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Event Notification Report for August 16, 2019

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center

Event Reports For
8/15/2019 - 8/16/2019

** EVENT NUMBERS **

Non-Agreement State	Event Number: 54204
Rep Org: VARIAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS Licensee: VARIAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS Region: 1 City: CHARLOTTESVILLE State: VA County: License #: 45-30957-01 Agreement: Y Docket: NRC Notified By: KATHARINE ARZATE HQ OPS Officer: CATY NOLAN	Notification Date: 08/08/2019 Notification Time: 12:38 [ET] Event Date: 08/07/2019 Event Time: 00:00 [EDT] Last Update Date: 08/08/2019
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: 30.50(a) - PROTECTIVE ACTION PREVENTED 20.2201(a)(1)(i) - LOST/STOLEN LNM>1000X	Person (Organization): DAN SCHROEDER (R1DO) PATRICIA PELKE (R3DO) GREG WARNICK (R4DO) ILTAB (EMAIL) NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)

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

Event Text

IRIDIUM-192 SOURCE LOST DURING SHIPMENT

A 0.78 Curie (today's activity) Ir-192 source was lost during shipment from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN to Alpha-Omega Services in Vinton, LA. The last known location was Memphis, TN with the common carrier. Its original shipment date was February 8, 2019.

The licensee contacted the common carrier upon suspicion of loss on June 4, 2019. On August 7, 2019, the source had not been located and was deemed lost.

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

Non-Power Reactor	Event Number: 54222
Facility: RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE RX Type: 0.1 KW TANK TYPE CRITICAL FACILITY Comments: Region: 0 City: TROY State: NY County: RENSSELAER License #: CX-22 Agreement: Y Docket: 05000225 NRC Notified By: GLEN WINTERS HQ OPS Officer: KERBY SCALES	Notification Date: 08/15/2019 Notification Time: 13:30 [ET] Event Date: 08/14/2019 Event Time: 19:00 [EDT] Last Update Date: 08/15/2019
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: NON-POWER REACTOR EVENT	Person (Organization): XIAOSONG YIN (PM) ELIZABETH REED (NPR ENC)

Event Text

FAILURE TO MEET TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION REQUIREMENT

The following synopsis was received from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) via phone:

On August 14, 2019, at 1900 EDT, during a reactor startup and the reactor critical, the RPI reactor was scrammed due to one of the three safety system channels required by Technical Specification (TS) 3.2.6 not responding to an increase in power. Upon investigation the licensee realized that a test cable was still connected to the input of that instrument channel and the instrument was not connected to the neutron detector. The highest power level reached was 0.14 W. The licensee contacted the NRC as required by RPI TS 6.7.2.

In addition, during the scram, one of the four control rods was stuck 2 inches off the bottom. Upon investigation the licensee realized that foreign material (screw) was jammed at the end of the rod. The licensee removed the screw and the control rod was fully inserted. The licensee plans to perform a rod drop test prior to resuming normal operations.

There was no additional dose to the facility staff.

The NRC inspector was on sight when the event occurred.

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