skip navigation links 
 
 Search Options 
Index | Site Map | FAQ | Facility Info | Reading Rm | New | Help | Glossary | Contact Us blue spacer  
secondary page banner Return to NRC Home Page

Event Notification Report for January 30, 2003




                    U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
                              Operations Center

                              Event Reports For
                           01/29/2003 - 01/30/2003

                              ** EVENT NUMBERS **

39533  39534  39539  39542  39545  39546  

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|General Information or Other                     |Event Number:   39533       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| REP ORG:  TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH           |NOTIFICATION DATE: 01/24/2003|
|LICENSEE:  GILES ENGINEERING ASSOCIATES         |NOTIFICATION TIME: 14:50[EST]|
|    CITY:  DALLAS                   REGION:  4  |EVENT DATE:        01/23/2003|
|  COUNTY:                            STATE:  TX |EVENT TIME:             [CST]|
|LICENSE#:  L04919                AGREEMENT:  Y  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  01/24/2003|
|  DOCKET:                                       |+----------------------------+
|                                                |PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|                                                |GREG PICK            R4      |
|                                                |JOHN DAVIDSON        IAT     |
+------------------------------------------------+SUSAN FRANT          NMSS    |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  HELEN WATKINS                |                             |
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  MIKE RIPLEY                  |                             |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |                             |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|NAGR                     AGREEMENT STATE        |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN TROXLER MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE               |
|                                                                              |
| The following information was received from the Texas Department of Health,  |
| Bureau of Radiation Control (Texas incident I-7973):                         |
|                                                                              |
| "The nuclear gauge was stolen last night. (January 23-24, 2003).  It was     |
| stolen from an Econoline van parked overnight at an apartment complex. The   |
| gauge was locked inside its case and was inside a storage compartment in the |
| cargo area of the locked van. Access was gained by breaking out the windows  |
| of the van.                                                                  |
|                                                                              |
| "The gauge operator [DELETED] is uncertain of the exact time of the theft.   |
| He went out to dinner in his private vehicle and did not notice any problem  |
| with the van when he returned home at approximately 8 o'clock in the         |
| evening.  However, when he stepped outside at 4:30 am to warm up his wife's  |
| car, he noticed the Duncanville [Texas] police were on the scene. Three vans |
| parked within about 150 feet of each other, including his, had been          |
| burglarized in a similar fashion. One van belonged to an air conditioning    |
| company.                                                                     |
|                                                                              |
| "The thief took many other items from the van including concrete testing     |
| equipment, a coat, measuring tape and a couple of buckets of tools. The      |
| gauge and its case were taken. The case is clearly labeled with the          |
| company's name and phone number. Inside the case is a full set of paperwork  |
| identifying the gauge, a current leak test, and other documents containing   |
| the company's letterhead. The police report number is 03000589. The RSO      |
| notified Troxler in Arlington [Texas] of the theft."                         |
|                                                                              |
| The gauge is a Troxler Model # 3430, Serial # 031693, 40 millicuries         |
| Am-241/Be, 8 millicuries Cs-137.                                             |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|General Information or Other                     |Event Number:   39534       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| REP ORG:  TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH           |NOTIFICATION DATE: 01/24/2003|
|LICENSEE:  PROFESSIONAL SERVICES INDUSTRIES, INC|NOTIFICATION TIME: 17:53[EST]|
|    CITY:  CLUTE                    REGION:  4  |EVENT DATE:        11/25/2002|
|  COUNTY:                            STATE:  TX |EVENT TIME:             [CST]|
|LICENSE#:  L00203-001            AGREEMENT:  Y  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  01/24/2003|
|  DOCKET:                                       |+----------------------------+
|                                                |PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|                                                |GREG PICK            R4      |
|                                                |JOHN HICKEY          NMSS    |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  HELEN WATKINS                |                             |
