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Event Notification Report for August 22, 2019

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center

Event Reports For
8/21/2019 - 8/22/2019

** EVENT NUMBERS **

Power Reactor	Event Number: 54190
Facility: SOUTH TEXAS Region: 4 State: TX Unit: [1] [] [] RX Type: [1] W-4-LP,[2] W-4-LP NRC Notified By: KEITH MINK HQ OPS Officer: DONALD NORWOOD	Notification Date: 07/31/2019 Notification Time: 15:55 [ET] Event Date: 07/30/2019 Event Time: 15:21 [CDT] Last Update Date: 08/21/2019
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: 50.72(b)(3)(v)(D) - ACCIDENT MITIGATION	Person (Organization): JEREMY GROOM (R4DO)

Unit

SCRAM Code

RX Crit

Initial PWR

Initial RX Mode

Current PWR

Current RX Mode

100

Power Operation

100

Power Operation

Event Text

EN Revision Imported Date : 8/22/2019

EN Revision Text: DISCOVERY OF CONDITION THAT COULD HAVE PREVENTED FULFILLMENT OF A SAFETY FUNCTION

"South Texas Project (STP) Unit 1 reactor head vent valve B1RCHCV0601 was declared inoperable on December 29, 2018, STP Unit 1 reactor head vent valve B1RCHCV0602 was declared inoperable on July 30, 2019. Technical Specification 3.3.3.5 requires one of two reactor head vent valves to be operable. This issue placed the plant in a 30-day Technical Specification Action.

"At 0741 CDT on July 31, 2019, South Texas Project Electric Generating Station (STPEGS) made a determination based on firm evidence that reactor head vent valve B1RCHCV0602 had been inoperable since June 24, 2019. This results in a condition that could have prevented the fulfillment of the safety function of structures or systems that are needed to mitigate the consequences of an accident.

"This report is being made pursuant to 10 CFR 50.72(b)(3)(v)(D), 'any event or condition that at the time of discovery could have prevented the fulfillment of the safety function of structures or systems that are needed to mitigate the consequences of an accident.

"The inoperable equipment is required for accident conditions and presents no danger to the health and safety of the public or the safe operation of the units.

"The NRC Resident Inspector has been notified."

* * * UPDATE FROM PAUL BURTON TO KERBY SCALES AT 1108 EDT ON 8/21/19 * * *

"The Event Date and Time provided in EN# 54190 should have been reported as 7/30/2019 at 1521 CDT, since this was the time of discovery of a condition that could have prevented the fulfillment of the safety function of structures or systems that are needed to mitigate the consequences of an accident."

"The NRC Resident Inspector has been notified.

"Notified R4DO (Young)."

Agreement State	Event Number: 54216
Rep Org: LOUISIANA RADIATION PROTECTION DIV Licensee: VERSA INTEGRITY GROUP INC (VIG) Region: 4 City: NORCO State: LA County: License #: LA-11235-LOI Agreement: Y Docket: NRC Notified By: JOSEPH NOBLE HQ OPS Officer: KERBY SCALES	Notification Date: 08/13/2019 Notification Time: 12:19 [ET] Event Date: 08/12/2019 Event Time: 16:19 [CDT] Last Update Date: 08/13/2019
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: AGREEMENT STATE	Person (Organization): RAY KELLAR (R4DO) NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)

Event Text

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - RADIOGRPAHY CAMERA SOURCE WOULD NOT RETRACT

The following report was received from Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) via facsimile:

"On August 12, 2019, at 1619 CDT, the licensee called LDEQ to report that a source would not retract back into the shielded position. The event happened approximately at 1330 at a temporary jobsite within the Shell Refinery, Airline Highway, Norco, LA. in St. Charles Parish.

"The camera was being used at this temporary jobsite. The exposure was made and the source would not retract into the shielded position. The problem was detected during the post exposure survey. The exposure levels indicated the source was still in the collimator. The reportable event was the 'drive cable' broke in the associated equipment being used with this QSA Global, Model 880 Delta exposure device. The serial number for the 880 Delta is D-7906. The source was a 91.0 Ci of Ir-192, model number A424-9, and serial number 86571G.

