View source for PNO-IV-89-051A, on 890814,radioactive Contamination Found Outside Radiation Controlled Area in Stairwell of Mechanical Auxiliary Bldg & on 890817,contamination Found in 11A Mab Chiller Open Cooling Sys Discharge Drain.Events Unrelated

{{Adams
| number = ML20246C471
| issue date = 08/18/1989
| title = PNO-IV-89-051A:on 890814,radioactive Contamination Found Outside Radiation Controlled Area in Stairwell of Mechanical Auxiliary Bldg & on 890817,contamination Found in 11A Mab Chiller Open Cooling Sys Discharge Drain.Events Unrelated
| author name = Skow M
| author affiliation = NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION &amp; ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV)
| addressee name = 
| addressee affiliation = 
| docket = 05000498
| license number = 
| contact person = 
| document report number = PNO-IV-89-051A, PNO-IV-89-51A, NUDOCS 8908240395
| document type = PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR OCCURRENCE (PNO,, TEXT-INSPECTION &amp; AUDIT &amp; I&amp;E CIRCULARS
| page count = 2
}}
{{#Wiki_filter:--    -    - -____                               __-
V        [,
August 18, 1989
: PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE -- PNO-IV-89-51A
              ,    l 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 the
                   ' Region IV staff on this date.
  <                  FACILITY:. Houston Lighting & Power Company        Licensee Emergency Classification:
South Texas Project Unit 1                  Notification of Unusual Event j                        DN: 50-498                                  Alert
            ,                                                                 Site Area Emergency General Emergency X Not Applicable.
t

==SUBJECT:==
RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION OUTSIDE RADIATION CONTROLLED AREA i                  This update provides additional information to PNO-IV-89-51 dated August 15, 1989.
During a routine radiological survey on August 14, 1989, of. radiation controlled
                   ' area (RCA), within the mechanical auxiliary building (MAB), Houston Lighting &
Power Company (HL&P) found contamination in a stairwell. The stairwell-was near normally noncontaminated auxiliary steam condensate piping associated with the radwaste evaporator. Further survey found the auxiliary steam condensate piping and the inorganic basin contaminated.
A special inspection team held its exit on August 15, 1989. The cause of the evt:nt appeared to be operator error during shutdown of the radwaste evaporator on August 10, 1989, leaving two valves open which contaminated the auxiliary steam condensate piping and the inorganic basin. The valves were left open from August 10 to August 14, 1989, during which time liquid waste was processed throt.gh that path at least twice. HL&P has identified the limits of the contamination and has stated that the liquid waste system and auxiliary boiler will not be operated until the root cause is fully understood and corrective action is implemented.
Additional contamination was found at South Texas Project, Unit 1 (STP-1).
At approximately 1 p.m. (CDT) on August 17, 1989, operators of STP-1 noted an increase in the readings of the turbine building sump radiation monitor. HL&P took liquid samples at 1:45 p.m. of Jhe turbine building sump and found low levels of Co-58-(on the order of 10- micro curies /ml). HL&P traced contamination g g through additional samples to the 11A MAB chiller open cooling system discharge
           - a. drain to the turbine building sump. The contamination source appears to be from
          @e normal discharge from the liquid waste and discharge system into common headers.
(* -         A leaky isolation valve on the 11A MAB chiller allowed back flow from the common
* S discharge header through the open cooling water system to the turbine building
       ~ [' i floor drains. Theturbinebuildingsumpdisghargestoanoilywastetank,where
        .g g activity was found to be on the order of 10- micro curies /ml Co-58. Radioactivity y              in the oily waste tank has not been released.
,1$N  '
HL&P has determined that these two contamination events were unrelated. No Eos2         personnel were contaminated. HL&P is studying how to perform cleanup of both contamination events, including the potentially contaminated oil from the oily taste tank.
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                ' W '8/18/89:              8/18/89 u                                                                                               . - - - _ - - _ _ - - - _ _

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           .Neither the licensee nor the NRC plans to issue a press release.
p             The state of Texas will be informed.
  ?-          Region IV received notification of this occurrence from the resident inspectt,r. atL                                                                             i 10:30'a.m., August 18, 1989.. Region-IV has informed FRR and}Public Affairs.
         . This information has been confinned with a licensee representative.                                                                                                 l
            ' CONTACT:>'M. Skow FTS 728-8287-DISTRIBUTION:
OWFN'                                              NMBB            NL                                                   MAIL: DCS (Orig. IE34)
Chmn. Carr      5EGY                       NM55  - MDU             ES                                                                 ' DOT _(Transp.Only)       '
Comm. Roberts CA                           NRR     ARM                                                                                                           1 Comm. Rogers . OGC~                        OIG   - OGC             FAX:                                        (5520:                     I8903,       /W-       ,
Comm. Curtiss GPA                          OI                      TNF0                                                                 eg ons & HQ)   '
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          'ACRS'-            -PA                         SLITP   H-St            PDR EDO -                      DE      F               NSAC EW-W            RRI MLIP            NRC Ops Ctr Licensee (Reactor)
NRCRES, RESPN            Research (Paula Dorm)                                                                                                                   i NRCRM, AEOD'.            AEOD (Patty Wilson)
NRCRM, BROWN             ARM (Karen Brown)                                                                                                                       ;
          .NRCRMP, OIGDW~              Inspector & Auditor (Displaywriter/PC)                                                                                                  i
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          ~INRC0304, SLIPN             GPA: State / Local Indian Tribes Program (Brenda Hill)
INPC0304, NMSSPN       -
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