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Event Notification Report for March 16, 2006

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center

Event Reports For
03/15/2006 - 03/16/2006

** EVENT NUMBERS **


42405 42409 42410 42423 42424

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!!!!! THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED. THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED !!!!!
Power Reactor Event Number: 42405
Facility: LASALLE
Region: 3 State: IL
Unit: [ ] [2] [ ]
RX Type: [1] GE-5,[2] GE-5
NRC Notified By: TERRY NANCE
HQ OPS Officer: BILL GOTT
Notification Date: 03/11/2006
Notification Time: 06:36 [ET]
Event Date: 03/11/2006
Event Time: 00:30 [CST]
Last Update Date: 03/15/2006
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
50.72(b)(3)(ii)(B) - UNANALYZED CONDITION
Person (Organization):
JAMNES CAMERON (R3)

Unit SCRAM Code RX CRIT Initial PWR Initial RX Mode Current PWR Current RX Mode
2 N Y 100 Power Operation 100 Power Operation

Event Text

UNANALYZED CONDITION

"This report is being made pursuant to 10CFR50.72(b)(3)(ii)(B), Degraded or Unanalyzed Condition. During Division 1 Core Standby Cooling System (CSCS) valve replacement work, it was discovered that temporary seismic supports required to maintain this piping within the Safe Shutdown Earthquake (SSE) design envelope were not installed. This condition was discovered during the restoration phase of the maintenance and the requirements for the temporary supports no longer exist. At the time of discovery, the required permanent seismic qualified support system had been re-established. The Division 1 CSCS System is common to both units and circulates lake water from the Ultimate Heat Sink (UHS) to the Division 1 Residual Heat Removal (RHR) heat exchangers, Division 1 Diesel Generator cooler, Division 1 Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS) area room coolers, Division 1 RHR Pump seal coolers, and the Low Pressure Core Spray (LPCS) motor coolers. During the period with the required seismic supports not installed, both Unit 1 and Unit 2 were in an unanalyzed condition due to the inability of the Division 1 CSCS piping to meet its seismic qualification. A postulated structural failure of the Division 1 CSCS piping during an SSE could affect areas containing redundant equipment due to flooding."

The licensee is investigating the failure to install the supports. The supports were only needed during the maintenance.

The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.

* * * UPDATE AT 0025 EST ON 3/15/06 FROM T. NANCE TO W. GOTT * * *

"On March 11, 2006, it was identified that temporary seismic supports required to maintain the Core Standby Cooling System piping within the Safe Shutdown Earthquake (SSE) envelope during valve replacement activities were not installed. This was reported under 10 CFR 50.72 (b)(3)(ii)(B) as a degraded or unanalyzed condition that significantly degrades plant safety.

"Subsequent evaluations have been performed to demonstrate that the piping remained within the SSE envelope with the missing supports. These evaluations have concluded that the remaining supports were sufficient to ensure that piping would remain intact during an SSE. As such, this event notification is being retracted."

The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.

Notified R3DO (D. Passehl)

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General Information or Other Event Number: 42409
Rep Org: MARYLAND DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Licensee: JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICAL INSTITUTE
Region: 1
City: BALTIMORE State: MD
County:
License #: MD-07-005-03
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: RAY MANLEY
HQ OPS Officer: BILL GOTT
Notification Date: 03/13/2006
Notification Time: 11:13 [ET]
Event Date: 03/09/2006
Event Time: [EST]
Last Update Date: 03/13/2006
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
Person (Organization):
JOHN WHITE (R1)
MICHELE BURGESS (NMSS)
TAS (email) ()

Event Text

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - MISSING P-32

On March 9, 2006, Johns Hopkins Medical Institute reported that P-32 was missing from a vial being stored in one of the research facility's freezers. Approximately 10 millicuries is missing. The vial was received on March 2, 2006. Some P-32 (10%) was removed to conduct a research experiment and the vial was replaced in the freezer. When the researcher checked the vial the following day, the vial was empty. The Maryland Department of the Environment and the licensee are conducting investigations. The licensee has performed surveys of the floor that the storage freezer is on, checked for contamination on personnel who work in this area, and water coolers in the facility. All were negative.

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.

