| U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center Event Reports For
07/16/2012 - 07/17/2012 ** EVENT NUMBERS ** |
 | !!!!! THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED. THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED !!!!! | | Fuel Cycle Facility | Event Number: 48022 | Facility: PADUCAH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT
RX Type: URANIUM ENRICHMENT FACILITY
Comments: 2 DEMOCRACY CENTER
6903 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE
BETHESDA, MD 20817 (301)564-3200
Region: 2
City: PADUCAH State: KY
County: McCRACKEN
License #: GDP-1
Agreement: Y
Docket: 0707001
NRC Notified By: BILLY WALLACE
HQ OPS Officer: MARK ABRAMOVITZ | Notification Date: 06/13/2012
Notification Time: 16:27 [ET]
Event Date: 06/12/2012
Event Time: 15:45 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 07/16/2012 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
76.120(c)(2) - SAFETY EQUIPMENT FAILURE
| Person (Organization):
DAVID AYRES (R2DO)
JAMES RUBENSTONE (NMSS)
| Event Text SAFETY EQUIPMENT FAILURE - CRITICALITY AIR HORNS NOT TESTED FOR AUDIBILITY
"While reviewing Maintenance Work Package 'Performance of the C-335 Annual CMS Surveillance' from April 28, 2012 an error was identified. Procedure 'C-335 CMS Maintenance And Testing' requires an audibility check if the as-found values for the regulator air pressure drift feeding the Criticality Accident Alarm System (CMS) air horns is >?12 psig. However, an audibility check was not performed as required at six locations all on the cell floor of the process building that were discovered to be out-of-tolerance. All air pressure regulators were adjusted to within acceptable-as-left tolerances prior to the system being made operable on April 28.
"Without the audibility testing being performed, the audibility of the C-335 CMS was questionable prior to the April testing. On June 13, 2012, a work package was developed to recreate the pressures encountered on April 28 and to test the audibility of the CMS. Subsequent testing has shown that three of the CMS horns fed by out-of-tolerance pressure regulators may not have provided the required sound levels necessary for audibility in those areas. This is failure of safety equipment required by TSR 2.4.4.2.
"This event is reportable as a 24 hour event in accordance with 10 CFR 76.120(c)(2), 'An event in which equipment is disabled or fails to function as designed when: (i) the equipment is required by a TSR to prevent releases, prevent exposures to radiation and radioactive materials exceeding specified limits, mitigate the consequences of an accident, or restore this facility to a pre-established safe condition after an accident; (ii) the equipment is required by a TSR to be available and operable and either should have been operating or should have operated on demand; and (iii) no redundant equipment is available and operable to perform the required safety function.'
"The NRC Resident Inspector has been notified of this event.
"PGDP Assessment and Tracking Report No. ATRC-12-1496; PGDP Event Report No. PAD-2012-03; Responsible Division: Operations"
* * * RETRACTION FROM BILLY WALLACE TO JOHN SHOEMAKER AT 1641 EDT ON 07/16/2012 * * *
"Subsequently, the C-335 CAAS air horns have been tested in the as-found conditions from April 28, 2012. Using the original design audibility criteria in the most limiting condition, the CAAS horn audibility was found to be acceptable. Therefore, the system would have been able to perform its intended safety function in the April 28, 2012, as-found condition. Based on the testing and an engineering evaluation, the event notification is being retracted."
The licensee has notified the NRC Resident Inspector.
Notified R2DO (Calle) and NMSS (Silva). |
| Agreement State | Event Number: 48079 | Rep Org: CALIFORNIA RADIATION CONTROL PRGM
Licensee: LGC GEOTECHNICAL INC
Region: 4
City: SAN CLEMENTE State: CA
County:
License #: 6934-30
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: DONELLE KRAJEWSKI
HQ OPS Officer: JOHN KNOKE | Notification Date: 07/09/2012
Notification Time: 14:17 [ET]
Event Date: 07/09/2012
Event Time: [PDT]
Last Update Date: 07/09/2012 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
MARK HAIRE (R4DO)
DENNIS ALLSTON (ILTA)
FSME EVENT RESOURCE (EMAI)
MEXICO GOVERNMENT (FAX)
|
| This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material. | Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE
The following information was provided by the State of California via facsimile:
"At 0818 [PDT] on July 9, 2012, RHB was notified by CalEMA [California Emergency Management Agency] that they had received a report of a stolen gauge. The gauge CPN MC-1DR #MD20706668) was discovered stolen this morning when the gauge user arrived at the job site in Ontario, CA. The lock on the mini storage trailer was broken and the chain that bolted the gauge (in the locked case) to the structure was broken and the gauge and case were removed. The gauge case was locked.
"At 1015 [PDT] on the same morning, the licensee reported the gauge and case had been found on a dirt road in another city from where it was stolen. There was no damage to the gauge and the lock had been removed from the case. The handle of the gauge was not locked and the licensee [was] cited because of this."