"The [industrial radiography] crew followed the [Versa Integrity Group] VIG Safety Procedures securing and shielding the radiography source and then contacted the [Radiation Safety Officer] RSO. The three-man site crew performed the preliminary source retrieval procedures. QSA Global was contacted by the RSO to assist with the source retrieval. QSA Global arrived approximately at 1811 CDT and the source recovery ended at 1930 CDT. The drive cable and source assembly were taken to QSA Global for an equipment evaluation.

"VIG personnel involved in this retrieval received a maximum exposure of 40 mrem and the other individual's exposures were less. There were no excessive exposures associated with this event. At no time did the general public receive an exposure to the source of radiation."

Louisiana Event Report ID No: LA 190011

Agreement State	Event Number: 54217
Rep Org: MARYLAND DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT Licensee: FRANCIS O. DAY Region: 1 City: ROCKVILLE State: MD County: License #: MD-31-172-01 Agreement: Y Docket: NRC Notified By: ALAN GOLDEY HQ OPS Officer: CATY NOLAN	Notification Date: 08/13/2019 Notification Time: 16:15 [ET] Event Date: 08/12/2019 Event Time: 13:00 [EDT] Last Update Date: 08/13/2019
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: AGREEMENT STATE	Person (Organization): JONATHAN GREIVES (R1DO) NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)

Event Text

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - TRANSPORTATION ACCIDENT INVOLVING A DENSITY GAUGE

The following was received from the Maryland Department of the Environment Radiological Health Program (MDE RHP) via phone:

"On August 12, 2019, at approximately 1330 [EDT] hours, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) Hazardous Waste Enforcement Division contacted the MDE Radiological Health Program (RHP) concerning a vehicular accident that involved a nuclear density gauge.

"The initial transportation accident, as logged in at 1300 hours, indicated the accident location near the 70-mile marker on west-bound I-70, near Lisbon, MD. The vehicle, identified as a box truck, was carrying a density gauge that was ejected during the accident. The gauge was observed not in its transportation case at time of arrival of Fire/EMS and Maryland State police. The company Radiation Safety Officer from Francis O. Day, Inc. responded to the scene and verified that the source was in the shielded position. The gauge was taken to Northeast Technical Services for evaluation.

"The gauge was identified as a Troxler model 4640 surface thin-layer gauge, S/N 2399. This gauge has a Cs-137 sealed source with a nominal activity of 8 mCi and was last leak tested on July 14, 2019. The State trooper on scene stated that the vehicle was actually a pickup truck. The transportation case was ejected from the pickup truck along with the truck cap and the driver. The gauge left the confines of the transportation case and came to rest approximately 10 feet from the case. The chain that held the case to the truck bed broke. The driver did not survive the accident.

"MDE/RHP will further investigate this event. "

Fuel Cycle Facility	Event Number: 54218
Facility: NUCLEAR FUEL SERVICES INC. RX Type: URANIUM FUEL FABRICATION Comments: HEU CONVERSION & SCRAP RECOVERY NAVAL REACTOR FUEL CYCLE LEU SCRAP RECOVERY Region: 2 City: ERWIN State: TN County: UNICOI License #: SNM-124 Docket: 07000143 NRC Notified By: RON RICE HQ OPS Officer: KERBY SCALES	Notification Date: 08/14/2019 Notification Time: 10:07 [ET] Event Date: 08/13/2019 Event Time: 16:00 [EDT] Last Update Date: 08/14/2019
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: 70.50(b)(2) - SAFETY EQUIPMENT FAILURE	Person (Organization): ERIC MICHEL (R2DO) NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL) - FUELS GROUP (EMAIL)

Event Text

CRITICALITY ACCIDENT ALARM SYSTEM SPEAKER FAILURE

"At approximately 1320 [EDT] one speaker in the Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) area was identified as not operating when a series of Public Address (PA) announcements were made. Strobe lights, however, were functioning in the area. At 1430 compensatory measures were established to limit access in the affected area to only those personnel with radio communication with the alarm room. At 1600 the system was tested and it was confirmed that the Criticality Accident Alarm System (CAAS) was not audible in the LEU area. No other areas were effected. On August 13, 2019 at approximately 1726, full compliance was restored when the speaker was replaced and satisfactorily retested. The most recent audibility test of this area had been satisfactorily performed on August 6, 2019 at approximately 1100. The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector on August 13, 2019 at approximately 1653."

Page Last Reviewed/Updated Wednesday, March 24, 2021