Event Notification Report for November 01, 2022

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOST EXIT SIGNS

The following is a summary of information received from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment via email:

The licensee reported four lost exit signs each containing 11.5 Ci of tritium.

Colorado Event Report ID Number: CO230021

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

NON-AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOST SOURCE

The following is a synopsis of information was provided by Helmuth, LLC via phone call:

During a relocation of Helmuth to a new facility in November 2022, the static removing air nozzle was mistakenly disposed of in the municipal trash. The mistake was not noticed until a new unit was delivered to the new location.

Manufacturer: AMSTAT Industries
Model : P-2021-8101
Serial Number: A2MR173

The following additional information was obtained from the licensee in accordance with Headquarters Operations Officers Report Guidance:

Activity of the nozzle is 10 mCi ( 370 MBq) of Po-210.

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: 4/5/2024

EN Revision Text: UNANALYZED CONDITION - NUCLEAR MATERIAL RECEIVED IN EXCESS OF LICENSE LIMITS

The following is a synopsis of information provided by the licensee via email:

Uranium Recovery and Recycle Services (URRS) personnel were offloading ash on 11/1/22 that they had received in 2003 from the decommissioned Hematite site at Dock 3. The operators opened the Type A drum and from an inner canister pulled out the bag of Hematite ash. The bag had a tag indicating enrichment levels in excess of their license limits. Upon discovery, the operators contacted criticality safety engineering and the safeguards coordinator. The operators were instructed to replace the bag in the canister and drum and to segregate the drums that contained material potentially greater than license limits in accordance with generally accepted guidance for criticality safety. An extent of condition was performed using materials control and accounting records of the received material. It was discovered that several drums potentially contain material in excess of license enrichment limits. The plant is in a safe condition and the steps taken in response to this event are considered to be conservative.

This report is being made per 10 CFR 70 Appendix A (b)(1). This event resulted in the facility being in a state that was not analyzed in their Integrated Safety Analysis Report and resulted in a failure to meet the performance requirements of 10 CFR 70.61, specifically there were no controls in place due to it being an unanalyzed condition. Westinghouse is unable to open, sample, and test the ash to determine enrichment until the proposed process has been analyzed with documented controls in place.

This issue has been entered into the licensee's corrective action program as IR-2022-9728.

* * * UPDATE ON 09/13/23 AT 1219 EDT FROM STEPHEN SUBOSITS TO THOMAS HERRITY * * *

The following is a synopsis of information provided by the licensee via email:

On 9/12/2023, while offloading additional barrels of Hematite Ash from the the 2003 shipment, A URRS operator identified that the tag for a drum showed the contents have a higher enrichment than that which is recorded in the Chemical Area Manufacturing and Process System (ChAMPS) and on the original paperwork provided by Hematite Fuel Operations. The unloading activity was stopped, and URRS Management and Nuclear Criticality Safety were notified. The unopened pail was placed back in the drum and the drum was segregated from other items in the area. Environmental Health and Safety requested that the remaining seven drums be opened and the contents tag for each be checked against the information in ChAMPS and the original paperwork from Hematite Fuel Operations. This was done.

This report is conservatively being made as an update to Event Notification 56199 under reporting criterion 10 CFR 70 Appendix A (b)(1) as an event that resulted in the facility being in a state that was not analyzed in the Integrated Safety Analysis, and resulted in a failure to meet the performance requirements of 10 CFR70.61 similar to the 9 drums of Hematite Ash that were discovered in November 2022 due to it being an unanalyzed condition.

Westinghouse believes it is likely that the enrichment listed on the tag of the drum is inaccurate. The issue has been entered into the corrective action program as IR-2023-8953.

Notified R2DO (Endress) and NMSS_EVENTS via email.

* * * RETRACTION ON 04/04/24 AT 1035 EDT FROM STEPHEN SUBOSITS TO JOSUE RAMIREZ * * *

The following information was provided by the licensee via email:

"In response to the discovery of the Hematite Ash material with a U-235 enrichment that was potentially greater than 5 percent U-235, Westinghouse submitted two sequential license amendment requests which were approved by the NRC in May 2023 and October 2023, respectively. The first license amendment permitted possession and storage of the drums containing the ash material in a safe configuration. The second license amendment approved sampling, analysis, and blending, if necessary, of the ash material.

"After receipt of the second license amendment, Uranium Recovery and Recycle Services personnel sampled the drums of suspect ash material, and laboratory personnel performed the analyses of the samples taken to determine U-235 content. Analytical results were less than 4.265 percent U-235 for all of the samples taken. The results confirmed the ash materials were within the license limit for percent U-235, and as a result, blending with lower enrichment materials to meet the license limit was not necessary.

"Westinghouse is retracting Event Notification 56199 based on the sample results of the Hematite Ash material being less than 5 percent U-235 and the resultant conclusion that the facility was not in an unanalyzed condition state. 10 CFR 70.61 performance requirements were met for the Hematite Ash material based on the nuclear criticality safety controls that were documented and in place for material less than 5 percent U-235."

Notified R2DO (Miller) and NMSS_EVENTS via email.

EN Revision Imported Date: 1/25/2023

EN Revision Text: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - Ra-226 DISC FOUND IN SCRAP LOAD

The following information was provided by the Massachusetts Radiation Control Program (the Agency) via email:

"On 11/1/2022, Schnitzer Steel [Docket 23-5219] in Everett, MA notified the Agency that portal monitors detected radioactive contamination in a scrap load that originated from Spiegel Scrap Metal in Brockton. A handheld meter measurement showed 0.03 mR/hr on the driver's side of the truck. DOT [Department of Transportation] exemption form MA-MA 22-28 was created to transport the load back to Spiegel Scrap Metal.

"On 11/3/2022, Atlantic Nuclear surveyed the contents of the scrap load and discovered a disc containing Ra-226. A handheld meter measured 1.5 mR/hr on contact. The estimated activity of the gauge is 2 microCuries. Spiegel is contracting Chase Environmental to dispose of the item.

"The reporting requirement is within 30 days and is of 105 CMR 120.281(A)(2), missing licensed radioactive materials in aggregate quantity equal to or greater than 10 times quantity specified in 105 CMR 120.297, Appendix C.

"The Agency considers this event to be open."

* * * UPDATE ON 1/24/23 AT 1055 EST FROM BOB LOCKE TO ADAM KOZIOL * * *

"The disc had no identifying markings such as manufacturer name, model number and serial number. The Ra-226 disc is currently in storage at the Spiegel facility scheduled for eventual transfer to a licensed disposal service. Probable inadvertent disposal by unknown person or persons at an unknown time in the past."

Notified R1DO (DeFrancisco) and NMSS (email).

REACTOR COOLANT SYSTEM (RCS) PRESSURE BOUNDARY DEGRADED

The following information was provided by the licensee via email:

"At 1433 EDT on November 1, 2022, it was determined that a single relevant indication in the RCS pressure boundary did not meet the acceptance criteria under ASME, Section XI IWB-3514-2. 'Allowable Planar Flaws.' The condition will be resolved prior to plant startup.

"This event is being reported as an eight-hour non-emergency notification per 10 CFR 50.72(b)(3)(ii)(A).

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