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

Event Notification Report for January 22, 2020

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center

Event Reports For
1/21/2020 - 1/22/2020

** EVENT NUMBERS **

Fuel Cycle Facility	Event Number: 54473
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: KEN GREER HQ OPS Officer: KARL DIEDERICH	Notification Date: 01/13/2020 Notification Time: 15:05 [ET] Event Date: 01/13/2020 Event Time: 00:00 [EST] Last Update Date: 01/13/2020
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: 26.719 - FITNESS FOR DUTY	Person (Organization): STEVEN RUDISAIL (R2DO) GRETCHEN RIVERA-CAPELLA (NMSS DAY) FFD GROUP (EMAIL)

Event Text

ALCOHOL DISCOVERED IN CAFETERIA

"Six bottles of flavoring extracts (rum, peppermint, lemon, and almond) containing varying amounts of alcohol content (12 -84 percent) were located in the NFS onsite cafeteria. The items were turned over to NFS Security for control and disposition as necessary. NFS Security and the Plant Superintendent conducted an additional search of the cafeteria and did not identify any additional items. There was no indication that the items had been utilized for consumption by any onsite personnel. A problem was entered in the site Problem Identification Resolution Correction System (PIRCS) for reference (P78223)."

The cafeteria is located inside the protected area. The event was terminated at 1200 EST.

The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.

Agreement State	Event Number: 54475
Rep Org: TEXAS DEPT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES Licensee: WESTLAKE LONGVIEW CORP Region: 4 City: LONGVIEW State: TX County: License #: Licen-RAM-L 06294 Agreement: Y Docket: NRC Notified By: KAREN BLANCHARD HQ OPS Officer: KARL DIEDERICH	Notification Date: 01/13/2020 Notification Time: 17:47 [ET] Event Date: 01/12/2020 Event Time: 00:00 [CST] Last Update Date: 01/13/2020
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: AGREEMENT STATE	Person (Organization): CALE YOUNG (R4DO) NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)

Event Text

AGREEMENT STATE - FIXED GAUGE STUCK SHUTTER

The following was received from the agreement state via e-mail:

"On January 13, 2020, a licensee reported to the Agency that on January 12, 2020, it had discovered a shutter on a fixed nuclear gauge was stuck in the open position, which is the normal operating position for the gauge. The device is a Ronan SA-1 containing 5 milliCuries of Cs-137. The licensee stated that there is no concern of overexposures due to this equipment malfunction. A service company has been onsite and plans to remove the gauge on January 17, 2020. At that time, a decision will be made whether to repair or replace the gauge. An investigation into this event is ongoing and more information will be provided as it is obtained in accordance with SA-300."

Source: Cesium-137, 5 milliCuries (original activity 10/07/1996), SN: 2263GQ, manufactured by Amersham

Texas Incident 9731.

Agreement State	Event Number: 54477
Rep Org: KENTUCKY DEPT OF RADIATION CONTROL Licensee: UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY Region: 1 City: LEXINGTON State: KY County: License #: KY-202-049-22 Agreement: Y Docket: NRC Notified By: ANGELA WILBERS HQ OPS Officer: KERBY SCALES	Notification Date: 01/14/2020 Notification Time: 15:52 [ET] Event Date: 08/20/2019 Event Time: 00:00 [CST] Last Update Date: 01/14/2020
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: AGREEMENT STATE	Person (Organization): GLENN DENTEL (R1DO) NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)

Event Text

AGREEMENT STATE - LESS THAN PRESCRIBED DOSE RECEIVED

The following was received from the State of Kentucky via e-mail:

"The University of Kentucky reported that a patient received less dose than prescribed on 8/20/2019. The patient was prescribed to receive 429.2 MBq (11.6 mCi) of Y-90 microspheres (Sirtex Medical model SIR- Spheres). A microsphere dose of 425.5 MBq (11.5 mCi) was drawn from the unit vial into the administration vial. However, the patient only received an activity of 316.72 MBq (8.56 mCi), which is 26.2 percent less than prescribed, because some microspheres remained in the administration system. Additionally, it was difficult to draw 429.2 MBq (11.6 mCi) from the 7.13 GBq (192.6 mCi) in the unit vial as it represented only a small portion of the whole. The patient and referring physician were notified. Corrective actions included ordering a dose calibrated to more closely provide the activity needed for the date and time of administration. If the activity to be administered is low, the university will ensure that the activity drawn is 10 percent greater than prescribed. More flushes of the system will also be performed in hopes of pushing more of the residual activity into the patient."

Kentucky Incident Number - 190008.
NMED Item Number - 190442

A Medical Event may indicate potential problems in a medical facility's use of radioactive materials. It does not necessarily result in harm to the patient.

