Semantic search
| Entered date | Event description | |
|---|---|---|
| ENS 55120 | 2 March 2021 07:33:00 | Based on video surveillance and radiation readings, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has determined they violated Safety Limit 2.1 - greater than 450 degrees Celsius in a single fuel element. This event notification relates to Event Notification #55094, from 2/3/21.
The following is a summary of an update notification received via telephone: This notification was made per Technical Specification 6.7.2 The investigation related to the February 3, 2021 NIST event (EN 55094) found administrative and procedural inadequacies including: The fuel element was unlatched prior to reactor start up. Inadequate training and proficiencies in latching of fuel. Limiting Conditions for Operations 3.1.3 and 3.9.2.1 were not met. Procedural compliance was not enforced. Inadequate implementation of verification methods for latching fuel. A written report will be submitted within 14 days. Notified R1DO (Young), NRR EO (Miller), IR MOC (Gott), NRR PM (Montgomery), NRR PM (Torres), NPR ENC (Takacs), OPA (Burnell). |
| ENS 55094 | 3 February 2021 09:45:00 | At 0910 EST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) test reactor declared an ALERT in accordance with their NRC approved Emergency Plan, due to the stack radiation monitor reading 100,000 counts per minute due to the release of fission products. The reactor had been operating at 50% power (10 MW), and automatically scrammed one minute prior based on the stack monitor reaching 50,000 counts per minute. When the automatic scram occurred, the facility ventilation system automatically changed to emergency ventilation mode to limit discharge to the environment. Several workers were determined to be externally contaminated and these workers were decontaminated by a change of clothes and showers. These workers are being monitored for possible uptake of internal contamination. Environmental surveys are in progress. The NRC remained in the normal mode. Notified DHS SWO, FEMA Operations Center, CISA Central, USDA Operations Center, HHS Operations Center, DOE Operations Center, EPA Emergency Operations Center, FDA EOC (email), FEMA NWC (email), FEMA NRCC SASC (email) and NuclearSSA (email).
Event is downgraded to a Notification of Unusual Event (NOUE) based upon environmental samples at the site boundary. Members of the public are not expected to have been contaminated. Notified R1DO (Dentel), NRR EO (Miller), IRD (Kennedy), DHS SWO, FEMA Operations Center, CISA Central, USDA Operations Center, HHS Operations Center, DOE Operations Center, EPA Emergency Operations Center, FDA EOC (email), FEMA NWC (email), FEMA NRCC SASC (email) and NuclearSSA (email).
At 1935 EST, NIST terminated the Notification of Unusual Event. The basis for termination was that all air samples were normal. Notified R1DO (Dentel), NRR EO (Miller), IRD (Kennedy), NPR PM (Torres and Montgomery), NPR (Takacs), DHS SWO, FEMA Operations Center, CISA Central, USDA Operations Center, HHS Operations Center, DOE Operations Center, EPA Emergency Operations Center, FDA EOC (email), FEMA NWC (email), FEMA NRCC SASC (email) and NuclearSSA (email). |
| ENS 55034 | 14 December 2020 14:35:00 | At 0336 EST, operators declared an Unusual Event due to elevated radioactivity levels observed at the facility's ventilation stack. The elevated levels were due to a release of Argon-41 gas caused by a failure of the facility's fan system. This failure caused the Argon gas to be released to the ventilation stack into the atmosphere. The reactor was operating at 19.5 MW at the time of the incident and was shutdown when the ventilation stack set point was reached. Facility personnel secured the offsite gas release and verified no fission product release occurred. The Unusual Event was terminated at 0422 EST. |
| ENS 54038 | 30 April 2019 14:17:00 | On April 30, 2019 at approximately 0900 EDT at the National Bureau of Standards Test Reactor (NBSR) a Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) was discussing proposed changes to the area radiation monitor system with NBSR Instrumentation and Control personnel. During this discussion, the SRO realized that the surveillance standard for the radiation monitors had changed in September 2018. The Technical Specification 3.7.1(4) states 'The reactor shall not be operated unless: Two area radiation monitors are operable on floors C-100 and C-200'. To verify operability Technical Specification 4.7.1(4)(b) states 'The Area Radiation Monitors shall be channel tested monthly and channel calibrated annually'. The SRO informed the Chief of Reactor Operations (CRO) that they had incorrectly performed the required monthly channel test in December 2018 and January 2019. The channel test was properly performed in November 2018 and February 2019. The Reactor operated between 12/05/2018 and 12/21/2018 and again between 02/05/2019 and 02/15/2019. |
| ENS 47770 | 26 March 2012 10:04:00 | At 0356 hrs. EDT, while operating at full power, the reactor automatically scrammed on a high signal on period channel 3. At that time, it was believed that the scram was due to noise on the channel. All channels were checked and at 0449 hrs. it was decided that to restart the reactor. During the startup, the rods were pulled to the estimated critical position (ECP) without indication on any of the period channels (3 channels installed). It was decided that the xenon could be precluding the reactor so it was decided to bump the rods out. After bumping out the rods, no increase in period was indicated. During the ensuing discussion, the operator observed power increasing and, at approximately 4 Mw, decided to manually scram the reactor. Investigation into this event is ongoing. |