CA 5010 # 070912
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 |
| Fuel Cycle Facility | Event Number: 48099 | Facility: WESTINGHOUSE HEMATITE
RX Type: URANIUM FUEL FABRICATION
Comments: LEU CONVERSION (UF6 to UO2)
COMMERCIAL LWR FUEL
Region: 3
City: HEMATITE State: MO
County: JEFFERSON
License #: SNM-33
Agreement: N
Docket: 07000036
NRC Notified By: DENNIS RECHARDSON
HQ OPS Officer: BILL HUFFMAN | Notification Date: 07/12/2012
Notification Time: 15:07 [ET]
Event Date: 07/12/2012
Event Time: 12:00 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 07/16/2012 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
RESPONSE-BULLETIN
| Person (Organization):
ERIC DUNCUN (R3DO)
PATTI SILVA (NMSS)
| Event Text 24 HOUR REPORT RELATED TO CRITICALITY CONTROL BULLETIN 91-01
"Around noon on July 12, 2012, workers noticed that a Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS)-controlled 5-gallon container, formally identified as a 'Field Container' being used as part of burial pit remediation at the Westinghouse Hematite Decommissioning Project, looked unusual. Field Containers are white standard-size 5-gallon buckets with a locking lid and are supposed to be unique to other containers being used at the facility. Upon investigation, it was determined that the container was actually a 6-1/2-gallon container - white with a locking lid, almost identical to a Field Container except for height. The container was in the midst of being used to consolidate exhumed radiologically elevated soil, formally identified as a Hot Spot. One shovel's worth of dirt had been transferred into the 6-1/2-gallon container when the condition was noticed. The workers called their supervisor upon discovery. The supervisor issued a verbal stop work order, and went to investigate the condition in the field. The use of a 6-1/2-gallon container is a violation of an NCS Control (specifically, Safety Feature 01 of NSA-TR-09-15, Rev. 3).
"NCS was called to assess the condition and direction was given to transfer the shovel's worth of soil from the 6-1/2-gallon container into an empty 5-gallon Field Container. The 6-1/2-gallon container, now empty, was destroyed. Other 6-1/2-gallon containers (the remaining 18 out of 20 containers that were identified as being purchased for different purposes) were removed and are under control pending their destruction. (It was confirmed that the one missing container of the purchase lot had been used for other non-NCS purposes.)
"The work crew on the other end of the burial pit remediation area was informed of the problem and cautioned to confirm the labeled volume capacity on the bottom of Field Containers to be used. The other areas where Field Containers are staged in the field and at the work site were inspected to confirm that no other 6-1/2-gallon containers were present. The consolidation points where these containers are staged when filled were also inspected to confirm that no 6-1/2-gallon containers were present.
"An investigation is under way to determine:
1) how the 6-1/2-gallon containers were inadvertently brought out to the burial pit,
2) how and why 6-1/2-gallon containers looking very similar to 5-gallon Field Containers were purchased and became available for misidentification as Field Containers, and
3) what actions need to be put in place to assure that future purchases of containers that may be mistaken for Field Containers do not occur."
Westinghouse Hematite is undergoing decommissioning. The location of this event was at the burial pit remediation area.
The licensee plans to also notify NRC Region 3 (Lafranzo) and NRC HQ (Hayes).
* * * UPDATE FROM DENNIS RICHARDSON TO JOHN SHOEMAKER AT 1707 EDT ON 07/16/2012 * * *
"In the original report, Hematite stated that "the remaining 18 out of 20 (6-1/2-gallon) containers that were identified as being purchased...were removed and are under control..." (Parenthetical statement added for clarity.) During the destruction of the 6-1/2-gallon containers, it was noticed that 6 of the 18 quarantined containers were actually 5-gallon containers. A second search of all inventoried, staged, and used/in-process containers was conducted to find the missing six 6-1/2-gallon containers. None of the missing six 6-1/2-gallon containers were found. The complete facility was then searched in an effort to find the 6 missing 6-1/2-gallon containers; but, none were found. The identified 5-gallon containers, which were in the middle of a stack of 6-1/2-gallon containers, were taken directly from the original shipping pallet; and, as the 6 missing 6-1/2-gallon containers cannot be found, were, mostly likely, mistakenly shipped by the supplier as 6-1/2-gallon containers. At this point, all identified 6-1/2-gallon containers on site have been destroyed."
The licensee will notify the NRC Inspector.
Notified R3DO (Kozak) and NMSS (Silva). |
| Power Reactor | Event Number: 48104 | Facility: FITZPATRICK
Region: 1 State: NY
Unit: [1] [ ] [ ]
RX Type: [1] GE-4
NRC Notified By: STEVE DEFILLIPPO
HQ OPS Officer: BILL HUFFMAN | Notification Date: 07/13/2012
Notification Time: 20:39 [ET]
Event Date: 07/13/2012
Event Time: 17:40 [EDT]
Last Update Date: 07/16/2012 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
50.72(b)(2)(xi) - OFFSITE NOTIFICATION
| Person (Organization):
LAWRENCE DOERFLEIN (R1DO)
|
| 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 OFFSITE NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY SIREN ACTIVATION
"The purpose of this report is to provide a telephone notification under 10CFR50.72(b)(2)(xi) to notify the NRC of the inadvertent actuation of Oswego County emergency notification siren number 34 at approximately 17:40 EDT on 7/13/12. Personnel have been dispatched to the siren location and it has been deactivated pending further investigation. Backup measures are in place to notify residents if an actual emergency were to occur while the siren is out of service.
