Event Notification Report for July 05, 2017

LOST CHEMICAL AGENT DETECTOR

The following report was received via email:

"During routine maintenance and inventory of the equipment one of the devices could not be accounted for during the evolution. An extensive internal investigation was conducted by the local command and thorough search for the missing device was conducted and ultimately concluded the device was not located and determined lost. The device was declared lost 5 July 2017.

"Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane reported the lost chemical agent detector containing a 10 millicurie Nickel-63 (Ni-63) source. As the quantity exceeds 10 times the quantity listed in 10 CFR 20 Appendix C, a telephone notification is required to the NRC within 30 days per 10CFR20.2201. A follow up written report will be submitted within 30 days after this initial notification.

"The device, Serial Number 09-4326, contains one foil-sealed source of Ni-63 and does not to exceed 10 milliCuries. The source is Eckert and Ziegler Isotope Products Laboratories Model NER-004. The Ni-63 source is encapsulated in a 304 steel cup with 1 millimeter wall thickness. The source cup is fitted into a ceramic enclosure of 10 millimeter wall thickness. The Ni-63 source is sealed in a detection chamber located inside the housing of the detector. The device has two radioactive material labels to warn personnel of the radioactive source inside the device. One label is on the outside of the device and the other is on the detector housing on the inside of the instrument.

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

ABNORMAL OCCURRENCE DUE TO SOURCE RANGE INOPERABILITY DURING REACTOR START-UP

"On 7/4/17 at 0232 CDT, the University of Missouri-Columbia Research Reactor (MURR) was shut down due to the suspected inoperability of the Source Range Nuclear Instrument Channel during reactor startup. This is a required notification per MURR Technical Specification (TS) 6.6.c.(1) to report to the NRC Operations Center that an Abnormal Occurrence, as defined by MURR TS 1.1, had occurred. Specifically, MURR was not in compliance with all Limiting Conditions for Operations (LCOs). MURR was not in compliance with TS 3.5.a.3. and its associated note (1). TS 3.5.a.3 states, 'The reactor shall not be operated unless the following instrument channels are operable: ...3. Source Range Nuclear Instrument Channel...'. Note (1) clarifies that the Source Range Nuclear Instrument Channel is 'required for reactor startup only.' During the first rod withdrawal of the reactor startup, the Source Range Nuclear Instrument Channel indication was erratic. Therefore, it was decided to shut down the reactor.

"The Source Range Nuclear Instrument Channel was repaired by replacing two power supplies in its instrument drawer, the required compliance procedures were conducted on the nuclear instrument, and permission from the Facility Director was obtained prior to the reactor returning to operation later on 7/4/17. Currently, MURR is at 10 MW. A detailed event report will follow within 14 days as required by MURR TS 6.6.c.(3)."