BSEP-87-1095, Ro:On 870119,one of Four Fuel Loading Chambers Not in Location Where hands-on Inventory Could Be Performed at Site.Chamber Declared Loss Following Investigation.Chamber Was Probably Inadvertently Shipped to Burial Facility

Ro:On 870119,one of Four Fuel Loading Chambers Not in Location Where hands-on Inventory Could Be Performed at Site.Chamber Declared Loss Following Investigation.Chamber Was Probably Inadvertently Shipped to Burial Facility

ML20235V863
Person / Time
Site:	Brunswick
Issue date:	09/25/1987
From:	Dietz C CAROLINA POWER & LIGHT CO.
To:	Grace J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II)
References
BSEP-87-1095, NUDOCS 8710150356
Download: ML20235V863 (2)

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• 5 Telecopied 9/25/87 CD&L Carolina Power & Light Company -

Brunswick Steam Electric Plant P. O.-Box 10429 0CT-l PQ; g Southport, NC 28461-0429 September 25, 1987' FILE: B09-13510A SERIAL: BSEP/87.-1095:

10CFR70.52,74.11

.D.r.. J. Nelson Grace, Administrator ,

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. l Suite 2900 i 101 Marietta Street NW Atlanta, GA 30323 j BRUNSWICK STEAM ELECTRIC PLANT UNIT 1 AND 2 DOCKET NO. 50-71 AND 62 LICENSE NO. DPR-325 AND 324 CONFIRMATION OF 10CFR70.52 REPORT

Dear Dr. Grace:

This is to confirm the telephone conversation conducted on September 24, 1987, between Mr. P.. 'Fredrickson cf your staff and Mr. R. M. Poulk, Jr. , of the Brunswick staff concerning a 10CFR70.52 reportable event.

-On or about January 19,-1987, it was determined that one of four fuel loading chambers (FLC) was not' in a location where a hands-on inventory could be performed at the Brunswick site. An investigation was initiated to locate this chamber. On January 29, site personnel met with corporate fuels personnel to outline a prudent course of action. It was decided that, in addition to searching accessible areas at the site, that a search of the neutron detector buckets located in the spent fuel pools was appropriate. A procedure was approved (ENP-41, Waste Fission Detector Container) to allow searching of the spent fuel pool detector storage containers and the searches were begun. The NRC regional office was not notified during this period as it was anticipated that the FLC would be located; however, the resident office was notified of the apparent discrepancy. Following the completion of these

-identified searches, at approximately 1300 on September 24, 1987, the FLC was declared lost.

An FLC is a high sensitivity source range detector of approximately 13.5 inches in length and 3 inches in diameter. The sensitive length is approximately 9.25 inches in length and is coated internally with U 0 3 8 enriched with U-235 (approximately 2 grams). These detectors are housed in a water tight canister mounted within a single blade guide. These FLCs were used during the early refuelings of both units (1977-1980) to provide the regttired minimum three counts per seconds reading for source range instrumentation. Later use of these FLCs was not required due to the power

l. history of the irradiated _ fuel.

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Dr. J. N.~ Grace September 25, 1987 This loss is also bcIng reported in the upcoming semiannual report'on special I nuclear material for the time frame concluding on September 30, 1987. As noted, the FLC could not be located at the Brunswick site. It is most probable that this chamber was inadvertently shipped to a burial facility as LSA' material during one of the past general cleanup shipments for contaminated materials. For additional information, please contact either Mr. E. B. Wilson at 919 457-2285 or Mr. R. M. Poulk at 919 457-2314.

Very truly yours, C. R. Dietz, General Manager Brunswick Steam Electric Plant RMP/ah cc: NRC Document Control Desk NRC Resident Inspector l

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