U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center
Event Reports For
07/14/2003 - 07/15/2003
** EVENT NUMBERS **
39989 39994
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|General Information or Other |Event Number: 39989 |
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| REP ORG: LOUISIANA RADIATION PROTECTION DIV |NOTIFICATION DATE: 07/10/2003|
|LICENSEE: MONSANTO CHEMICAL PLANT |NOTIFICATION TIME: 18:55[EDT]|
| CITY: LULING REGION: 4 |EVENT DATE: 06/29/2003|
| COUNTY: STATE: LA |EVENT TIME: [CDT]|
|LICENSE#: LA-2216-L01 AGREEMENT: Y |LAST UPDATE DATE: 07/11/2003|
| DOCKET: |+----------------------------+
| |PERSON ORGANIZATION |
| |KRISS KENNEDY R4 |
| |SUSAN FRANT NMSS |
+------------------------------------------------+TIM MCGINTY IRO |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: MIKE HENRY | |
| HQ OPS OFFICER: BILL GOTT | |
+------------------------------------------------+ |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY | |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|NAGR AGREEMENT STATE | |
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| | |
| | |
| | |
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EVENT TEXT
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| PERSONNEL OVEREXPOSURE |
| |
| Mike Henry from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality reported |
| the potential personnel over-exposure due to a loss of control of a 1 Curie |
| Cesium-137 source that came out of a damaged Berthold level gauge (Model # |
| LB7442). The event occurred at the Monsanto Chemical Plant in Luling, LA. |
| The gauge was damaged on 06/29/03 causing the source to come out of its |
| shield. The source was then carried to a planner's desk where it remained |
| until discovery on 07/10/03. The owner of the desk spent approximately 50 |
| to 60 hours in the proximity of his desk during this time. When the source |
| was discovered, the building was evacuated and secured. Medical personnel |
| at Monsanto have contacted the Radiological Emergency Assistance Center, Oak |
| Ridge, TN. Preliminarily, the licensee estimates that the planner may have |
| received a whole body dose of 25 Rem and the person that carried the source |
| may have received 1800 Rem to the hand. Others may have also been exposed. |
| No one has shown signs of sickness or erythema (redness of the skin). A |
| Berthold representative is scheduled to arrive on 07/11/03 to secure the |
| source. Mr. Henry will be traveling to the site to obtain additional |
| information. The State is not requesting NRC assistance at this time. |
| |
| A Commissioners' Assistants brief was held at 1900 EDT 07/10/03. |
| |
| * * * * UPDATE FROM MIKE HENRY TO NRC CONFERENCE CALL 1620 EDT ON 07/11/03 |
| * * * * |
| |
| Mr. Henry provided the following information based on his visit to the |
| Monsanto plant this morning, 07/11/03. A manufacturer's representative for |
| Berthold arrived at the plant and retrieved the source around 0300 CDT |
| 07/11/03. Currently the source is in a shielded pig at the plant site. |
| |
| Blood tests were performed for seven individuals which were favorable with |
| no cell changes noted. These blood tests will be repeated periodically. It |
| was determined that the planner who returned after days off to occupy the |
| desk where the source had been previously left received 39.1 Rem over the |
| calculated 44.7 hours that he occupied the desk during the 10-day period |
| involved. This determination was based on an analysis of his schedule and |
| work habits and on the emissivity of the source. Further dose calculations |
| will be made. The Monsanto company physician is in contact with REAC |
| (Radiological Emergency Assistance Center) in Oak Ridge, TN and has |
| requested their assistance in having a cytogenetic blood study performed for |
| the planner. |
| |
| Preliminarily, it appears that vibration of the centrifuge unit upon which |
| the gauge was mounted may have caused a failure which allowed the source |
| holder with attached source to fall from the gauge. Surveys of the relevant |
| areas and smears taken on the source indicate that no source leakage |
| occurred. |
| |
| Notified R4DO (K. Kennedy), NMSS EO (S. Frant) |
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|Power Reactor |Event Number: 39994 |
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| FACILITY: FERMI REGION: 3 |NOTIFICATION DATE: 07/14/2003|
| UNIT: [2] [] [] STATE: MI |NOTIFICATION TIME: 01:57[EDT]|
| RXTYPE: [2] GE-4 |EVENT DATE: 07/13/2003|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME: 22:00[EDT]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY: HARRY GILES |LAST UPDATE DATE: 07/14/2003|
| HQ OPS OFFICER: RICH LAURA +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY |MARK RING R3 |
|10 CFR SECTION: | |
|AIND 50.72(b)(3)(v)(D) ACCIDENT MITIGATION | |
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+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR| INIT RX MODE |CURR PWR| CURR RX MODE |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|2 N Y 100 Power Operation |100 Power Operation |
| | |
| | |
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EVENT TEXT
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| HPCI SYSTEM INOPERABLE AT FERMI 2 |
| |
| "On 7/13/2003 at 2200 hours, while performing the HPCI Pump Time Response |
| and Operability Test, the HPCI main steam supply outboard containment |
| isolation valve, E4150F003, failed to close. The E4150F003 was declared |
| inoperable and the HPCI main steam supply inboard containment isolation |
| valve, E4150F002, was closed and de-activated per Technical Specifications. |
| Isolating the HPCI main steam supply rendered HPCI inoperable. The E4150F003 |
| the was documented per the site corrective action process. All other ECCS |
| equipment and RCIC are operable. This is being reported under |
| 10CFR50.72(b)(3)(v)(D)." |
| |
| The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector. The licensee entered the |
| applicable 14 day LCO for the HPCI system inoperability and initiated |
| maintenance troubleshooting. |
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