L-77-365, 12/08/1977 Letter Finding of No Proprietary Information in Inspection Report No. 18, Conducted on November 9-10, 1977

12/08/1977 Letter Finding of No Proprietary Information in Inspection Report No. 18, Conducted on November 9-10, 1977

ML18123A262
Person / Time
Site:	Saint Lucie
Issue date:	12/08/1977
From:	Robert E. Uhrig Florida Power & Light Co
To:	O'Reilly J NRC/IE, NRC/RGN-II
References
L-77-365
Download: ML18123A262 (7)

Text

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'jg FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY December 8, 1977 L-77-365 Mr. James P. O'Reilly, Director, Region Office of Inspection and Enforcement II U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 230 Peachtree Street, N.W., Suite 1217 Atlanta, GA 30303

Dear Mr. O'Reilly:

Re: RII:MVS 50-335/77-18 Florida Power 6 Light Company has reviewed the subject inspection report. There is no proprietary information in the report.

Very truly yours, M

Robert E. Uhrig Vice President REU/MAS/lah cc: Robert Lowenstein, Esquire

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<<aa>>" NOY 2 9 1977 In Reply Refer To:

RII1MVS 50-335/77-18 Florida Power and Light Company Attn: Dr. R. E. Uhrig, Vice President of Nuclear and General Engineering P. 0. Box 013100 9250 Vest Flagler Street Miami, Florida 33101 Gentlemen:

This refers to the special inspection conducted by Mr. M. V. Sinkule of t this office on November 9-10, 1977, of activities authorized by NRC Operating License No. DPR-67 for the St. Lucie facility, involving the possible contamination and(or radiation exposure of an Florida Power and Light Company employee who was in the Community Hospital of the Palm Beaches at Vest Palm Beach, Florida. The findings of this inspectioa were discussed with Mr. K. N. Harris by telephone on November 16, 1977.

Areas examined during the inspection and our findings are discussed in the attached inspection report. Vithin these areas, the inspection consisted of interviews with personnel, and observations by the inspector.

Vithin the scope of this inspection, no items of noncompliance were disclosed.

In accordance with Section 2.790 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice",

Part 2, Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, a copy of this letter and the enclosed inspection report will be placed in the NRC's Public Document Room. If this report contains any information that you (or your contractor) believe to be proprietary, it is necessary that you make a written application within 20 days to this office to withhold such information from public disclosure. Any such application must include a full statement of the reasons on the basis of which it is claimed that the information is proprietary, and should be prepared so that proprietary information identified in the application is contained in a separate part of the document. If we do not hear from you in this t regard within the specified period, the report will be placed in the Public Document Room.

Florida Power and Light Company Should you have any questions concerning this letter, we will be glad to discuss them with you.

Sincerely, F. J. Long, Chief Reactor Operations and Nuclear Support Branch

Enclosure:

RII Inspection Report No. 50-335/77-18 cc: Mr. K. N. Harris, Plant Manager St. Lucie Plant P. 0. Box 128 Ft. Pierce, Florida 33450 Mr. Nat Weems, Assistant QA Manager P. 0. Box 128 Ft. Pierce, Florida 33450

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REGION II 230 PEACHTREE STREET, N.W. SUITE 1217 ATLANTA,GEORGIA 30303

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Report No.: 50-335/77-18 Docket No.: 50-335 License No.: DPR-67 Category: C Licensee: Florida Power and Light Company P. O. Box 013100 Miami, Florida 33101 Facility Name: St. Lucie 1 Inspection at: Community Hospital of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach, Florida e Inspection conducted:

Inspector: M.

November 9-10, 1977 V. Sinkule Reviewed by: CAID il -H-1 7 R. C. Lewis, Chief Date Reactor Projects Section No. 2 Reactor Operations and Nuclear Support Branch Ins ection Summar Ins ection on November 9-10 1977 (Re ort No. 50-335/77-18) alleged contamination and/or radiation exposure of a St. Lucie employee at the Community Hospital of the Palm Beaches at West Palm Beach, Florida.

The inspection involved 5 inspector-hours at the hospital by one NRC inspector.

Results: Of the area inspected, no items of noncompliance or deviations were found.

RII Rpt. No. 50-335/77-18 DETAILS I Prepared by:

M.~ V.~ Sinkule, Reactor Inspector Date Reactor Progects Section No. 2 Reactor Operations and Nuclear Support Branch Dates of Inspection: November 9-10, 1977 Reviewed by: Z-C. r~rz8~

R. C. Lewis, Chief Date Reactor Projects Section No.'2 Reactor Operations and Nuclear Support Branch

1. Persons Contacted J. Cogswell, Civil Defense Health Physicist H. Buchanan, FP&L Health Physics Supervisor St. Lucie H. Mercer, FP&L, Plant Coordinator C. Wells, FP&L, Operations Supervisor Dr. Serafini, Radiation Emergency Evaluation Facility Dr. Kenny, Radiation Emergency Evaluation Facility C. G. Weird, Hospital Administrator, Community Hospitaf Dr. Kiner, Attending Physician, Community Hospital K. Harris, FP&L Plant Manager St. Lucie (by telephone oa November 9, 1977)

2. Licensee Action on Previous Ins ection Findin s Not inspected.

3. Unresolved Items No new unresolved items were identified.

4. Fxit Interview The scope and findings of this inspection were discussed with Mr. K. N. Harris, Plant Manager, by telephone on November 16, 1977.

