| U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center Event Reports For
08/08/2007 - 08/09/2007 ** EVENT NUMBERS ** |
 | General Information or Other | Event Number: 43547 | Rep Org: COLORADO DEPT OF HEALTH
Licensee: UNIVERSITY CORPORATION FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
Region: 4
City: State: CO
County: BOULDER
License #: 22-08
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: ED STROUD
HQ OPS Officer: JEFF ROTTON | Notification Date: 08/03/2007
Notification Time: 13:25 [ET]
Event Date: 08/03/2007
Event Time: [MDT]
Last Update Date: 08/03/2007 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
JACK WHITTEN (R4)
CINDY FLANNERY (FSME)
ILTAB (via email) ()
|
| This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material. | Event Text COLORADO AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOST CUSTOM SOURCE
The State provided the following information via facsimile:
"This is the initial notification for an incident that was reported to this Department [State of Colorado] on this date. A research licensee reported the loss of a custom source containing approximately 120 microcuries of Am-241. The source, a stainless steel tube approximately 6 inches long and 1 inch in diameter, was manufactured by NRD with model number A001, and was used as an air stream ionization device contained in aerosol and gas-phase measurement instruments. The Am-241 is plated on a foil within the tube. The licensee reported the last known use was in March 2006. However, the licensee moved to a new location in December 2006, and the RSO stated that it is possible the source was lost at that time. The licensee reported that all efforts to locate the source have failed including a search of their former use location. No other details are available at this time."
COLORADO Incident #: I07-12
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.
This source is not amongst those sources or devices identified by the IAEA Code of Conduct for the Safety & Security of Radioactive Sources to be of concern from a radiological standpoint. Therefore is it being categorized as a less than Category 3 source |
| Other Nuclear Material | Event Number: 43553 | Rep Org: NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER
Licensee: NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER
Region: 1
City: GREENBELT State: MD
County:
License #: 19-05748-02
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: DAN SIMPSON
HQ OPS Officer: JEFF ROTTON | Notification Date: 08/08/2007
Notification Time: 09:49 [ET]
Event Date: 08/03/2007
Event Time: 16:20 [EDT]
Last Update Date: 08/08/2007 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
20.2201(a)(1)(i) - LOST/STOLEN LNM>1000X
| Person (Organization):
ROBERT SUMMERS (R1)
RON ZELAC (FSME)
ILTAB (via email) ()
|
| This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material. | Event Text MISSING SOURCE DURING INVENTORY
Licensee conducted radioactive source inventory on 08/03/07 at 1620 and discovered one Am-241 sealed source containing 50 microcuries was not in its assigned storage location. It's normal storage location is in a storage locker inside of a square enclosure built of shielding bricks. On 08/07/07 the source was located in the storage locker behind its normal storage location. Facility procedures will be modified to prevent reoccurrence.
* * * UPDATE PROVIDED BY DAN SIMPSON TO JEFF ROTTON AT 1649 EDT ON 08/08/07 * * *
The following information was provided by the licensee via fax:
(i) Description of source: Americium-241 source (AM-241-587), 50 microcuries on October 1, 1995, manufactured by Isotope Products Laboratories, model number: PHR-241-50U, A2 capsule.
"(ii) A description of the circumstances under which the loss or theft occurred: On August 3,2007 (Friday), the Radiation Protection Office (RPO) staff conducted a quarterly radiation source inventory in Building 2, room W102A's storage locker. During the inventory, radioactive source Am-241-587, a 50 microcurie source, was not readily visible in the locker. The RPO staff noted that the source sign out sheet had not been filled out showing that the source had been moved out of the room. The RPO staff contacted the Authorized User and told him that they were not able to locate the source in the locker and told him that he needs to check with anyone that may have been using the source to see if they know of its whereabouts. The RPO staff notified the RSO (who was out of the office) by email at 4:17 p.m. that the source had not been located during the inventory.
