Event Notification Report for June 05, 2024

LOST SOURCE

The following information was provided by Agilent Technologies (the licensee) via phone:

A single electron capture device (ECD) containing 15 mCi of Ni-63 was reported to be lost. The ECD was one of ten in a package being transferred by a customer on June 5, 2024. The licensee believes that the ECD was erroneously discarded by a licensee operator. The licensee attempted to recover the ECD without success.

The licensee's root cause analysis determined the event occurred due to the employee not following the established procedure. In addition, employee training was inadequate due to failure to update the training program. Corrective action to update the training program has been undertaken by the licensee.

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

The licensee believes that the ECD was discarded in the facility's normal waste stream.


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

CONCURRENT REPORT FOR DEGRADED HEPA FILTER

The following information was provided by the licensee via phone and email:

"This concurrent report is being made because a HEPA filter on a scrap recovery line had degraded below the efficiency that would allow it to remain in service (76.85 percent versus 99.95 percent). This condition is reportable to the Washington Department of Health in accordance with Radioactive Air Emissions License (RAEL) 038. The scrap recovery line has been shut down pending further investigation into the cause of the loss of filter efficiency. Investigation has revealed that no limits were exceeded and no additional reporting is required."

MANUAL REACTOR TRIP

The following information was provided by the licensee via email:

"At 1648 EDT on 06/05/2024, with Unit 4 in Mode 1 at approximately 35 percent power, the reactor was manually tripped due to unexpected response of the turbine run back circuitry following a trip of main feedwater pump `C'. The trip was not complex, with all safety systems responding normally post-trip.

"Operations responded and stabilized the plant. Decay heat is being removed by discharging steam through the steam dumps to the main condenser and main feedwater is supplying the steam generators. Units 1, 2 and 3 are not affected.

"Due to the reactor protection system actuation while critical, this event is being reported as a four-hour, non-emergency notification per 10 CFR 50.72(b)(2)(iv)(B).

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