ENS 52886
ENS Event | |
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21:00 Aug 3, 2017 | |
Title | Administrative Criticality Controls Not Used |
Event Description | The following was received from the licensee via email:
(1) Radiological or chemical hazards involved, including isotopes, quantities, and chemical and physical form of any material released. There was no material released. (2) Actual or potential health and safety consequences to the workers, the public, and the environment, including relevant chemical and radiation data for actual personnel exposures to radiation or radioactive materials or hazardous chemicals produced from licensed materials (e.g., level of radiation exposure, concentration of chemicals, and duration of exposure); No personnel were exposed to radiation, radioactive materials or hazardous chemicals. IROFS54a [Items Relied On For Safety] and IROFS54b are administrative criticality controls for the SCDT [Small Component Decontamination Train] and limit the amount of U-235 to less than 730g. The material was put into the SCDT without using bookkeeping procedures which could have potentially led to a criticality in the SCDT. (3) The sequence of occurrences leading to the event, including degradation or failure of structures, systems, equipment, components, and activities of personnel relied on to prevent potential accidents or mitigate their consequences; and Last week material from the pH adjustment tanks on the LECTS [Liquid Effluent Collection and Transfer System] slab tanks was moved into the SCDT without the use of administrative criticality control IROFS54a and 54b. During a work package review yesterday (8/3/2017) the transfer into the SCDT was questioned by the lSA engineering group. Material was approximately 250ml of waste water and 12L of NaOH solution in a 5 gallon bottle. Conservative estimate of the total amount of U-235 in the Slab Tanks at the time the 250ml of waste water was removed was less than 600 g U-235. (4) Whether the remaining structures, systems, equipment, components, and activities of personnel relied on to prevent potential accidents or mitigate their consequences are available and reliable to perform their function; The amount of material transferred into the SCDT was below subcritical mass limits therefore UUSA [URENCO USA] could not enter into a condition in which 10 CFR 70.61 performance requirements would not have been met (5) External conditions affecting the event; None. (6) Additional actions taken by the licensee in response to the event; When the event was discovered an anomalous condition was declared and Recycling and Engineering made a conservative estimate of how much material could potentially be in the SCDT. It was determined that if they had transferred all of the waste water from the slab tank into the SCDT it would still have been below the acceptance criteria for IROFS54a and IROFS54b. Furthermore the 250mL of waste water and the 12L of NaOH solution were transferred in a 5 gallon container which is a single parameter safe value for 6 w/o% enrichment. Based on this discovery at no time would the SCDT have exceeded 10 CFR 70.61 performance requirements. (7) Status of the event (e.g., whether the event is on-going or was terminated); No event took place, the material transferred to the SCDT never exceeded subcritical mass limits. (8) Current and planned site status, including any declared emergency class; No emergency class declared. Stop work issued for the LECTS and Decontamination room recycling activities. Anomalous condition is in the process of being lifted (9) Notifications, related to the event, that were made or are planned to any local, State, or other Federal agencies; One hour (late) report to the NRC; this is a conservative response based on a prior NOV. No other notifications were made. (10) Status of any press releases, related to the event that were made or are planned. None. |
Where | |
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Louisiana Energy Services Eunice, New Mexico (NRC Region 2) | |
License number: | SNM-2010 |
Reporting | |
Part 70 App A (A)(4) | |
Time - Person (Reporting Time:+13.93 h0.58 days <br />0.0829 weeks <br />0.0191 months <br />) | |
Opened: | Norma Wells 10:56 Aug 4, 2017 |
NRC Officer: | Dong Park |
Last Updated: | Aug 4, 2017 |
52886 - NRC Website | |
Louisiana Energy Services with Part 70 App A (A)(4) | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 570612024-04-02T05:45:0002 April 2024 05:45:00
[Table view]Part 70 App A (A)(4) Item Relied on for Safety (Irofs) Inoperable ENS 563022023-01-05T21:45:0005 January 2023 21:45:00 Part 70 App A (A)(4) Safety Item Unavailable ENS 559302022-06-08T01:00:0008 June 2022 01:00:00 Part 70 App A (A)(4) UF6 Leakage Inside Autoclave ENS 557702022-03-07T17:45:0007 March 2022 17:45:00 Part 70 App A (A)(4) Item Relied on for Safety (IROFS) Inoperable ENS 544922020-01-22T23:23:00022 January 2020 23:23:00 Part 70 App A (A)(4) Required Procedural Controls Were Not Followed ENS 528862017-08-03T21:00:0003 August 2017 21:00:00 Part 70 App A (A)(4) Administrative Criticality Controls Not Used ENS 517762016-03-07T23:15:0007 March 2016 23:15:00 Part 70 App A (A)(4) Administrative Items Relied on for Safety (Irofs) Not Performed ENS 500232013-09-10T21:05:00010 September 2013 21:05:00 Part 70 App A (A)(4) Uf6 Present in the Small Component Decontamination Train 2024-04-02T05:45:00 | |