Notified By: ANDREA STERDIS HQ OPS Officer: PETE SNYDER | Notification Date: 05/14/2009 Notification Time: 11:45 [ET] Event Date: 05/14/2009 Event Time: 10:45 [CDT] Last Update Date: 05/14/2009 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: 50.55(e) - CONSTRUCT DEFICIENCY | Person (Organization): JAY HENSON (R2DO) | Unit | SCRAM Code | RX CRIT | Initial PWR | Initial RX Mode | Current PWR | Current RX Mode | 1 | N | N | 0 | | 0 | | 2 | N | N | 0 | | 0 | | Event Text CONFIGURATION CONTROL LAPSE "DESCRIPTION OF DEFICIENCY "Configuration control was not maintained and physical equipment issues were not documented under a Quality Assurance Plan for the period of time from in which Construction Permits CPPR-122 and CPPR-123 were withdrawn until they were reinstated. "SAFETY IMPLICATIONS "There are no safety implications because controls are in place under TVA's corrective action program that will prohibit current plant structures, systems or components, including those affected in the course of resource recovery activities, from being placed into service without being further evaluated and having been fully restored or replaced. "This deficiency has been entered into TVA's Corrective Action Program as Problem Evaluation Report 170988." | Power Reactor | Event Number: 45067 | Facility: COOPER Region: 4 State: NE Unit: [1] [ ] [ ] RX Type: [1] GE-4 NRC Notified By: JEFF SCHWARING HQ OPS Officer: JOE O'HARA | Notification Date: 05/14/2009 Notification Time: 16:58 [ET] Event Date: 05/14/2009 Event Time: 09:53 [CDT] Last Update Date: 05/14/2009 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: 26.719 - FITNESS FOR DUTY OTHER UNSPEC REQMNT | Person (Organization): VIVIAN CAMPBELL (R4DO) | 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 FITNESS FOR DUTY INVOLVING A NON-LICENSED SUPERVISOR A non-licensed employee supervisor had a confirmed positive test for alcohol during a For-Cause fitness-for-duty test. The employee's access to the plant has been temporarily suspended. Contact the Headquarters Operations Officer for additional details. The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector. | Power Reactor | Event Number: 45069 | Facility: INDIAN POINT Region: 1 State: NY Unit: [ ] [3] [ ] RX Type: [2] W-4-LP,[3] W-4-LP NRC Notified By: JOHN BAKER HQ OPS Officer: HOWIE CROUCH | Notification Date: 05/15/2009 Notification Time: 03:58 [ET] Event Date: 05/15/2009 Event Time: 01:53 [EDT] Last Update Date: 05/15/2009 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: 50.72(b)(2)(iv)(B) - RPS ACTUATION - CRITICAL 50.72(b)(3)(iv)(A) - VALID SPECIF SYS ACTUATION | Person (Organization): DANIEL HOLODY (R1DO) | Unit | SCRAM Code | RX CRIT | Initial PWR | Initial RX Mode | Current PWR | Current RX Mode | 3 | M/R | Y | 100 | Power Operation | 0 | Hot Standby | Event Text MANUAL REACTOR TRIP DUE TO FAILURE OF THE MAIN FEEDWATER REGULATING VALVE "On May 15, 2009 Indian Point Unit 3 initiated a manual Reactor Trip at 0153 in response to a failure of 33 Main Feed Regulating Valve. 33 Main Feed Regulating Valve failed open causing 33 Steam Generator Level to rise. A manual Reactor Trip signal was inserted when it was determined that the level rise in 33 Steam Generator could not be corrected. As a result of the reactor trip, the Auxiliary Feedwater System automatically actuated per plant design. Unit 3 is currently in Mode 3. "This results in a condition that resulted in an actuation of the Reactor Protection System which is reportable under 10 CFR 50.72(b)(2)(iv)(B). "The valid actuation of the Auxiliary Feedwater System is reportable under 10 CFR 50.72(b)(3)(iv)(A)." All rods inserted during the trip. There were no relief or safety valves that lifted during the transient. The electrical grid is stable and is in the normal shutdown electrical lineup. The plant is being maintained at normal operating temperature and pressure using steam dumps to condenser to remove decay heat. Unit 2 was not affected by the trip. The licensee notified the New York Public Service Commission and the NRC Resident Inspector. | |