ML100780361
| ML100780361 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 11/23/2009 |
| From: | Rebecca Sigmon NRC/NRR/DIRS/IOEB |
| To: | Peter Bamford Plant Licensing Branch 1 |
| References | |
| FOIA/PA-2010-0118, IN-09-027 | |
| Download: ML100780361 (7) | |
Text
Bamford, Peter From:
Sigmon, Rebecca P,
P)
Sent:
Monday, November 23, 2009 10:57 AM To:
Bamford, Peter (Av P P)
Cc:
Thorp, John; Thomas, Eric; Chernoff, Harold(/)
Subject:
TMI Event INES Rating Attachments:
TMI High Activity Preliminary ERF.doc; IN 2009-27.pdf
- Pete, Due to the high level of media interest in the TMI event over the weekend, we've had requests for information from the international community about the INES (International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale) rating of the event. As described in IN 2009-27 and RIS 2002-01, NRC will submit events to the INES if they are rated Level 2 or higher on the scale, or if the rating is requested by another IAEA member state. This event has a preliminary rating of Level 0 (below scale), however due to the expressed interest it is possible we will be posting the event. Could you please pass the attached Event Review Form to the licensee for verification of the factual information? The only portions of the form which will be available to the public are the title, location, rating, and event description (the justification portion is visible only to INES committee members).
As the event occurred Saturday, our goal would be to post this by the close of business if we do actually post it, and we would like to have licensee verification of the facts of the event before then. I will keep you up to date with management decisions on whether or not to post.
(IN 2009-27 is also attached as the public ADAMS search appears to be down at the moment).
- Thanks, Rebecca Sigmon Reactor Systems Engineer NRR/DIRS/IOEB Operating Experience Branch (301) 415-4018 Rebecca.Siqmon(aDnrc.gov 41
EVENT RATING FORM (ERF)
Event No.:
Sent Date:
THE INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR EVENT SCALE (INES)
EVENT RADIATION RELEASE IN CONTAINMENT ASSOCIATED WITH STEAM EVENT DATE tITLE GENERATOR REMOVAL 11/21/2009 RATING RATING OUT OF DEVIATION INCIDENT ACCIDENT FACILITY TYPE PROVISIONAL X
DATE SCALE 0
1 2
3 4
5 6
7 Power Reactor X
Research Reactor
[
FNAL E]
11/23/2009 El x
El[0 El El El 01 0] RadWaste Facility 0] Radiation Source El COUNTRY FACILITY NAME /PLACE Irradiation El Transportation El United States Three Mile Island Unit I/Middletown, PA Fuel Fabrication E] Fuel Reprocessing El Research Facility E] Mining/Milling.
E]
Enrichment L] Other L]
Facility YES NO Off-site impact Release Beyond Authorised Limits El X
Overexposure of Members of Public El X
On-Site Impact Contamination Spread El X
Worker Overexposure El X_
-Damage to Radiological Barriers El X
Degradation of Defence In-depth El X
Person Injured Physically or Casualty El X
Is There a Continuing Problem El X
Press Release Issued (if yes, please attach)
El X
Event Description During refuelling outage activities, which included operations to replace both of the unit's steam generators, low levels of radiation activity were measured on radiation monitors installed in the reactor building. Personnel were directed to immediately leave the reactor building until the source of the activity could be identified. Surveys directly outside of the reactor building construction opening indicated a slight increase in activity. Levels have returned to normal. No contamination was identified outside of the reactor building. Of approximately 150 workers monitored for exposure to the radiation activity, about 20 were found to have exposures greater than 0.1 mSv (10 mrem), with the highest exposure estimated to be 0.38 mSv (38 mrem). No worker approached or exceeded any exposure limits. The sources of the activity are believed to be from maintenance tasks related to cutting lines in preparation for removal of the 'B' Steam Generator, though the exact cause of the increase in activity levels is still unknown. The reactor was defueled at the time of the event.
