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Event Notification Report for July 6, 2017

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center

Event Reports For
07/05/2017 - 07/06/2017

** EVENT NUMBERS **


52774 52831 52832 52841

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Agreement State Event Number: 52774
Rep Org: MISSISSIPPI DIV OF RAD HEALTH
Licensee: MS POWER COMPANY
Region: 4
City: DE KALB State: MS
County:
License #: MS-1062-01
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: JAYSON MOAK
HQ OPS Officer: JEFF HERRERA
Notification Date: 05/30/2017
Notification Time: 10:19 [ET]
Event Date: 05/28/2017
Event Time: [CDT]
Last Update Date: 07/05/2017
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
Person (Organization):
NEIL OKEEFE (R4DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICA (EMAI)

Event Text

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STUCK SHUTTER ON A FIXED GAUGE

The following report was received from the Mississippi Department of Health via email:

"Licensee's RSO [Radiation Safety Officer] reported a stuck shutter on a Ronan Model SA8-C10 fixed gauge, Serial No. 1093CP, Source Model CDC.700. This was noticed during preventive maintenance, while performing shutter checks. Licensee notified the manufacturer for service.

"Isotope: Cs-137
Activity: 200 mCi"

* * * UPDATE AT 1524 EDT ON 7/5/17 FROM JAYSON MOAK TO MARK ABRAMOVITZ * * *

The following update was received via e-mail:

"Licensee reported that the gauge had been repaired by the manufacturer and returned to service. The gauge manufacturer's field engineer reported that the gauge shutter was able to be closed with channel lock pliers before the gauge was removed from the vessel. The field engineer reported that the lead ceiling portion of the shutter cavity was tight against the shutter assembly causing the shutter assembly to bind and not close. The field engineer suspects that water leached in behind the lead and froze, thereby pushing the lead deeper into the shutter cavity. The field engineer removed the expanded lead from hitting the shutter. Once the gauge had its seals replaced, the source holder was reassembled. The gauge was then wiped for removable contamination, surveyed at 30 cm and 12 in, and remounted by the field engineer for continued use. The wipe test was negative (less than 0.001uCi) for removable contamination and all fifteen (15) surveys were less than 1 mR/Hr with the gauge shutter open."

Mississippi Report: MS-17001

Notified the R4DO (Farnholtz) and NMSS Resources (via e-mail).

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Agreement State Event Number: 52831
Rep Org: MARYLAND DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Licensee: MARYLAND STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION
Region: 1
City: HANOVER State: MD
County:
License #: MD-03-114-01
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: ALAN JACOBSON
HQ OPS Officer: BETHANY CECERE
Notification Date: 06/28/2017
Notification Time: 09:49 [ET]
Event Date: 06/28/2017
Event Time: 07:15 [EDT]
Last Update Date: 07/05/2017
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
Person (Organization):
RAY POWELL (R1DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICA (EMAI)
DENNIS ALLSTON (ILTA)
BERNARD STAPLETON (IRD)

This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3 " level of radioactive material.

Event Text

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE

The following is excerpted from an email from the Maryland Department of the Environment:

On 06/28/2017 at 7:15 EDT, the State project engineer (PE) reported that his project trailer had been broken into and a portable nuclear gauge (serial number 062051) was stolen. The equipment was kept stored, with a lock on the outside of the trailer and then locked inside the trailer. The gauge was stored locked in its carrying case.

The gauge model number is Troxler 3440. The gauge contains an 8 mCi Cs-137 source and 40 mCi Am-241/Be source.

Prince George's County Police Department was notified.

* * * UPDATE AT 1507 EDT ON 7/5/17 FROM ALAN JACOBSON TO MARK ABRAMOVITZ * * *

The following report was received via e-mail:

"The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has reported that the portable nuclear gauge stolen on June 28, 2017 from a Maryland Department of Transportation, State Highway Administration (SHA) Project has been recovered. The gauge was apparently found abandoned on a residential property in District Heights, Maryland and recovered by Prince Georges County Police on July 4, 2017 with assistance from the Prince Georges County Fire/EMS Department's HAZMAT Division. The gauge was not damaged. Inspectors from the MDE's Air and Radiation Administration inspected the gauge, confirmed the device was not damaged and it was returned to the SHA Radiation Safety Officer on July 5, 2017."

Notified the R1DO (Ferdas), ILTAB (Tucker), IRD (Grant), and NMSS Resources (via e-mail).

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

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Agreement State Event Number: 52832
Rep Org: NJ RAD PROT AND REL PREVENTION PGM
Licensee: UNKNOWN
Region: 1
City: JERSEY CITY State: NJ
County:
License #:
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: JENNY GOODMAN
HQ OPS Officer: STEVE SANDIN
Notification Date: 06/28/2017
Notification Time: 17:03 [ET]
Event Date: 06/28/2017
Event Time: [EDT]
Last Update Date: 06/28/2017
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
Person (Organization):
RAY POWELL (R1DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICA (EMAI)

This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3 " level of radioactive material.

Event Text

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - ORPHANED Cs-137 SOURCE RECOVERED

The following information was received from the State of New Jersey via email:

"Received a preliminary report today that a metal recycling center (Sims Metal Management) has isolated a Cs-137 source estimated to be about 30 mCi. Exposure readings on contact are 5 R/hr. Source is isolated and secure. The owner of Sims Metal Management contacted Ecology Services who arrived today, identified the nuclide, took the contact readings, conducted wipe tests and will package it and properly and dispose of it in the near future. Ecology Services received reciprocity from NJ for this work. There are no reported markings on the source. DEP [NJ Department of Environmental Protection] personnel will investigate further. More to follow."

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

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Non-Power Reactor Event Number: 52841
Facility: UNIV OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA
RX Type: 10000 KW TANK
Comments:
Region: 0
City: COLUMBIA State: MO
County: BOONE
License #: R-103
Agreement: N
Docket: 05000186
NRC Notified By: BRUCE MEFFERT
HQ OPS Officer: HOWIE CROUCH
Notification Date: 07/05/2017
Notification Time: 16:19 [ET]
Event Date: 07/05/2017
Event Time: [CDT]
Last Update Date: 07/05/2017
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
NON-POWER REACTOR EVENT
Person (Organization):
GEOFFREY WERTZ (NRR)
ALEXANDER ADAMS (NRR)

Event Text

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)."

Page Last Reviewed/Updated Wednesday, March 24, 2021