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  MIKE RIPLEY                  |                             |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |                             |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|NAGR                     AGREEMENT STATE        |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - DOSIMETRY LEFT IN RADIOGRAPHY AREA                  |
|                                                                              |
| The following information was received from the Texas Department of Health,  |
| Bureau of Radiation Control (Texas incident I-7972):                         |
|                                                                              |
| "During the monitoring period 11/25/2002 through 12/24/2002, radiographer    |
| [deleted] left his badge in an area where it was exposed by a radiography    |
| crew performing concrete rebar radiography with long exposure times.         |
| [deleted] phoned the licensee's corporate offices on January 23, 2003 to     |
| report a badge overexposure.   At the current time it is thought that the    |
| radiographer reported the incident to his supervisor [deleted] RSO in the    |
| Clute [TX] Office.  The date and time of that report is currently unknown.   |
| His badge exposure was measured at 8.266 Rem.  A final report has not been   |
| received from the badge processor by the Licensee's corporate office, only a |
| Fax transmittal.  The corporate office indicated the incident was not        |
| previously reported to the corporate office or they would have had the badge |
| submitted for emergency reading."                                            |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|General Information or Other                     |Event Number:   39539       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| REP ORG:  CALIFORNIA RADIATION CONTROL PRGM    |NOTIFICATION DATE: 01/27/2003|
|LICENSEE:  ISOTOPE PRODUCTS LABORATORIES        |NOTIFICATION TIME: 15:16[EST]|
|    CITY:  BURBANK                  REGION:  4  |EVENT DATE:        01/23/2003|
|  COUNTY:  LOS ANGELES               STATE:  CA |EVENT TIME:        16:30[PST]|
|LICENSE#:  CA-1509               AGREEMENT:  Y  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  01/27/2003|
|  DOCKET:                                       |+----------------------------+
|                                                |PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|                                                |WILLIAM JONES        R4      |
|                                                |FRED BROWN           NMSS    |
+------------------------------------------------+TIM MCGINTY          IRO     |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  ROBERT GREGER                |CREWS                NRC     |
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  GERRY WAIG                   |JOHN HICKEY          NMSS    |
+------------------------------------------------+                             |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |                             |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|NAGR                     AGREEMENT STATE        |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - CONTAMINATED PACKAGE                                |
|                                                                              |
| The following is taken from a facsimile from the State of California:        |
|                                                                              |
| "On 1/24/03 the RSO [Radiation Safety Officer] @ IPL [Isotope Products       |
| Laboratories] reported their receipt of a contaminated package. The package  |
| had been picked up from LAX & delivered to IPL on 1/23 @ 2:25 pm by Kamino   |
| Int'l Transport, 2580 Santa Fe, Redondo Beach, contact person [DELETED]. The |
| package was wiped upon receipt, and received the results approximately 4:30  |
| pm. The RSO was notified the next morning. The contamination appears to be   |
| H-3, although the licensee needs to perform an energy calibration on their   |
| liquid scintillation counter to verify both this and their quantification of |
| the package wipes. It appears that all sides of the package were             |
| contaminated, at up to approximately 100,000 dpm/wipe. The latest wipes      |
| measured up to approximately 40,000 dpm/wipe.                                |
|                                                                              |
| "The package came from a company in Switzerland called RC Tritec AG, who is  |
| a distributor for a Russian company (unknown name at this time). IPL         |
| believes that the box was trans-shipped, & was never actually at Tritec, but |
| they're still trying to get Lufthansa's paperwork. IPL is also trying to get |
| info on the Russian company.                                                 |
|                                                                              |
| "IPL had the delivery truck return to IPL, & they found a small area of      |
| contamination, about 12 X 10 inches, on the carpet, where the package was    |
| located, of about 800 dpm/wipe. After vacuuming, they got nothing. About 11  |
| other wipes in the truck were negative. They checked the driver's gloves-    |
| there's no removable contamination. All wipes @ IPL's Shipping Dept were     |
| negative. They think there was at least one other package on the truck that  |
| was destined for an electronics company, but they're still trying to get     |
| info on that. There was at least one other package for IPL on the truck that |
| was not contaminated (they're checking to see if it had come from the same   |
| Russian company).                                                            |
|                                                                              |
| "Note: Assuming that the contamination is H-3, the dose consequences of      |
