ML101230338

E-mail from M. Brown of USNRC to D. Kern, R. Bellamy and S. Barber of USNRC Regarding Morning Call Issues Affecting Branch 6

ML101230338
Person / Time
Site:	Three Mile Island
Issue date:	12/21/2009
From:	Michael Brown NRC/NRR/DIRS/IOEB
To:	Barber G, Bellamy R, David Kern NRC/RGN-I/DRP/PB6
References
EN 45514, FOIA/PA-2010-0118
Download: ML101230338 (2)

Text

Brand, Javier From: Brown, Michael Sent: Monday, December 21, 2009 10:16 AM To: Kern, David; Bellamy, Ronald; Barber, Scott Cc: Brand, Javier; White, John

Subject:

RE: Morning Call Issues affecting Branch 6 (TMI Press Release)

Thanks, Mike From: Kern, David Sent: Monday, December 21, 2009 10:15 AM To: Brown, Michael; Bellamy, Ronald; Barber, Scott Cc: Brand, Javier; White, John

Subject:

RE: Morning Call Issues affecting Branch 6 (TMI Press Release)

Mike:

Your update is accurate. RYI, a second offsite monitor also detected the release, but at a slightly lower isotope concentration (e.g. impact of 0.016 mrem). The licensee referred to this as statistically insignificant in their press release, which ,is-rens5onable.

Dave From: Brown, Michael Sent: Monday, December 21, 2009 9:37 AM To: Bellamy, Ronald; Barber, Scott Cc: Kern, David; Brand, Javier; White, John

Subject:

Morning Call Issues affecting Branch 6 (TMI Press Release)

Ron et al, Here is what I plan to report on the TMI Event Notification that was made, please take a look at it and ensure that it is correct.

Let me know if I need to make any changes.

EN 45514 - RADIATION RELEASE IN CONTAINMENT ASSOCIATED WITH STEAM GENERATOR REMOVAL (Recommend Screen Out)

Power Reactor Event Number: 45514

,Facility: THREE MILE ISLAND Notification Date: 11/22/2009

Region: 1 State: PA Notification Time: 01:13 [ET]

'Unit: [1] [ ] [I] Event Date: 11/21/2009 RX Type: [1] B&W-L-LP,[2] B&W-L-LP Event Time: 22:45 [EST]

NRC Notified By: ROGER BARNES Last Update Date: 12/18/2009 HQ OPS Officer: BILL HUFFMAN

'Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY Person (Organization):

10 CFR Section: RAYMOND MCKINLEY (RIDO) i50.72(b)(2)(xi) - OFFSITE NOTIFICATION SAMSON LEE (NRR)

SAM COLLINS (Ri R)

JOHN GROBE (NRR)

MICHAEL JOHNSON (EDO)

BRIAN McDERMOTT (IRD) o

ICOMM ASSTS BRIEFING ()

Unit SCRAM Code RX CRIT I i Initial PWR Initial RX Mode Current PWR Current RX Mode 1 N N i Refueling 0 Refueling Event Text RADIATION RELEASE IN CONTAINMENT ASSOCIATED WITH STEAM GENERATOR REMOVAL "This event is being reported via the ENS to the NRC Operations Center Within four hours after notifications were made to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and local counties for an event of potential public interest. This notification was made at 22:45 on November 21, 2009, after the occurrence of an. event related to the safety and health of onsite personnel for which a press release has been made. The press release was made following the event of potential public interest notifications. This report is being made under 10 CFR 72.75(b)(2).

!"At approximately 16:00 on Saturday November 21, 2009, low levels of radiation activity were measured on radiation monitors installed in the TMI-1 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 aslight increase in activity. Levels have returned to normal. No contamination was

,identified outside of the reactor building. Approximately 150 workers were monitored for exposure to the radiation activity. 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."

IThe licensee is still investigating the cause of the event but indicated that the radiation release is no longer in

,progress. Containment Ventilation is established to provide an inflow into containment to the extent possible (considering the openings in containment).

• The licensee contacted state and local authorities and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA).

The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector. The licensee has also issued a press release.

• *

• UPDATE FROM NEFF TO TEAL AT 1824 EST ON 12/18/2009 * * *

",,This provides an Update to notification EN #45514 that reported a non-emergency offsite notification for an event on November 21, 2009, at the Three Mile island Nuclear Station.

"Updated news release and notifications to local, state and federal elected and regulatory officials were performed

,today, December 18, 2009, that provide an outage update as well as communication the results of analysis of Offsite Environmental Monitors following the November 21, 2009 event."

IThe licensee notified NRC Region I. Notified RlDO (Barkley).

Region I Morning- Call Notes:

EN 45514 - RADIATION RELEASE IN CONTAINMENT ASSOCIATED WITH STEAM GENERATOR REMOVAL Exelon made a Press release on 12/18/09 (See Attachment 1 for a copy of the news article) reporting that a monitor about a mile away from TMI picked up trace amounts of radiation during the same week workers were exposed to contamination at the plant. Between 11/18/09 and 11/24/09, one of TMI's seven remote monitors detected an increase of 0.02 millirems.

The Region mentioned that the radiation released was Cobalt 58, the releases were well below any regulatory limit and that Exelon plans to report them during their next Radiological Environmental Monitoring Report.

(Forwardto TRG's for Emergency Prepardness;Jeffrey Temple, Health Physics; Steven Garry, Dose Assessment; Mark Blumberg and Public Affairs; Scott Burnell)

Thanks, 2