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General Information or Other Event Number: 42410
Rep Org: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Licensee: PRE-TEST LABORATORIES
Region: 4
City: ROUND ROCK State: TX
County:
License #: L02524
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: ARTHUR TUCKER
HQ OPS Officer: DORIS LEWIS
Notification Date: 03/13/2006
Notification Time: 12:40 [ET]
Event Date: 03/10/2006
Event Time: 15:00 [CST]
Last Update Date: 03/13/2006
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
Person (Organization):
CLAUDE JOHNSON (R4)
MICHELE BURGESS (NMSS)
ILTAB (E-MAIL) ()
MEXICO (E-MAIL) ()

Event Text

STOLEN TROXLER MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE

The following information was received via fax:

"On Friday evening we received a call from the [after-hour phone] service with instructions to call the SOC concerning a lost nuclear gauge. There were instructions to call [the] RSO for Pre-Test Lab [TXRAML02524] a licensee based in Georgetown, TX with authorization to possess and use a variety of moisture/density (M/D) gauges. The RSO explained that around 1500 hrs on Friday, March 10, 2006, one of his trucks was proceeding to a convenience store in the vicinity of Red Bud and County Road 122 in Round Rock, TX when upon arriving at the store it was noticed that the M/D gauge was missing. He admitted that the tailgate may not have been secured and the shipping container was not chained to the bed of the truck. An extensive search of the area traveled was conducted by Pre-Test as well as Round Rock PD and FD without finding the container. The device is a Troxler Model 3411-B serial number (S/N) 10260 with a 9mCi [milliCurie], Cs-137 source model TEL Dwg. #102112 , S/N 40-7662 and a 44mCi, Am-241source model TEL Dwg. #102451, S/N 46-1663."

Texas Incident No.: I-8312

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.

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Power Reactor Event Number: 42423
Facility: SUSQUEHANNA
Region: 1 State: PA
Unit: [1] [ ] [ ]
RX Type: [1] GE-4,[2] GE-4
NRC Notified By: GORDY ROBINSON
HQ OPS Officer: BILL GOTT
Notification Date: 03/15/2006
Notification Time: 09:41 [ET]
Event Date: 03/15/2006
Event Time: 05:57 [EST]
Last Update Date: 03/15/2006
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
50.72(b)(3)(xiii) - LOSS COMM/ASMT/RESPONSE
Person (Organization):
PAUL KROHN (R1)

Unit SCRAM Code RX CRIT Initial PWR Initial RX Mode Current PWR Current RX Mode
1 N N 0 Refueling 0 Refueling

Event Text

LOSS OF ASSESSMENT CAPABILITY - SAFETY PARAMETER DISPLAY SYSTEM

"Unit 1 is currently in Mode 5 for the planned 14th Refuel and Inspection Outage.

"At 05:57 on March 15, 2006 the Unit 1 Safety Parameter Display System (SPDS) was deenergized during planned refuel outage activities. It has been determined that it will not be restored within the required eight hours. Currently, restoration is scheduled for March 17, 2006 at 00:01. All required instrumentation is available in the control room.

"ERDS will remain operable during the work window but several points will not be available. For example 23 of 58 ERDS points will be unavailable while SPDS is out of service. However, the ERDS system will still be operable and transmit the remaining points.

"Loss of Emergency Assessment Capability - A review of the ability of the Emergency organization to function without SPDS was performed. Alternate sources for many of the points in SPDS were identified and are contained on an Emergency Plan format in PICSY (plant integrated computer system). Those points not available from PICSY can be obtained from the control room. With these compensatory actions and the communications in place between the facilities, there will not be a major loss of emergency assessment capability.

"Since the Unit 1 SPDS computer system will be unavailable for greater than 8 hours, this is considered reportable under 10CFR50.72(b)(3)(xiii)."

The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.

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Research Reactor Event Number: 42424
Facility: TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
RX Type: 1000 KW TRIGA (CONVERSION)
Comments:
Region: 4
City: COLLEGE STATION State: TX
County: BRAZOS
License #: R-83
Agreement: Y
Docket: 05000128
NRC Notified By: DR LATHA VASUDEVAN
HQ OPS Officer: JOE O'HARA
Notification Date: 03/15/2006
Notification Time: 12:07 [ET]
Event Date: 02/24/2006
Event Time: [CST]
Last Update Date: 03/15/2006
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
20.2202(b)(1) - PERS OVEREXPOSURE/TEDE >= 5 REM
Person (Organization):
CLAUDE JOHNSON (R4)
MARVIN MENDONCA (NRR)
TOM ESSIG (NMSS)

Event Text

POTENTIAL EXTREMITY OVEREXPOSURE AT TEXAS A&M RESEARCH REACTOR PER 10CFR20.2202(b)(1)(iii)

The licensee reported that an employee at the Texas A&M Nuclear Science Center received 75,800 mREM to the extremities during the month of January 2006. Furthermore, the licensee reported that the individual also received 37,540 mREM to the extremities during the month of February 2006. The licensee reported that the employee was involved in neutron activation analysis work involving contact lenses and that all ALARA procedures were strictly enforced. The licensee stated that there were no changes in general radiation areas levels or processes which would result in an unanalyzed increase in radiation levels. The licensee's investigation is on-going.



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