ENS Event | |
|---|---|
20:00 Oct 9, 2007 | |
| Title | Possible Leak at Penn State Research Reactor |
| Event Description | Pennsylvania State University Operations personnel noticed increased makeup at the Breazeale (Triga) reactor, an open pool reactor. At 1600, the leak rate was measured at approximately ten gallons per hour. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Health was notified of the probable leak to the environment (possibly to the ground around the containment pool). The licensee has not reached any required reporting criteria.
Water activity: Gross Alpha: less than minimum detectable Gross Beta: approx. 3.8 picoCuries/liter Chromium Gamma: approx. 103 picoCuries/liter
Mark A. Trump, Associate Director of Operations, Breazeale Nuclear Reactor Radiation Science and Engineering Center Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16801 provided the following information to Marvin Mendonca via e-mail at 0536 on 10/10/07. At approximately 1600 hrs on 10/9/07 review of water inventory data on the reactor pool indicates a probable leak of approximately 10 gallons per hour from the approximately 71,000 gallon pool. A walk down of reactor systems does not show any signs of leakage into any interfacing systems leading to a probable conclusion that the leak is through the concrete pool wall into the biological shielding (earthen wall). This leakage amount is well within normal makeup system capacity and is at the low threshold of our ability to determine the leakage due to variables such as evaporation rates. The reactor is in a safe condition, all reactor pool water chemistry is normal but notification is being done to the PA Department of Environmental Protection (as required). Notification of the NRC operational department is also being made concurrently. Notification number 43704. Notified R1DO(Cook), NRR(Mendonca), NRR(Adams), FSME(Flanders), and NRR(Cunningham). |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Breazeale Nuclear Reactor University Park, Pennsylvania (NRC Region 1) | |
| License number: | R-2 |
| Reporting | |
| Information Only | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+-3.25 h-0.135 days <br />-0.0193 weeks <br />-0.00445 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Mark Trump 16:45 Oct 9, 2007 |
| NRC Officer: | Mark Abramovitz |
| Last Updated: | Oct 10, 2007 |
| 43704 - NRC Website
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Breazeale Nuclear Reactor with Information Only | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 437042007-10-09T20:00:0009 October 2007 20:00:00
[Table view]Information Only Possible Leak at Penn State Research Reactor 2007-10-09T20:00:00 | |