Agreement State	Event Number: 54478
Rep Org: MA RADIATION CONTROL PROGRAM Licensee: QSA GLOBAL, INC. Region: 1 City: BURLINGTON State: MA County: License #: 12-8361 Agreement: Y Docket: NRC Notified By: SZYMON MUDREWICZ HQ OPS Officer: OSSY FONT	Notification Date: 01/14/2020 Notification Time: 17:56 [ET] Event Date: 01/14/2020 Event Time: 12:45 [EST] Last Update Date: 01/15/2020
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: AGREEMENT STATE	Person (Organization): GLENN DENTEL (R1DO) KEVIN WILLIAMS (NMSS DDD) WILLIAM GOTT (IRD) LAURA PEARSON (ILTAB) ILTAB (EMAIL)

This material event contains a "Category 1" level of radioactive material.

Event Text

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOST CATEGORY 1 SHIPMENT

The following summary was initially reported by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DEP) and subsequently reported by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), both via phone:

The MA DEP was notified by QSA Global, Inc. that a shipping container containing 12,400 Ci of Ir-192 did not arrive at their facility as expected. The original shipment had six (6) containers but only five (5) arrived at the Burlington, MA location. The last known location of the missing container was at the [Common Carrier] facility in Memphis, TN. QSA Global was in the process of notifying local law enforcement in Tennessee. Massachusetts DPH does not believe this event to be a theft or diversion.

Additionally, TN DEC was notified by [the Common Carrier] of the missing container and that a search was in progress.

Notified DHS SWO, FEMA Ops Center, USDA Ops Center, HHS Ops Center, DOE Ops Center, CISA IOCC, EPA Emergency Ops Center, FDA Emergency Ops Center (email), DHS Nuclear SSA (email), FEMA NWC (email), FEMA NRCC SASC (email), and DNDO-JAC (email).

* * * UPDATE ON 1/15/2020 AT 1035 EST FROM SZYMON MUDREWICZ TO THOMAS KENDZIA * * *

The following was reported by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DEP) via phone and email:

"At 1015 EST this morning, MA DEP was notified [by QSA Global] that the package was located by [the Common Carrier] in Memphis, TN last evening. It has been delivered to Burlington this morning, not damaged, and is in the possession of the Licensee, QSA Global, in Burlington, MA. MA DEP will continue to investigate the event."

Notified R1DO (Dentel), NMSS DDD (Williams), IRDM (Grant), ILTAB (Pearson), ILTAB (email), NMSS DAY (Rivera-Capella), INES (Milligan), NMSS Event Notification (email), NMSSDHS SWO, FEMA Ops Center, USDA Ops Center, HHS Ops Center, DOE Ops Center, CISA IOCC, EPA Emergency Ops Center, FDA Emergency Ops Center (email), DHS Nuclear SSA (email), FEMA NWC (email), FEMA NRCC SASC (email), and DNDO-JAC (email).

THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "CATEGORY 1" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL

Category 1 sources, if not safely managed or securely protected would be likely to cause permanent injury to a person who handled them, or were otherwise in contact with them, for more than a few minutes. It would probably be fatal to be close to this amount of unshielded material for a period of a few minutes to an hour. These sources are typically used in practices such as radiothermal generators, irradiators and radiation teletherapy. For additional information go to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf

Power Reactor	Event Number: 54487
Facility: SEQUOYAH Region: 2 State: TN Unit: [1] [] [] RX Type: [1] W-4-LP,[2] W-4-LP NRC Notified By: JOHN ALEXANDER HQ OPS Officer: BRIAN P. SMITH	Notification Date: 01/22/2020 Notification Time: 04:34 [ET] Event Date: 01/21/2020 Event Time: 22:18 [EST] Last Update Date: 01/22/2020
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: 50.72(b)(3)(v)(C) - POT UNCNTRL RAD REL 50.72(b)(3)(v)(D) - ACCIDENT MITIGATION	Person (Organization): NICOLE COOVERT (R2DO)

Unit

SCRAM Code

RX Crit

Initial PWR

Initial RX Mode

Current PWR

Current RX Mode

100

Power Operation

100

Power Operation

Event Text

CONTAINMENT RELIEF VALVES INOPERABLE

"At 22:18 (EST) on 1/21/20, it was discovered that all Unit 1 containment vacuum relief isolation valves were closed and all vacuum relief lines were simultaneously inoperable; therefore, this condition is being reported as an eight-hour, non-emergency notification per 10 CFR 50.72(b)(3)(v). The isolation valves were opened and the vacuum relief valves were restored to operable.

"There is no impact on the health and safety of the public or plant personnel. The NRC Resident Inspector has been notified."

Page Last Reviewed/Updated Thursday, March 25, 2021