"On August 6, 2007 (Monday), the RSO, upon reading the email sent by the RPO staff, reviewed the requirements of 10 CFR 20.2201 and misinterpreted the value listed in Appendix C and followed the notification requirements listed in 10 CFR 20.2201(ii), which allowed for 30 day notification. The RSO went to room W102A and reviewed the status of the locker. It was noted that all the sources were now being maintained on the bottom of the locker behind lead bricks. On April 17, the last time the inventory was completed by the RPO, the sources were stored on different shelves to help segregate the authorized user's sources from each other. After looking inside the locker and throughout room W102A and W102 the source was not sighted.
"On the morning of August 7, the RSO instructed the RPO staff to go back and search the locker and remove all of the leads bricks surrounding the sources to ensure that the source in question was not there. At around 8:30 am, upon removing all of the bricks it was found that radioactive source Am-241-587 had gotten pushed up against the back of the locker behind the lead bricks. This apparently had taken place when the sources had been moved to the bottom shelf behind the lead bricks by the researchers.
"On the morning of August 8, the RSO, while writing the report for this event, noticed that he misread the Appendix C value for Americium-241 and an immediate notification to the NRC based on 10 CFR 2201(a)(i) was required. The RSO then made an immediate notification to the NRC Operations Center at 9:49 a.m.
"(iii) A statement of disposition, or probable disposition, of the licensed material involved; Radioactive source Am-241-587 had been in the locker throughout this whole process and never was missing, but had been improperly stored by the authorized users when they reconfigured the way the sources are stored in the radiation locker.
"(iv) Exposures of individuals to radiation, circumstances under which the exposures occurred, and the possible total effective dose equivalent to persons in unrestricted areas; Room W102A is a restricted area and since the source had been in a shielded configuration throughout this whole event, no individuals received any exposure in unrestricted areas.
"(v) Actions that have been taken, or will be taken, to recover the material; The source was found inside the authorized locker behind bricks that had been set up by the researchers.
"(vi) Procedures or measures that have been, or will be, adopted to ensure against a recurrence of the loss or theft of licensed material: - A Radiation Safety Officer Notice will be sent to all users of radioactive sources to inform them of this event and explain the importance of notifying the RPO of any changes to the way in which radioactive sources are being stored in their areas. -Modifications will be made to the current Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) used by the RPO staff for performing quarterly source inventories, which will expand the Notifications section to ensure that staff members get in direct contact with the RSO when a source on the inventory is not located. - Appropriate staff will be trained on all modification to the procedures."
Notified R1DO (Summers) and FSME EO (McConnell).
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.
This source is not amongst those sources or devices identified by the IAEA Code of Conduct for the Safety & Security of Radioactive Sources to be of concern from a radiological standpoint. Therefore is it being categorized as a less than Category 3 source |
| Power Reactor | Event Number: 43555 | Facility: SUSQUEHANNA
Region: 1 State: PA
Unit: [1] [2] [ ]
RX Type: [1] GE-4,[2] GE-4
NRC Notified By: MARTIN LICHTNER
HQ OPS Officer: BILL HUFFMAN | Notification Date: 08/08/2007
Notification Time: 13:06 [ET]
Event Date: 06/09/2007
Event Time: 05:11 [EDT]
Last Update Date: 08/08/2007 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
50.73(a)(1) - INVALID SPECIF SYSTEM ACTUATION
| Person (Organization):
ROBERT SUMMERS (R1)
|
| Unit | SCRAM Code | RX CRIT | Initial PWR | Initial RX Mode | Current PWR | Current RX Mode | | 1 | N | Y | 100 | Power Operation | 100 | Power Operation | | 2 | N | Y | 100 | Power Operation | 100 | Power Operation | Event Text INVALID ACTUATION OF THE 'C' EMERGENCY DIESEL GENERATOR
"This 60-day notification is being made in accordance with 10 CFR 50.73(a)(1), which states that in case of an invalid actuation reported under 10 CFR 50.73(a)(2)(iv), other than the actuation of the Reactor Protection System when the reactor is critical, the licensee may provide a telephone notification to the NRC within 60 days after discovery of the event instead of submitting a written LER.
