On 11/17/2018, at approximately 1445 EST, it was discovered that the Fuel Manufacturing Operation (
FMO) Dry Conversion Line 1 kiln seal began to leak and caused an alarm on the
Hydrogen Fluoride (HF) room detection system. This manufacturing process equipment is within an established
FMO contamination-controlled area which is designed to contain and control this type of release. The area was not occupied at the time, there were no personnel exposures or releases from the area and the affected process was shut-down.
As a precautionary measure consistent with current NRC radiation protection requirements, an appropriate, additional radiological control was imposed by requiring respiratory protection for entry into the room to keep personnel exposures as low as reasonably achievable until the area could be decontaminated in a safe and timely manner. Although the affected equipment remains shutdown, this additional radiological control remained in place for more than 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />.
NRC Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards staff recently clarified its position for this type of reportability determination in a letter sent to the Nuclear Energy Institute dated October 5, 2018. Because of this letter, this event is conservatively being reported pursuant to the requirements of 10 CFR 70.50 (b)(1).
The NRC region will be notified. Additionally, the
North Carolina Radiation Protection Commission and New Hanover County Emergency Management will also be notified.