Event Notification Report for October 17, 2022
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center
EVENT REPORTS FOR
10/16/2022 - 10/17/2022
Agreement State
Event Number: 56167
Rep Org: Arizona Dept of Health Services
Licensee: American Metals Company
Region: 4
City: Mesa State: AZ
County:
License #:
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: Brian D. Goretzki
HQ OPS Officer: Karen Cotton-Gross
Licensee: American Metals Company
Region: 4
City: Mesa State: AZ
County:
License #:
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: Brian D. Goretzki
HQ OPS Officer: Karen Cotton-Gross
Notification Date: 10/17/2022
Notification Time: 19:35 [ET]
Event Date: 10/17/2022
Event Time: 00:00 [MST]
Last Update Date: 10/17/2022
Notification Time: 19:35 [ET]
Event Date: 10/17/2022
Event Time: 00:00 [MST]
Last Update Date: 10/17/2022
Emergency Class: Non Emergency
10 CFR Section:
Agreement State
10 CFR Section:
Agreement State
Person (Organization):
Groom, Jeremy (R4DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)
Groom, Jeremy (R4DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)
AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - GAUGE DISCOVERED IN SCRAP YARD
The following information was provided by the Arizona Department of Health Services (the Department) via email:
"The Department received notification on October 17, 2022, from American Metals Company in Chandler, Arizona that a load of scrap metal that was sent to be melted had set off the portal monitor at CMC Steel in Mesa, Arizona. The load was brought back to their facility and they were able to identify a gauge with partial markings and a reading of approximately 0.5 mR/hr. The Department responded to the facility and was able to identify the gauge as a Ronan Engineering Co., RLL-1 gauge, with a partial serial number of 204614. The gauge contains Cesium-137 with an activity of 0.45 mCi. The Department has requested additional information and continues to investigate the event.
"Additional information will be provided as it is received in accordance with SA-300."
Arizona Incident: 22-012
The following information was provided by the Arizona Department of Health Services (the Department) via email:
"The Department received notification on October 17, 2022, from American Metals Company in Chandler, Arizona that a load of scrap metal that was sent to be melted had set off the portal monitor at CMC Steel in Mesa, Arizona. The load was brought back to their facility and they were able to identify a gauge with partial markings and a reading of approximately 0.5 mR/hr. The Department responded to the facility and was able to identify the gauge as a Ronan Engineering Co., RLL-1 gauge, with a partial serial number of 204614. The gauge contains Cesium-137 with an activity of 0.45 mCi. The Department has requested additional information and continues to investigate the event.
"Additional information will be provided as it is received in accordance with SA-300."
Arizona Incident: 22-012
Non-Power Reactor
Event Number: 56198
Rep Org: Univ Of Texas (TEX2)
Licensee: University Of Texas
Region: 0
City: Austin State: TX
County: Travis
License #: R-129
Agreement: Y
Docket: 05000602
NRC Notified By: Paul Whaley
HQ OPS Officer: Adam Koziol
Licensee: University Of Texas
Region: 0
City: Austin State: TX
County: Travis
License #: R-129
Agreement: Y
Docket: 05000602
NRC Notified By: Paul Whaley
HQ OPS Officer: Adam Koziol
Notification Date: 11/02/2022
Notification Time: 08:45 [ET]
Event Date: 10/17/2022
Event Time: 00:00 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 11/02/2022
Notification Time: 08:45 [ET]
Event Date: 10/17/2022
Event Time: 00:00 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 11/02/2022
Emergency Class: Non Emergency
10 CFR Section:
10 CFR Section:
Person (Organization):
Wertz, Geoffrey (PM)
Takacs, Michael (NPR)
Waugh, Andrew (NPR)
Wertz, Geoffrey (PM)
Takacs, Michael (NPR)
Waugh, Andrew (NPR)
OPERATION WITH NON COMPLIANT FUEL
The following information was provided by the Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory (NETL) at the University of Texas via email:
"We identified a potential non-compliance with Technical Specifications for the University of Texas research reactor on October 17 while shutdown. Our facility license specifies TRIGA fuel elements with stainless steel cladding, and we operated from January to October [2022] with two aluminum clad fuel elements in the core. On discovery, we suspended operations, removed the aluminum clad elements from the core, and compared the event to each reportable category identified in our Technical Specifications. The closest reporting criteria is:
"An observed inadequacy in the implementation of administrative or procedural controls such that the inadequacy causes or could have caused the existence or development of an unsafe condition with regard to reactor operations.
"However, we were unable to identify the implementation of facility administrative controls or procedures that led to this event. Furthermore, analysis indicates all operations maintained a margin to the safety limit for aluminum fuel, and aluminum clad TRIGA fuel elements are used in other TRIGA reactors. Regardless, we felt strongly that NRC should be informed and notified our program manager and designated inspector before initiating investigation and causal analysis.
"In developing corrective action, NETL staff identified changes in procedures and administrative controls that would have been adequate to prevent insertion of disqualified fuel in NETL reactor core. Since insertion of disqualified fuel has the potential to cause existence or development of an unsafe condition with regard to reactor operations, NETL management is now reporting this as a potentially reportable event under the category described."
NRC Project Manager and NPR Inspector have been notified.
The following information was provided by the Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory (NETL) at the University of Texas via email:
"We identified a potential non-compliance with Technical Specifications for the University of Texas research reactor on October 17 while shutdown. Our facility license specifies TRIGA fuel elements with stainless steel cladding, and we operated from January to October [2022] with two aluminum clad fuel elements in the core. On discovery, we suspended operations, removed the aluminum clad elements from the core, and compared the event to each reportable category identified in our Technical Specifications. The closest reporting criteria is:
"An observed inadequacy in the implementation of administrative or procedural controls such that the inadequacy causes or could have caused the existence or development of an unsafe condition with regard to reactor operations.
"However, we were unable to identify the implementation of facility administrative controls or procedures that led to this event. Furthermore, analysis indicates all operations maintained a margin to the safety limit for aluminum fuel, and aluminum clad TRIGA fuel elements are used in other TRIGA reactors. Regardless, we felt strongly that NRC should be informed and notified our program manager and designated inspector before initiating investigation and causal analysis.
"In developing corrective action, NETL staff identified changes in procedures and administrative controls that would have been adequate to prevent insertion of disqualified fuel in NETL reactor core. Since insertion of disqualified fuel has the potential to cause existence or development of an unsafe condition with regard to reactor operations, NETL management is now reporting this as a potentially reportable event under the category described."
NRC Project Manager and NPR Inspector have been notified.