Event Notification Report for October 14, 2021

EN Revision Imported Date: 10/14/2021

EN Revision Text: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN GAUGE

The following information was received via email:

"The morning of Wednesday, October 6, 2021, the Authorized User (AU) discovered that an InstroTek, Inc. model 3500, S/N 3360 (10 mCi Cs-137 and 40 mCi Am-241/Be) portable gauge had been stolen from the back of his work vehicle at his residence. The night before, the AU had secured the gauge with 2 chains and 2 locks to the bed of the truck and the box and trigger were locked as well. The chains had been cut according to the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO). Upon questioning, the RSO assured that gauge storage at personal residences overnight is not an acceptable practice and that the AU has current Department of Transportation training, which has not been verified by Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The incident was reported with the Denver Police Department. "

Colorado incident no.: CO210032

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

EN Revision Imported Date: 10/14/2021

EN Revision Text: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - UNRETRACTABLE SOURCE

The following was received via an email from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) [the Department] via email:

"The Department received notification from a licensee on October 6, 2021, of a radiography source from a QSA 880 Delta Industrial Radiography device containing a 91 curie Ir-192 that was unable to retract. The source had been exposed to check a weld and when the radiographer tried to retract the source, the slide would not lock the source in. The radiographer approached the set-up with a meter and noticed the readings were high, so he retreated. The area was roped off and put under surveillance by the Assistant Radiographer and Radiographer. The Radiographer also noticed his direct read dosimeter was off scale and so he remained outside the boundary. His dosimetry will be sent for emergency processing and he will be restricted from radiography work until his results are received.

"The licensee dispatched a Radiation Safety Officer [RSO] with source retrieval authorization to recover the source. The source was secured later the same morning of the event. The RSO received 60 millirem and his assistant received 20 millirem. The RSO's ring dosimeter will be sent out with the Radiographer badge for emergency processing. The DEP is currently in contact with the licensee and will update this event as soon as more information is provided."

Pennsylvania Event Report ID Number: PA210013

EN Revision Imported Date: 10/14/2021

EN Revision Text: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - GAUGE STRUCK BY VEHICLE

The following was received via an email from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) [the Department] via email:

"The Department received notification from a licensee on October 6, 2021, that on September 21, 2021 a Model Humboldt 5001-EZ nuclear gauge (serial number 5434) was run over by a dump truck while on a temporary job site. This type of gauge typically contains 11 millicuries of Cs-137 and 44 millicuries of Am-241 for the Am-Be neutron source. The area was secured, and the licensee Radiation Safety Officer determined that the sources were secure, and gauge was not leaking. The gauge was transported to Pennoni's King of Prussia office and the sources were leak tested. The leak test samples showed no evidence of radiological material. The unit is out of service and will be sent to the manufacturer or other licensed facility for further review. There was no exposure to workers or the public. The DEP is currently in contact with the licensee and will update this event as soon as more information is provided."

Pennsylvania Event Report ID Number: PA210014

EN Revision Imported Date: 10/14/2021

EN Revision Text: ONE PRIMARY COOLANT LOW PRESSURE INSTRUMENT CHANNEL SCRAM SETPOINT FOUND BELOW TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION REQUIRED MINIMUM

"[This notification is required] per University Of Missouri Research Reactor (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. MURR was not in compliance with one (1) Limiting Conditions of Operations (LCO). TS 3.2.g. which states, 'The reactor safety system and the number (N) of associated instrument channels necessary to provide the following scrams shall be operable whenever the reactor is in operation..' TS 3.2.g.6 requires four (4) Primary Coolant Low Pressure reactor safety system instrument channels provide a reactor scram when the primary coolant pressure corresponding to the pressurizer during normal flow drops below 75 psia. Surveillance testing on 10/11/2021 revealed that one (1) of the four (4) channels was not operable.

"On 10/11/21 while the reactor was shutdown for maintenance and conducting surveillance testing on the reactor core outlet pressure channels, the surveillance testing revealed that the reactor core outlet pressure channel associated with pressure transmitter 944B did not provide a reactor scram at an appropriate TS low pressure setpoint. On 10/11/21, the Primary Coolant Low Pressure reactor safety instrument channel 944B scram setpoint was calculated to be 74.43 psia which is slightly below the required 75 psia minimum. Previously on 4/12/2021, the Primary Coolant Low Pressure reactor safety instrument channel 944B scram setpoint was calculated to be 76.94 psia which is within the TS-required setpoint range. So, sometime between 4/12/2021 and 10/11/2021, the reactor possibly operated while one (1) of the four (4) instrument channels deviated from TS 3.2.g.6.

"Troubleshooting revealed the component in instrument channel 944B that caused the setpoint deviation. That component was replaced with an exact spare, and the instrument channel was retested and documented to be back in compliance with TS 3.2.g.6. In accordance with TS 6.6.c(4), permission from the Reactor Facility Director was obtained prior to the reactor returning to operation later on 10/11/21. Currently, MURR is operating at 10 MW. A detailed event report will follow within 14 days as required by MURR TS 6.6.c(3)."

EN Revision Imported Date: 10/14/2021

EN Revision Text: UNPLANNED CONTAMINATION EVENT

"At about 0630 PDT while a process operator was attempting to move a pallet of four plastic 55-gallon drums containing uranium nitrate (UN) solution off of a containment pallet, two drums fell off of the pallet and into the sea-land container where they were stored. One of the drums split and leaked UN solution into the sea-land container contaminating the area within the sea-land container, the forklift, and the asphalt under and adjacent to it. This drum contained approximately [DELETED] of uranium. The uranium concentration in the UN solution was about [DELETED] and approximately half of the drum volume spilled.

"The operator was surveyed and was found not to have been contaminated nor to have received an acute dose from the spill.

"The spill is contained to a controlled area and no dose to a member of the public is possible. The area was restricted for decontamination and will remain restricted for over 24 hours."

The licensee notified the R2 Fuel Facility Project Inspector.