PNO-II-97-021, on 970415,Westinghouse Informed NRC That Low Enriched U Fuel Rods Could Not Be Located.Licensee Stated No Evidence of Theft or Unlawful Diversion of Two Fuel Rods. State of Sc Notified

PNO-II-97-021:on 970415,Westinghouse Informed NRC That Low Enriched U Fuel Rods Could Not Be Located.Licensee Stated No Evidence of Theft or Unlawful Diversion of Two Fuel Rods. State of Sc Notified

ML20137W688
Person / Time
Site:	Westinghouse
Issue date:	04/18/1997
From:	Mcalpine E NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II)
To:
References
PNO-II-97-021, PNO-II-97-21, NUDOCS 9704180185
Download: ML20137W688 (1)

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9 April 18, 1997 j PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE PNO-II-97-021

'This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety.or public interest significance. The information is as initially received without verification or evaluation, and is basically all that is known by Region II-staff in Atlanta, Georgia on this date.

l Facility Licensee Emeraency Classification Westinghouse Electric Corporation Notification of Unusual Event Westinghouse Electric Corporation Alert i Columbia, South Carolina Site Area Emergency Dockets: 07001151 License No: SNM-1107 General Emergency X Not Applicable i I

I

Subject:

TWO LOW ENRICHED URANIUM FUEL RODS INADVERTENTLY SHIPPED BY WESTINGHOUSE TO THE CZECH RI'PUBLIC On April 15, 1997, the Westinghouse Electric Corporation's Commercial l Nuclear Fuel Division Columbia Plant in Columbia, South Carolina informed '

NRC that two low-enriched uranium fuel rods could not be located. The licensee had fabricated the rods in late 1996 and had initiated an

• investigation to locate them on March 24, 1997. Each fuel rod contained i approximately 1588 grams of uranium and 57 grams of U-235 '

(3.8 weight percent U-235). The licensee stated that there was no  ;

l evidence of theft or unlawful diversion of the two fuel rods. On the licensee determined that the two rods might have been April 5,  !

inadvertently included in two replica (non-fuel containing) assemblies '

manufactured by Westinghouse and sent to the Czech Republic for training l purposes. On April 17, the licensee's investigation confirmed that the '

two rods were located in the replica assemblies at the Temelin reactor.

j

'In accordance with the licensee's Fundamental Nuclear Material Control  !

Plan, the licensee had 30 days to locate the two fuel rods after  ;

initiation of their investigation before notification of the NRC. The j licensee notified the NRC of the location of the rods on April 17 and 18.

]

l The State of South Carolina has been notified. NRC has informed the l International Atomic Energy Agency staff responsible for tracking international transfers. The NRC has also notified the Department of l Transportation.

The NRC, Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards and Ragion II will conduct a special inspection of the incident.

This information is current as of 12:00 pm on April 18, 1997.

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Contact:

E. J. McAlpine (404)331-5547

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, 9704180185 970418 I&E

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PDR j PNO-II-97-021 PDR - 0 180046 l