Rating Justification and Difficulties Encountered (quote relevant user manual paragraphs)
This event has been given a preliminary rating of 0, "Below Scale" based on section 2.3.1 of the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale 2008 User's Manual (http ://www-pub.iaea.orgfMTCD/publications/PubDetails.asp?publd=8120).
The justification for the rating is that no member of the public was exposed to any excess activity, and all exposures to workers were well within established statutory limits and licensee-established dose constraints. Though increasing the rating based on the number of personnel exposed is indicated for higher levels of exposure, at these levels no such increase is warranted. This event is being submitted due to interest expressed by member states of the IAEA for the INES rating of the event.
Contact Person for Further Information This form is provided by the IAEA INES Coordinator: Rejane Spiegelberg Planer, Incident and Emergency Centre, Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, Tel: +43 (1) 2600-26074, Fax: +43 (1) 26007-26074, email: r.spieoelberso-planernliaea~or.
NOTE: This form should not be used for sending information to the IAEA about an actual event!
EVENT RATING FORM (ERF)
IName lAffiliation
]Dr. Cynthia Jones, Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response JU.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission IAddress: Mail Stop T4-D22A, Washington, DC 20555 Phone:
301-415-0298-Fax: 301-415-6382 eMaih: cynthia.jones~anrc.gov This form is provided by the IAEA INES Coordinator: Rejane Spiegelberg Planer, Incident and Emergency Centre, Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, Tel: +43 (1) 2600-26074, Fax: +43 (1) 26007-26074, email: r.spieeelbere-planer(oiaea.org.
NOTE: This form should not be used for sending information to the IAEA about an actual event!
J
/
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS OFFICE OF FEDERAL AND STATE MATERIALS AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS OFFICE OF NEW REACTORS WASHINGTON, DC 20555-0001 November 13, 2009 NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 2009-27: REVISED INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR AND RADIOLOGICAL EVENT SCALE USER'S MANUAL ADDRESSEES All holders of a license, certificate, permit, approval, or registration issued under Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR). Specifically, this includes:
All holders of an operating license or construction permit for a power reactor, test reactor or research reactor issued under 10 CFR Part 50.
All holders of or applicants for an early site permit, standard design certification, standard design approval, manufacturing license, or combined license issued under 10 CFR Part 52.
All holders of a materials license, certificate, approval, or registration issued under 10 CFR Parts 30, 31 through 36, 39, 40, 61, 70, 71, 72, and 76.
All Agreement State Radiation Control Program Directors and State Liaison Officers.
PURPOSE The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this information notice (IN) to inform addressees that the 63 Member States of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have approved an updated version of the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES)
User's Manual. The NRC will use this updated guidance to submit information to the IAEA on certain reactor, fuel cycle facility, and materials events. This IN does not contain NRC requirements. It is for information purposes only, and no specific action or written response is required.
BACKGROUND In 1990, international experts convened by the IAEA and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Nuclear Energy Agency developed the INES with the aim of communicating the safety significance of events at nuclear facilities. As described in NRC Generic Letter 1992-09, "Limited Participation by NRC in the IAEA International Nuclear Event Scale," dated December 31, 1992 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML031070459), the NRC initiated limited use of the system in 1992 to ML092510055
IN 2009-27 Page 2 of 3 rate reactor events that resulted in the declaration of an "Alert" or higher emergency classification. After further review, and as described in NRC Regulatory Issue Summary 2002-01, "Changes to NRC Participation in the International Nuclear Event Scale,"
dated January 14, 2002 (ADAMS Accession No. ML013200502), the NRC expanded its participation to include events associated with various other sources of radiation. NRC participation now covers a wide spectrum of practices, including industrial uses such as radiography, radiation sources in hospitals, activities at nuclear facilities, and the transport of radioactive material. By putting events from all these practices into a proper perspective, use of INES can facilitate a common understanding between the technical community, the media, and the public.
