Home NRC Library Document Collections Events, Reports Associated with Event Notification Reports 2020

Event Notification Report for January 09, 2020

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center

Event Reports For
1/8/2020 - 1/9/2020

** EVENT NUMBERS **

Agreement State	Event Number: 54459
Rep Org: MA RADIATION CONTROL PROGRAM Licensee: QSA GLOBAL, INC Region: 4 City: HONOLULU State: HI County: License #: 12-8361 Agreement: N Docket: NRC Notified By: JOSHUA DAEHLER HQ OPS Officer: BRIAN LIN	Notification Date: 12/31/2019 Notification Time: 18:00 [ET] Event Date: 12/31/2019 Event Time: 16:45 [EST] Last Update Date: 12/31/2019
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: AGREEMENT STATE	Person (Organization): JOSEPH DEBOER (R1DO) GREG WARNICK (R4DO) NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)

This material event contains a "Category 2" level of radioactive material.

Event Text

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL DELIVERED TO WRONG ADDRESS

The following information is a summary obtained from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts via email and telephone conversation:

"A single package containing eight Iridium-192 sources was bound for Canada, but was delivered to Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. A person at the hospital contacted QSA Global's distribution manager and notified them of the mis-shipment and that the shipment was unopened and secured at their facility. The reason for the mis-shipment is not known at this time. The shipping company and Commonwealth of Massachusetts have initiated an investigation and the licensee is arranging for delivery of the shipment to its intended destination."

Category 2 sources, if not safely managed or securely protected, could cause permanent injury to a person who handled them, or were otherwise in contact with them, for a short time (minutes to hours). It could possibly be fatal to be close to this amount of unshielded radioactive material for a period of hours to days. These sources are typically used in practices such as industrial gamma radiography, high dose rate brachytherapy and medium dose rate brachytherapy. For additional information go to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf

Power Reactor	Event Number: 54466
Facility: COLUMBIA GENERATING STATION Region: 4 State: WA Unit: [2] [] [] RX Type: [2] GE-5 NRC Notified By: SEAN KEEHN HQ OPS Officer: RODNEY CLAGG	Notification Date: 01/08/2020 Notification Time: 02:49 [ET] Event Date: 01/07/2020 Event Time: 18:55 [PST] Last Update Date: 01/08/2020
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: 50.72(b)(3)(xiii) - LOSS COMM/ASMT/RESPONSE	Person (Organization): HEATHER GEPFORD (R4DO)

Unit

SCRAM Code

RX Crit

Initial PWR

Initial RX Mode

Current PWR

Current RX Mode

100

Power Operation

100

Power Operation

Event Text

LOSS OF SEISMIC ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTATION

"On January 7, 2020, Columbia Generating Station (CGS) experienced an equipment failure that resulted in a loss of the seismic assessment instrumentation. This is being reported as a major loss of emergency assessment capability in accordance with regulation 10 CFR 50.72(b)(3)(xiii). No other plant systems were affected.

"Compensatory measures have been implemented and will remain in place until the seismic system has been restored.

"The NRC resident has been notified."

Licensee received a design basis earthquake alarm, but no other local indication of seismic activity, nor on the U.S. Geological Survey website. Licensee compensatory measures include local readings on seismic instrumentation.

Part 21	Event Number: 54467
Rep Org: ENGINE SYSTEMS, INC Licensee: ENGINE SYSTEMS, INC. Region: 1 City: ROCKY MOUNT State: NC County: License #: Agreement: Y Docket: NRC Notified By: DAN ROBERTS HQ OPS Officer: BRIAN LIN	Notification Date: 01/08/2020 Notification Time: 16:44 [ET] Event Date: 01/08/2020 Event Time: 00:00 [EST] Last Update Date: 01/08/2020
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: 21.21(d)(3)(i) - DEFECTS AND NONCOMPLIANCE	Person (Organization): STEVEN RUDISAIL (R2DO) JOHN HANNA (R3DO) - PART 21/50.55 REACTORS (EMAIL)

Event Text

PART 21 - INADEQUATE SELENIUM SURGE SUPPRESSOR THREAD MODIFICATION

The following is a summary of information that was received via facsimile:

On November 14, 2019, Engine Systems, Inc. obtained information of a defect or failure to comply associated with selenium surge suppressors. Three batches of suppressors supplied by Engine Services, Inc. between 2011 and 2013 utilize a thread modification that is inadequate for the application. The design specifies the use of a single 1/4-20 x 2-3/4" long bolt to compress the stack of selenium cells as well as mount the suppressor. Contrary to this requirement, the manufacturer used a #8-32 screw through the body of the stack and added a modified bolt to obtain the required 1/4-20 mounting threads. The modified bolt consisted of a 1/4-20 x 5/8" long bolt that was drilled and tapped in the head to accept #8-32 threads. An attempt to install the selenium surge suppressor by tightening the corresponding mounting nut may result in failure of the modified bolt threads.

Use of this thread modifier significantly reduces the strength of the mounting threads. Failure of the mounting threads creates the possibility of the suppressor dislodging with the potential to electrically short between the positive and negative plates of the rectifier assembly. An electrical short would affect output of the voltage regulator system, which may prevent the emergency diesel generator set from performing its safety-related function. This issue is therefore considered to be a reportable defect as defined by 10 CFR Part 21.

The affected part number is 8403049. A list of affected customers include: Point Beach Nuclear Plant and Surry Power Station.

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