Event Notification Report for April 12, 2025

MEDICAL TRANSPORT WITH CONTAMINATION

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

"At approximately 0215 EDT, on April 13, 2025, a uranium recovery and recycle services (URRS) operator was performing a pressure check of a dissolver system filter housing following change out of the filter cartridges. Uranyl nitrate solution discharged from the housing lid/housing body interface onto the operator's coveralls in the upper left arm area. In accordance with the operating procedure, the operator was wearing a full-face shield, safety glasses, chemical gloves, and a chemical apron that covers the torso area. The chemical apron does not cover the arm area.

"The operator reported the exposure to a URRS chief operator and the skin area on the upper left arm was rinsed for approximately fifteen minutes. The incident commander, a medical first responder from the Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility (CFFF) emergency brigade and a health physics (HP) technician were contacted to respond to the URRS area. After decontamination efforts on the affected area of the arm, HP direct [on contact] survey results were 500 disintegrations per minute (dpm) per 100 cm squared of alpha [radiation] for the left bicep area.

"The filter housing lid was secured properly and passed the pressure check required by the operating procedure. This event did not impact safety equipment. A causal analysis and corrective actions will be documented in the Corrective Action Program (CAP).

"All smear survey results of the exposed skin area were below clean area limits (less than 200 dpm per 100 cm squared). As a precaution to ensure comprehensive evaluation and treatment for uranyl nitrate/nitric acid exposure to the skin, the operator was transported by ambulance to an offsite medical facility. The affected portion of the employee's arm was bandaged and wrapped in gauze and tape, and the employee was accompanied by a CFFF HP technician for evaluation. Contamination surveys were performed for the ambulance and the gurney used to transport the employee, and all results were below clean area limits, indicating no spread of contamination during care for the employee. All potentially contaminated materials associated with the transport were collected and returned to the CFFF for disposal. The employee was provided with an over-the-counter topical ointment and released from the offsite medical facility at 0735 on April 13, 2025.

"The CFFF is a licensed Part 70 facility subject to 10 CFR 70 Subpart H, and the event did not challenge the performance requirements of 10 CFR 70.61 as analyzed in the Integrated Safety Analysis."

SHUTDOWN REQUIRED BY TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

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

"During a planned shutdown at Columbia Generating Station for a refueling outage, pressure boundary leakage was identified from the bonnet vent line of loop `B' discharge motor operated isolation valve during a drywell inspection. Leakage was initially identified during a drywell entry at 15 percent [reactor] power and identified as pressure boundary leakage during a subsequent entry in mode 3. The leak exceeds technical specification (TS) 3.4.5 'RCS Operational Leakage' of no pressure boundary leakage. TS action `C' was entered, requiring [the plant to be in] mode 3 in 12 hours and mode 4 in 36 hours. Columbia Generating Station was in mode 3 at time of determination for [entering TS] 3.4.5. Therefore, the event is reportable within 4 hours per 10 CFR 50.72(b)(2)(i) due to the initiation of a plant shutdown required by the plant's TS.

"The event is also reportable within 8 hours per 10 CFR 50.72(b)(3)(ii)(A) due to an event that resulted in the condition of the nuclear power plant, including principal safety barriers, being seriously degraded."

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

The NRC Resident Inspector has been informed. Columbia Generating Station estimates the leak rate to be less than 0.2 gallons per minute. Columbia Generating Station expects to enter mode 4 within the required 36 hours.