PNO-IV-99-018, on 990305,declared SONGS Units 2 & 3 Alert Because Potential Bomb Threat Occurred.Device Was 12-inch long,2-inch Diameter Copper Pipe,With Both Ends Capped. Licensee Notified State & Local Officials

PNO-IV-99-018:on 990305,declared SONGS Units 2 & 3 Alert Because Potential Bomb Threat Occurred.Device Was 12-inch long,2-inch Diameter Copper Pipe,With Both Ends Capped. Licensee Notified State & Local Officials

ML20207E671
Person / Time
Site:	San Onofre
Issue date:	03/05/1999
From:	John Kramer, Greg Pick NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV)
To:
References
PNO-IV-99-018, PNO-IV-99-18, NUDOCS 9903110033
Download: ML20207E671 (1)

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March 5,1999 PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE PNO-IV-99-018

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l This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety or pub 0c interest significance. The information is as initially received without verification or evaluation, and is basically all that is known by Region IV staff in Arlington, Texas on this date.

l Facility Licensee Emeroency Classification I

Southem Califomia Edison & San Diego Gas Notification of Unusual Event l & Electric Co. X Alert l San Onofre 12 3 Site Area Emergency San Clemente,Califomia General Emergency l Dockets: 50-206,50-361,50-362 Not Applicable 1

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Subject:

SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION (SONGS), UNITS 2 AND 3 -

ALERT DECLARED BECAUSE OF POTENTIAL BOMB THREAT On March 5,1999, at 10:15 a.m. (PST), the licensee declared an Alert when a security officer identified a suspicious device on the 70-foot elevation of the control building. At the time of the discovery, both Units 2 and 3 were operating at 100 percent power. The device was a 12-inch long,2-inch diameter copper pipe, with both ends capped. The device was i in a remote location, outside of vital areas and away from plant equipment. It was not considered powerful enough to cause any significant damage. The licensee determined I that the only potential damage would be to the on-site radio communication system. The

! licensee treated the device as a bomb. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the bomb L squad at the local Marine Corps base (Camp Pendleton) responded. The licensee l evacuated the local area on the 70-foot elevation near the device. Further, to place the l location of the device in context, the technical support center is located on the 50-foot l elevation of the control building and the combined Units 2 and 3 control room is located on the 30-foot elevation of the control building.

1 l The licensee notified state and local officials. The licensee activated its technical support i center at 10:48 a.m. and the emergency operations facility at 11:08 a.m. The licensee promptly evacuated the state beach in front of and to the south of the facility. Shortly after noon, the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps response team completed its evaluation of the pipe and determined that it was not an explosive device. The licensee terminated the Alert at 12:27 p.m.

The licensee issued three press releases and there has been local news media interest.

The State of California, Orange County, and FEMA Region IX, as well as the California congressional delegation, were informed of the event.

• • Mag The resident inspectorr, responded to the control room immediately and monitored licensee actions The licensee notified NRC of the Alert at 10:26 a.m. Region IV manned its l c h, incident Response Center in a monitoring mode at 10:43 a.m. (PST) with support from

8 NRC Headquarters, 5

l fa5 Region IV conducted a briefing for the Commission Assistants at 1 p.m. (PST), after Q8 termination of the event.

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-> This infnrmation has been discussed with the licensee and is current as of 1:30 p.m.

i (PST).

2 St

Contact:

Gregory A. Pick (817)860-8270 John Kramer (949)492-2641 \ U' 4

30Gb

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