| 100,000 dpm/wipe are approximately equivalent to the dose consequences of    |
| 2.5 dpm/wipe of Cs-137."                                                     |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Power Reactor                                    |Event Number:   39542       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| FACILITY: SUSQUEHANNA              REGION:  1  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 01/28/2003|
|    UNIT:  [1] [2] []                STATE:  PA |NOTIFICATION TIME: 11:39[EST]|
|   RXTYPE: [1] GE-4,[2] GE-4                    |EVENT DATE:        01/28/2003|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME:        09:30[EST]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  DON ROLAND                   |LAST UPDATE DATE:  01/29/2003|
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  JOHN MacKINNON               +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |DAN HOLODY           R1      |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|HFIT 26.73               FITNESS FOR DUTY       |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR|   INIT RX MODE  |CURR PWR|  CURR RX MODE   |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|1     N          Y       100      Power Operation  |100      Power Operation  |
|2     N          Y       100      Power Operation  |100      Power Operation  |
|                                                   |                          |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| PRE-ACCESS CONTRACT SUPERVISOR ACCESS TERMINATED DUE TO A CONFIRMED POSITIVE |
| TEST                                                                         |
| FOR A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE.                                                  |
|                                                                              |
| At 09:30 on 01/28/03, a contract supervisor for the turbine upgrade project  |
| had a confirmed positive for a controlled substance during a pre-access      |
| fitness for duty test.  The supervisor's access to the station has been      |
| suspended in accordance with the station's fitness for duty program.         |
|                                                                              |
| The NRC Resident Inspector was notified of this event by the licensee.       |
|                                                                              |
| * * * UDATE ON 01/29/03 AT 1414 EST FROM DON ROLAND TO GERRY WAIG * * *      |
|                                                                              |
| "Please note the following correction:                                       |
|                                                                              |
| "The contract supervisor had a confirmed positive test for a controlled      |
| substance during a random FFD test, not a pre-access test as previously      |
| reported. The error was a result of misinformation provided by the site      |
| testing facility to the Control Room. The individual remains suspended and   |
| his access to vital areas & work performance while employed at Susquehanna   |
| LLC is presently under review. The NRC residents have been notified."        |
|                                                                              |
| Notified R1DO (Dan Holody)                                                   |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|General Information or Other                     |Event Number:   39545       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| REP ORG:  WHITING CORPORATION                  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 01/29/2003|
|LICENSEE:                                       |NOTIFICATION TIME: 14:47[EST]|
|    CITY:  MONEE                    REGION:  3  |EVENT DATE:        01/29/2003|
|  COUNTY:                            STATE:  IL |EVENT TIME:             [CST]|
|LICENSE#:                        AGREEMENT:  Y  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  01/29/2003|
|  DOCKET:                                       |+----------------------------+
|                                                |PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|                                                |KENNETH RIEMER       R3      |
|                                                |J. BRADLEY FEWELL    R1      |
+------------------------------------------------+KERRY LANDIS         R2      |
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  FREDERICK TEGGELAAR          |WILLIAM JONES        R4      |
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  GERRY WAIG                   |TERRY REIS           NRR     |
+------------------------------------------------+JOHN HICKEY          MNSS    |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |                             |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |
|CCCC 21.21               UNSPECIFIED PARAGRAPH  |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
|                                                |                             |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 10 CFR 21 NOTIFICATION - WHITING CORPORATION                                 |
|                                                                              |
| "This notice is being sent within the two day period to inform you of a      |
| safety concern related to Whiting cranes sold to utility companies prior to  |
| 1980. The problem was identified through engineering analysis. We are not    |
| aware of any failures.                                                       |
|                                                                              |
| "The concern is specific to the Whiting #25 Hoist Unit (Gear Case). One or   |
| possibly two internal support bolts in this assembly may be significantly    |
| over-stressed.                                                               |
|                                                                              |
| "The exact extent of the over-stressed condition can only be determined by   |
| individual analysis of each hoist in question; however, based on findings, a |
| 50% reduction in rated hoist capacity of the effected cranes will allow for  |
| continued use of the cranes without compromising design safety factors. This |
| limitation should be enforced until the over-stressed bolts have been        |
| replaced or analysis shows that an over-stressed condition does not exist.   |
|                                                                              |
| "Crane owners should contact us at Whiting-Nuclear@WhitingCorp.com and       |
| provide the following information; customer name, contact person, email      |
| address, telephone number, crane serial number and date of next scheduled    |
| outage.                                                                      |
|                                                                              |
| "I trust you find that the notification provided is satisfactory and in      |
| compliance with 10 CFR 21 reporting requirements. If you have any questions, |
| please do not hesitate to contact me at fteggelaar@whitingcorp. com."        |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Power Reactor                                    |Event Number:   39546       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| FACILITY: SUSQUEHANNA              REGION:  1  |NOTIFICATION DATE: 01/29/2003|
|    UNIT:  [1] [] []                 STATE:  PA |NOTIFICATION TIME: 20:57[EST]|
|   RXTYPE: [1] GE-4,[2] GE-4                    |EVENT DATE:        01/29/2003|
+------------------------------------------------+EVENT TIME:        20:32[EST]|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  VAL MANCE                    |LAST UPDATE DATE:  01/30/2003|
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  GERRY WAIG                   +-----------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------+PERSON          ORGANIZATION |
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          UNUSUAL EVENT         |J. BRADLEY FEWELL    R1      |
|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |WILLIAM RULAND       NRR     |
|AAEC 50.72(a) (1) (i)    EMERGENCY DECLARED     |JOSEPH HOLONICH      IRO     |
|                                                |DORA HEYMAN          FEMA    |
|                                                |P.O. BAUMGARTNER     EPA     |
|                                                |                             |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR|   INIT RX MODE  |CURR PWR|  CURR RX MODE   |
+-----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+-----------------+
|1     N          Y       100      Power Operation  |100      Power Operation  |
|                                                   |                          |
|                                                   |                          |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                   EVENT TEXT                                   
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| NOUE DECLARE AT SUSQUEHANNA DUE TO NON-ROUTINE RADIOACTIVE GAS RELEASE       |
|                                                                              |
| "At 8:32 pm EST PPL Susquehanna , LLC, declared an Unusual Event for an      |
| Airborne Release. The EAL entered was 15.1.a A.2, I-131 > 2.08E+2            |
| microcuries/minute. Chemistry sample did not indicate any Iodine in the      |
| release steam, however Cs-138 was detected in the sample which may have      |
| affected the vent stack monitor. Investigation continues. The release is     |
| being monitored by the plant Vent Stack monitoring system. The source of the |
| release is unknown at this time. Plant procedures are being implemented to   |
| determine and isolate the source. Offsite monitors have been activated to    |
| monitor offsite dose rates. Activation of the Emergency plan and Offsite     |
| releases are reportable under 10CFR50.72(a)(1) and 10CFR50.73(a)(2)(viii)."  |
|                                                                              |
| The licensee has notified state and local officials and will notify the NRC  |
| Resident Inspector. A media/press release is planned.                        |
|                                                                              |
| *** UPDATE at 0132 ET on 01/30/03 by Dave Flyte/ Phil Brady taken by         |
| MacKinnon ****                                                               |
|                                                                              |
| Unusual Event was terminated at 0125 ET on 01/30/03. Investigation found     |
| that the release was from the off gas system via a drain trap which entered  |
| the ventilation system which then exited out the vent stack.  According to   |
| licensee's records, the release was greater than 2 times their Technical     |
| Specification limit  (208 microcuries per minute) from 1940 hours until 2111 |
| hours.  Max level detected was 600 microcuries per minute.  No iodine was    |
| released just noble gases.  NRC R1DO (Brad Fewell), FEMA (Nora Heyman),      |
| NRC/DOT (Petty Officer Baumgartner), Office of Homeland Security (Damon      |
| Edwards),  and NRR EO (Bill Ruland) notified.                                |
|                                                                              |
| The NRC Resident Inspector was notified by the licensee.                     |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+