"On 6/9/07 at approximately 0511 hours, the 'C' Emergency Diesel Generator (EDG) and associated 'C' Emergency Service Water pump unexpectedly started while performing procedure TP-024-147, Diesel Generator 'C' Restoration after being out of service for scheduled overhaul and corrective maintenance activities. The EDG inadvertently started in response to an invalid emergency start signal that occurred when the incorrect states ink (SL-8) was opened in panel 0C521C. The cause of this event was due to a human performance error. The EDG was subsequently shutdown following the inadvertent start. Post- maintenance testing of the 'C' EDG was successfully completed.
"The consequences of this event are limited to the unplanned start of the 'C' EDG. The EDG started and functioned in accordance with its design. Since no actual plant condition existed which required the EDG to start, and since the start occurred inadvertently as a result of human error, this event has been classified as an invalid actuation.
"The NRC Resident Inspector has been notified." |
| Power Reactor | Event Number: 43556 | Facility: PEACH BOTTOM
Region: 1 State: PA
Unit: [2] [3] [ ]
RX Type: [2] GE-4,[3] GE-4
NRC Notified By: DAVE TUREK
HQ OPS Officer: BILL HUFFMAN | Notification Date: 08/08/2007
Notification Time: 16:09 [ET]
Event Date: 08/08/2007
Event Time: 15:25 [EDT]
Last Update Date: 08/08/2007 | Emergency Class: ALERT
10 CFR Section:
50.72(a) (1) (i) - EMERGENCY DECLARED
| Person (Organization):
ROBERT SUMMERS (R1)
MARC DAPAS (RA)
JIM WIGGINS (NRR)
BRIAN MCDERMOTT (IRD)
BILL RULAND (NRR)
AKERS (DHS)
BAGWELL (FEMA)
TURNER (DOE)
LEADBETTER (USDA)
NATL RSP CTR -RAWLS ()
|
| Unit | SCRAM Code | RX CRIT | Initial PWR | Initial RX Mode | Current PWR | Current RX Mode | | 2 | N | Y | 100 | Power Operation | 100 | Power Operation | | 3 | N | Y | 99 | Power Operation | 99 | Power Operation | Event Text ALERT DECLARED TO DUE POTENTIAL HAZARDOUS ATMOSPHERE IN A EMERGENCY DIESEL GENERATOR ROOM
While the licensee was conducting maintenance activities in the E3 Emergency Diesel Generator (EDG) room, a CO2 fire extinguisher was observed to be leaking. Personnel were evacuated from the room due to a potential hazard from CO2 buildup in the room. The licensee was initially unable to determine the concentration of Oxygen or CO2 in the EDG room but made a decision to declare an Alert at 1536 EDT in accordance with EAL H.A.7, "Life Threatening Atmosphere Potential."
The licensee does not consider the condition a threat to plant operation.
State and local authorities have been notified. The licensee has also notified the NRC Resident Inspector. The licensee anticipates that a press release will be issued.
* * * UPDATE FROM LICENSEE (JANKAUSKAS) TO HUFFMAN AT 1707 EDT ON 8/08/07 * * *
The licensee terminated the Alert at 1653 EDT base on Oxygen concentrations in the E3 EDG room above 20% and confirmation that Oxygen levels in the other 3 EDG bays (4 total) also confirmed above 20%.
State and local authorities have been notified. The licensee will notify the NRC Resident Inspector.
R1DO (Summers), IRD (Cruz), and NRR EO (Ruland) notified. The following offsite agencies were notified of the Alert termination: DHS (Akers); FEMA (Bisco); DOE (Turner); and USDA (Leadbetter). | |