DISCUSSION Events are classified on the INES scale at seven levels: Levels 4-7 are termed "accidents" and Levels 1-3 "incidents." Events without safety significance are classified as "Below Scale/Level 0." An explanation of the classification levels can be found at http://www.iaea.orq/Publications
/Factsheets/English/ines.pdf. The NRC transmits information to the INES website only for those events rated at a Level 2 or higher unless an event rating is specifically requested by another IAEA Member State. Since beginning full participation in 2002, this threshold has resulted in less than one reactor event per year submitted to IAEA, and on average about 5 materials events per year.
In June 2008, 63 Member States of the IAEA approved a revised edition of the INES User's Manual (2008 Edition), to aid in the rating of events, which has just been published by the IAEA (see http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PubDetails.asp?publd=81.20).
The updated manual includes the information from the 2001 INES User's Manual, which focused primarily on reactors and fuel cycle facilities, and incorporates further guidance for the rating of materials events, including those involving the transport, storage, and use of radioactive material and radiation sources. The INES User's Manual (2008 Edition) is now being used by the NRC and the Agreement States to assist in determining the rating of events and to transmit those that are INES Level 2 or higher. The NRC will continue its current practice of notifying the IAEA within 2 business days when an event at a U.S. facility has a provisional INES rating of Level 2 or higher. Notifications are immediately posted for public viewing at the IAEA Web site http://www-news.iaea.org/news/. The changes incorporated into the INES User's Manual (2008 Edition) should be transparent to licensees.
IN 2009-27 Page 3 of 3 CONTACT This information notice requires no specific action or written response. Please direct any questions about this matter to the technical contacts listed below.
IRA by TQuay for!
IRA!
Timothy J. McGinty, Director Division of Policy and Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Daniel H. Dorman, Director Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards IRAI IRAI Robert Lewis, Director Division of Materials Safety and State Agreements Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs Glenn Tracy, Director Division of Construction Inspection and Operational Programs Office of New Reactors Technical Contacts:
Rebecca Sigmon, NRR Cynthia G. Jones, Ph.D., NSIR (301) 415-4018 (301) 415-0298 E-mail: rebecca.siqmon6ýnrc.gov E-mail: cynthia.iones~nrc.gov Note: NRC generic communications may be found on the NRC public Web site, http://www.nrc.qov, under Electronic Reading Room/Document Collections.
IN 2009-27 Page 3 of 3 CONTACT This information notice requires no specific action or written response. Please direct any questions about this matter tothe technical contacts listed below.
IRA by TQuay for!
IRA/
Timothy J. McGinty, Director Division of Policy and Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Daniel H. Dorman, Director Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards IRA/
IRA!
Robert Lewis, Director Division of Materials Safety and State Agreements Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs Glenn Tracy, Director Division of Construction Inspection and Operational Programs Office of New Reactors Technical Contacts:
Rebecca Sigmon, NRR (301) 415-4018 E-mail: rebecca.siqmonanrc.gov Cynthia G. Jones, Ph.D., NSIR (301) 415-0298 E-mail: cynthia.jones(anrc.qov Note: NRC generic communications may be found on the NRC public Web site, http://www.nrc.gov, under Electronic Reading Room/Document Collections.
ADAMS Accession Number: ML092510055 TAC ME1764 OFFICE DIRS/IOEB Tech Editor BC/DIRS/IOEB D/NRR/DIRS NAME RSigmon CHsu EThomas for JThorp McC for FBrown DATE 9/9/09 9/11/09 email 10/2/09 110/5/09 OFFICE NSIR PGCB:DPR PGCB:DPR BC:PGCB:DPR NAME CJones DBeaulieu CHawes MMurphy DATE 10/6/09 10/6/09 10/28/09 11/13/09 OFFICE NRO FSME NMSS D:DPR NAME GTracy RLewis DDorman TMcGinty (TQuay for)
DATE 11/03/09 11/06/09 11/10/09 11/13/09 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY