PNO-III-86-059, on 860620,licensee Determined That Fire Existed in off-gas Treatment Sys Charcoal Absorbers.Caused by Space Heater.Reactor Shut Down at Time of Event & Will Remain Shut Down

PNO-III-86-059:on 860620,licensee Determined That Fire Existed in off-gas Treatment Sys Charcoal Absorbers.Caused by Space Heater.Reactor Shut Down at Time of Event & Will Remain Shut Down

ML20199G518
Person / Time
Site:	Perry
Issue date:	06/20/1986
From:	Knop R, Warnick R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:
References
PNO-III-86-059, PNO-III-86-59, NUDOCS 8606250260
Download: ML20199G518 (1)

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PRELIMINARY NOTlFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE--PNO-Ill-86 Date June 20, 1986 This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety or public 1

interest significance. The information is as initially received without verification or evaluation, and is basically all that is known by the Region III staff on this date. ,

Facility: Cleveland Electric Illuminating Perry Unit 1 Licensee Emergency Classification:

y Notification of an Unusual Event h

Perry, OH 44081 Alert Site Area Emergency Docket No. 50-440 General Emergency Not Applicable

Subject:

Charcoal Filter Fire

)

At about 11:45 a.m. (EDT), June 20, 1986, the licensee declared an Unusual Event based upon a determination that a fire existed in the off-gas treatment system charcoal absorbers.

I At the time of the event, preoperational testing was being conducted to verify the heat i removal capacity of the off-gas refrigeration system. The testing involved deployment of portable electric space heaters in the off-gas absorber vault to raise system temperature to approximately 150 degrees F. It is currently believed that the positioning of one or more of the space heaters may have resulted in excessive temperatures leading to charcoal ignition.

(The charcoal is contained in four large tanks 23 feet tall and 4 feet in diameter, each containing 3 tons of charcoal. The charcoal filters are used to remove gaseous radioactive materials during plant operations.)

i There has not been, nor is there now a potential for a public health or safety problem. No l radioactive materials are involved in this event. During normal plant operations, the charcoal filters would not be subjected to heat with the potential to ignite the charcoal.

The licensee received its low power license on March 18, 1986, initial criticality was j achieved on June 6, 1986. The reactor was shut down at the time of the event and will remain shutdown.

The resident inspectors were in Region III at the time of the incident and one was dispatched to the site. Region III is, and the resident inspector will be, monitoring the licensee's course of action.

There has been significant news media interest.

The State of Ohio will be notified.

CONTACT: R. C. Kno R. F. ha ick FTS 388-5547 FTS 388-5575 DISTRlBUTION:

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SECY NSAC 4 d i CA RIII R'esident Office 4:SD PDR Licensee: t/:y (Corp. Office - Reactor Lic. Only)

Region III Rev. November 1985 , Q es*2pgeo B6062o g _ m -es-a , , 4_

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