ENS Event | |
|---|---|
14:15 Feb 3, 2021 | |
| Title | Alert Declared Due to Radioactive Release to the Environment |
| Event Description | 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). |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| National Inst Of Standards &Amp; Tech Gaithersburg, Maryland (NRC Region 0) | |
| License number: | TR-5 |
| Reporting | |
| Emergency class: | Alert |
| 10 CFR 50.72(a) (1) (i), Emergency Class Declaration | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+-4.5 h-0.188 days <br />-0.0268 weeks <br />-0.00616 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Tom Newton 09:45 Feb 3, 2021 |
| NRC Officer: | Karl Diederich |
| Last Updated: | Feb 3, 2021 |
| 55094 - NRC Website | |
with 10 CFR 50.72(a)(1)(i), Emergency Class Declaration | |
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