Event Notification Report for June 21, 2012

UNUSUAL EVENT DECLARED DUE TO A LAGGING FIRE IN A FEED PUMP

"On Thursday, June 21st, at 1451 hrs, a fire was detected by visual observation at one of the running reactor feedwater pumps. Reactor power was lowered to 62% and the feedwater pump was removed from service. At 1505 hrs, the Shift Manager declared an Unusual Event. The fire was extinguished at 1508 hrs. The cause of fire is unknown. The Unusual Event classification is being reported in accordance with 10 CFR 50.72(a)(1)(i)."

The fire appeared to have started from oil soaked lagging. Offsite assistance was not required, and Unit 1 was not affected. The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector, the State, and local agencies.

Notified DHS, FEMA, and NICC.

* * * UPDATE AT 1617 EDT ON 6/21/2012 FROM JASON SAWYER TO DONG PARK* * *

The Unusual Event was terminated at 1600 EDT.

The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.

Notified R1DO (Holody), NRR (Lee), IRD (Gott), DHS, FEMA, and NICC.

PLANNED MAINTENANCE ON THE TECHNICAL SUPPORT CENTER VENTILATION

"This ENS is being issued in advance of a planned maintenance activity.

"Today 6/21/12, the Technical Support Center (TSC) ventilation system will be removed from service to perform corrective maintenance on a ventilation damper. The emergency ventilation system will not be available and cannot be restored within the time period required to staff and activate the Emergency Response Organization (ERO). The work will complete today 6/21/12.

"If an emergency is declared and the TSC activation is required, the TSC will be staffed and activated unless the TSC becomes uninhabitable due to ambient temperatures, radiological or other conditions. The Station Emergency Director would assess habitability in accordance with station procedures. TSC relocation of personnel would be directed as required until such time that the TSC ventilation system is returned to service."

The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.

* * * UPDATE AT 2124 EDT ON 6/21/12 FROM MARK ARNOSKY TO DONG PARK * * *

"The work planned for the TSC ventilation system was not performed and will be rescheduled to a later date TBD. The NRC Resident Inspector has been notified."

Notified the R1DO (Holody).

TWO INCORE DETECTORS CONTAINING U-235 UNACCOUNTED FOR DURING INVENTORY

"This is a non-emergency notification regarding an extremely small amount of Special Nuclear Material (SNM) which is unaccounted for. On 6/21/2012, it was determined that two nuclear instrumentation incore detectors could not be accounted for at Catawba. Detectors of this type are used to measure incore neutron flux (intensity of neutron radiation) inside the reactor vessel. This determination was made following the completion of a scheduled inventory of nuclear instrumentation incore detectors in storage. This is being reported under 10 CFR 20.2201(a)(1)(ii) (reports of theft or loss of licensed material).

"According to Catawba documentation, there should be 54 such detectors in storage. Only 52 detectors could be physically located on site. There is no evidence of theft or diversion of these detectors. According to site documentation, one or both of the detectors may have been shipped to Barnwell in 1986. Detectors of this type contain very small amounts of Uranium-235 (0.0041 grams/detector), which qualifies them as SNM. The most likely location for the detectors is either in one bunker located on site and within the radiological controlled area or at Barnwell via a low level radioactive waste shipment. The search for these detectors was suspended based on a determination that the additional dose to plant workers involved in the search was not justified by an equivalent offsetting safety benefit. It is unlikely that these detectors could have left the site other than in a radioactive waste shipment as the radiation monitoring equipment in place would likely have identified the presence of the detectors.

"This event had no effect on plant operations and no impact on public health and safety has been identified. A written report will be made in accordance with 10 CFR 20.2201(b)(1)(i-vi). The licensee will notify the NRC Resident Inspector."

Usually, spent incore detectors are stored in a locked high radiation area at the facility. This was the first physical inventory of sources performed by the licensee.


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. For additional information go to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf

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