"The NRC Senior Resident Inspector has been notified.
"Oswego County Emergency Management Office has issued a press release as follows:
"EMERGENCY SIREN SOUNDS INADVERTENTLY
"Fulton - One of the emergency notification sirens surrounding the nuclear power plants in Scriba inadvertently sounded at about 5:40 p.m. today, July 13, due to a malfunction. There is NO emergency at the three nuclear power plants in Oswego County.
"[The] Director of the Oswego County Emergency Management Office, said siren repair personnel from Constellation Energy and Entergy responded to the site near the intersection of Middle Road and Route 104 in Scriba as soon as they were notified the siren was sounding. The cause for the sounding is under investigation. The other sirens in the system are functioning properly.
"While the siren system is being repaired, backup measures are in place to notify residents if an actual emergency occurs at one of the plants.
"The siren is one of 37 located within a 10-mile radius of the nuclear power plants in Scriba. A system of sirens and tone-alert weather radios is in place to alert residents in the event of an emergency.
"In the event of an emergency at one of the plants that would require protective actions for the public, the sirens would be sounded for three minutes to alert residents of the area to turn their AM/FM radios or televisions to local Emergency Alert System (EAS) stations for further information and instructions. EAS stations are listed in the Emergency Public Information Calendar mailed to residents of the Emergency Planning Zone surrounding the plants and in local telephone books. The calendar can be viewed online at www.oswegocounty.com/emo."
See related event notification from Nine Mile Point - EN #48105
* * * UPDATE ON 7/16/12 AT 1613 EDT FROM SMOLINSKI TO HUFFMAN * * *
As of 1349 EDT on 7/16/12, the siren vendor had completed repairs and retuned siren number 34 back to service.
The licensee will notify the NRC Resident Inspector. R1DO (Dimitriadis) notified. |
| Power Reactor | Event Number: 48105 | Facility: NINE MILE POINT
Region: 1 State: NY
Unit: [1] [2] [ ]
RX Type: [1] GE-2,[2] GE-5
NRC Notified By: JAMES VAUGHN
HQ OPS Officer: BILL HUFFMAN | Notification Date: 07/13/2012
Notification Time: 21:05 [ET]
Event Date: 07/13/2012
Event Time: 17:40 [EDT]
Last Update Date: 07/16/2012 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
50.72(b)(2)(xi) - OFFSITE NOTIFICATION
| Person (Organization):
LAWRENCE DOERFLEIN (R1DO)
|
| 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 | N | 0 | Hot Shutdown | 0 | Hot Shutdown | Event Text OFFSITE NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY SIREN ACTIVATION
"On Friday, July 13, 2012 at approximately 17:40 EDT, Oswego County Emergency Management Office notified Nine Mile Point via the Radiological Emergency Communications System (RECS) line of a false activation of Siren 34. The Oswego County Emergency Management Office has issued a press release.
"Currently, the siren has been silenced and is inoperable. Technicians are dispatched and investigating. Backup measures are in place to notify residents if an actual emergency were to occur while the siren is out of service."
The licensee has notified the NRC Resident Inspector and the State.
See related event notification from FitzPatrick - EN #48104
* * * UPDATE ON 7/16/12 AT 1613 EDT FROM JONES TO HUFFMAN * * *
As of 1349 EDT on 7/16/12, the siren vendor had completed repairs and retuned siren number 34 back to service.
The licensee will notify the NRC Resident Inspector. R1DO (Dimitriadis) notified. |
| Power Reactor | Event Number: 48109 | Facility: MONTICELLO
Region: 3 State: MN
Unit: [1] [ ] [ ]
RX Type: [1] GE-3
NRC Notified By: BRETT WELLER
HQ OPS Officer: JOHN SHOEMAKER | Notification Date: 07/16/2012
Notification Time: 18:47 [ET]
Event Date: 07/16/2012
Event Time: 14:03 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 07/16/2012 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
50.72(b)(3)(xiii) - LOSS COMM/ASMT/RESPONSE
| Person (Organization):
LAURA KOZAK (R3DO)
|
| 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 LOSS OF AC POWER TO EMERGENCY OPERATIONS FACILITY
"At approximately 1403 [CDT] on 7/16/12, a loss of AC power (Linn Street substation) occurred affecting emergency response capability of the primary Emergency Operations Facility (EOF). The Technical Support Center (TSC) remained functional throughout the event. The Backup EOF located in Minneapolis, MN was inspected and verified to be functional. In the event of an emergency declaration requiring an EOF, the Emergency Response Organization (ERO) would have been directed to report to the Backup EOF.
"At approximately 1540 [CDT], the Linn Street substation power was restored.
"The primary EOF was inspected and declared functional at 1725 [CDT].
"The NRC Resident Inspectors were notified of this event." | |