5. ~Summat of Event The inspector was contacted by the Region II office in Atlanta, Georgia, at the Turkey Point site at approximately 5:30 p.m. on November 9, 1977, and directed to proceed to the Community Hospital of the Palm Beaches where a Florida Power and Light (FP&L) employee was alleged to be contaminated and/or irradiated. The inspector was to determine if the event was associated with control of contamination or irradiation at the St. Lucie site. FP&L personnel had contacted Region II at approximately 4:30 p.m. on November 9, 1977, and described the situation.

RII Rpt. No. 50-335/77-18 E-2 The inspector arrived at the hospital at approximately 9:30 p.m. on November 9, 1977. Upon entry into the hospital the inspector submitted to a brief interview from a reporter for the Miami Herald Newspaper.

When the inspector arrived at the hospital, he conducted an interview with Community Hospital officials, FPSL plant personnel, Radiation Emergency Evaluation officials, and a representative from the County Civil Defense office. The personnel present had conducted radiation surveys and reviewed hospital records of the individual involved and had concluded that the radiation levels were due to a prescribed diagnostic intake of radioactive technesium-99, prescribed by a physician and administered at the hospital.

The Civil Defense official stated that he had been contacted by Hospital officials on November 9, 1977, after they became alarmed with the radiation levels of an individual who had been admitted to the hospital to undergo treatment for a gastrointestinal disorder and high fever on November 5, 1977. The inspector was informed that the survey taken by the Civil Defense official ranged from 10 to 50 mrem per hour on different parts of the patients body. The Civil Defense official stated that he ordered the man isolated and scrubbed. He subsequently contacted FP&L personnel who responded to the scene.

FP&L personnel stated that they had arrived on the scene at approximately 6:00 p.m. on November 9, 1977, but were not permitted to conduct surveys until approximately 7:00 p.m. The survey, which was conducted with RM-14 radiation monitors, showed that there was no contamination on the patient's skin, clothing, or in his room; however, direct radiation readings indicated the presence of radioactivity inside of his body.

FP&L personnel also stated that a radiation survey of the patient's home, personal effects, and family did not reveal the presence of radioactive contamination.

The personnel from the Radiation Emergency Evaluation Facility (REEF) in Miami arrived at the hospital and conducted an independent radiation survey and their readings agreed with those taken by FP&L personnel. They reviewed the medical records of the patient and found that the patient had been given 10 millicuries of technesium-99 on the evening of November 8, to aid in the diagnosis of the patient.

REEF personnel concluded that the technesium-99 was the source of the radiation and that this incident was not related to a radioactive source that had originated at the St. Lucie site.

RII Rpt. No. 50-335/77-18 I-3 Further discussions w1th the Civil Defense official indicated that the instrument used by him to conduct his survey was not rel1able in the low radiation ranges. It appeared to the inspector that all parties were in agreement that the radiation readings of the patient were due to the diagnostic intake, which had been prescribed by a physician.

REEF officials stated that they had taken smears of the patient and the room which did not show evidence of contamination; however, the smears would be recounted on stationary equipment at the REEF at Miami. REEF representatives also stated that the patient would be transferred to REEF on November 10, for the conduct1on of confirmatory tests.

The 1nspector revisited the hospital on the morning of November 10, and conducted an interview with the patients'octor and the hospital administrator to confirm the amount of the diagnostic intake and to determine additional circumstances surround1ng the event. The patients'octor had ordered the diagnostic intake of technes1um-99 which was administered on November 8 and also ordered gieger counter readings to be taken when he was informed, by the patient, that he was employed at a nuclear power plant and had been 1nvolved in radiation type work. The doctor also stated that he wa's concerned with the slow recovery of the patient. The inspector could not determ1ne why the hosp1tal off1cials became alarmed at the radiation levels of the patient unless the hospital personnel making the radiation survey were not aware of the diagnostic 1ntake. Dur1ng th1s interview, the inspector was informed that hospital officials had contacted REEF on November 10 and were informed that the results of a blood sampl'e taken from patient on November 9 indicated only the presence of technesium-99.

On November 11 Region II contacted the director of the REEF by telephone and was informed that the results of tests conducted on the facility conclusively proved that the only source of radiation was technesium-99.