ML19282B712

LER 79-001/01T-0 on 790219:inadvertent Radioactive Gaseous Release Occurred While Returning K10B Cryogenic Sys Gas Compressor to Svc.Caused by Operator Failure to Ensure Valve Was Closed.Procedures Restressed

ML19282B712
Person / Time
Site:	Point Beach
Issue date:	03/01/1979
From:	Burstein S WISCONSIN ELECTRIC POWER CO.
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
Shared Package
ML19282B708	List: ML19282B707 ML19282B712
References
LER-79-001-01T-01, LER-79-1-1T-1, NUDOCS 7903160147
Download: ML19282B712 (3)

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, ISOTOPIC BREAKDONN Date: 02-19-79 Time: 1800 hours0.0208 days <br />0.5 hours <br />0.00298 weeks <br />6.849e-4 months <br />

• Source: Auxiliary Building Vent Average Gas: 1.7 x 10-5 pCi/cc Release Activity: 4.93 x 10-" Ci/sec Gaseous Composition: .

Isotope f fxA XMF "Xe-133"

-5 Xe-133 .068435 3.3738 x 10-' 1 3.37 x 10 Kr-85m .068349 3.3696 x 10-5 3 1.01 x 10-"

Kr-88 .12166 5.9978 x lo-s 15 9.00 x 10-"

Xe-133m .0050981 2.5134 x 10-' 1 2.51 x 10-'

Xe-135 .26043 1.2839 x 10-" 3 3.85 x 10-"

Xe-138 .22924 1.1302 x 10-" 10 1.13 x 10-8 Kr-87 .068435 3.3738 x 10-5 15 5.06 x 10-"

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7.20 x 10 "

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Xe-135m .14612 - 7.2037 x 10-s 10

'1.32 x 10 "

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Ar-41 .C35687 1.7594 x 10-5 7.5 1.41 x 10 '

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Kr-85 .0028517 1.4059 x 10-' 1

-3 4.96 x 10-" 3.91 x 10 2 Air Particulates and Iodines:

I-131: N/A -

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I-133: N/A 2 Total Release (Based on Computer) :

• 0004 - 2/20 - 3.53 Ci 0004 - 2/19 - 2.35 Ci

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1.18 Ci - .13 Ci (daily average) = 1.03 Ci i

1.03 Ci x Xe-133 MF = Xe-133 equivalent 1.03 x 7.8891 = 8.13 Ci Xe-133 equivalent total release

- Total Average Release Rate, Curies /Second: 3.91 x 10-8 Percent of 0.2 Curies /Second = 1.96%

(permitted annual average release rate) 7903160II} L

NRC FORM 366 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

(7 77)

, LICENSEE EVENT REPORT

• CONTROL BLOCK: l l l l l l (PLEASE PRINT OR TYPE ALL REQUIRED INFORMATION) 1 6 o i l W l Il p l B l H l 1l@l 0 l 0l - l 0 l 0 l 0 l 0 l 0 l - l0 l 0 l@l 4 l 1l 1l1 l 1 l@lb F GAl T 68l@

7 8 9 LICENSEE CODE 14 tS LICENSE NUMSEM 25 26 LICENSE TYPE 40 CON'T

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S uRCE lLl@l0l5 0 l Ol 0 l 2 l 61668l@l69 0 l 2EVENT l 1lDATE 917 l 974l@l750 3 Ol 117 l 980l@

? 60 81 DOCKET NUM8ER REPORT DATE EVENT DESCRIPTION AND PROBABLE CONSEQUENCES h O 2 IWhile returning the K10B cryogenic system gas compressor to service f5TI'l I following repair, an inadvertent radioactive gaseous release occurred.

O 4 lAs the compressor discharge valve was opened at 1819 hours0.0211 days <br />0.505 hours <br />0.00301 weeks <br />6.921295e-4 months <br />, 2-19-79, thel g l operator heard gas escaping through a vent valve inadvertently left open.

O e The valve was immediately closed. T. S. 15.3.9.B.3 requires a 7-day l g Idecay time prior to release. The release rate was found to be less thanl 0 R l2 percent of the permitted annual average release rate. I 7 8 9 80 0E ODE S 8C E COMPONENT CODE SUS ODE SU E 7

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l Ml Bl@ W@ l Al@ l V AlLlVlElXl@ W @ y @

9 10 11 12 13 18 19 20 SEQUENTIAL OCCURAENCE REPORT REVISION LER EVENT YE AR REPORT NO. CODE TYPE N O.

O sjg/ROa 1719l 21 22

[- -J 23 l0 01 11 24 28 M

27 10111 28 29 LTj 30 _

b31 W

32 N AC ON 7 MET HOURS 22 SS I F 8. SU L MANUFAC RER

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36 l 0 0l0l0l 37 40 Wg 41

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43 44 Xl9l9 9l@ 47 CAUSE DESCRIPTION AND CORRECTIVE ACTIONS h Li o IThe operator failed to ensure that the valve was closed before 1 y lreturnina the comoressor to service. The operator was reinstructed to I i 2 l carefully adhere te procedures. I i 3 I

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EI 8 9 7 80 AT  % POWER OTHER STATUS Dis OV RY DISCOVERY DESCRIPTION i s W@ l ll 0l 0l@lN/A l W@l N/A l A TIVtTY CO TENT RELEASED OF RELEASE AMOUNT OF ACTIVITY LOCATION OF RELEASE i 6 [G,,_j @ (,Nj@l1.03 Curies total l l Auxiliary bldg. vent to atmosphere l PERSONNEL EXPOS ES

~ UMBER Tvn oESCRi,TiO~@

i y l0 0 l 0 l@l Z l@l N/A

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' nRSO~NENunS NuM8ER oESCRiPTiO~@

i a 8 9 l 0 l 0 l 0 l@l12N/A l 7 11 80 LOSS OF OR OAMAGE TO FACILITY TYPE DESCRIPTION y W @lN/A 7 8 9 10 80

• 2 O ISdSUE hlDE N/A CRIPTION l llllllllll lllI 7 8 9 10 68 69 80 g NAME OF PREPARER Sol Burstein PHONE:

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ATTACHMENT TO LICENSEE EVENT REPORT NO. 79-001/0lT-0 Wisconsin Electric Power Company Point Beach Nuclear Plant Unit 1 Docket No. 50-266 An inadvertent radioactivo gaseous release occurred at 1819 hours0.0211 days <br />0.505 hours <br />0.00301 weeks <br />6.921295e-4 months <br />, February 19, 1979, while returning the K10B cryogenic gas compressor to service following repair. As the compressor discharge valve was opened, the operator heard gas escaping through a vent valve (CR-119 ) inadvertently left open. The vent valve was immediately closed, isolating the source of the release.

The release caused the auxiliary building atmospheric vent gas monitor to alarm. The monitor spiked to approxi-mately 200,000 counts, quickly dropped to 30,000 counts, and then slowly decreased to normal levels about 70 minutes later.

The entire release was properly monitored.

. Calculations show that the release rate was 1.96% of the permitted annual average release rate of 0.2 Curies per second. The total release was 1.03 Curies of noble gases.

An isotopic breakdown is attached.

The release occurred as a result of the operator failing to ensure that the valve was closed before returning.the compressor to service as required by procedure.. The procedure requires that all purge paths are ensured to be secured before restoring any portion of the system to service. The operator was reinstructed to carefully adhere to procedures.

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