Headquarters Daily Report MARCH 25, 1997 *************************************************************************** REPORT NEGATIVE NO INPUT ATTACHED INPUT RECEIVED RECEIVED HEADQUARTERS û REGION I û REGION II û REGION III û REGION IV û PRIORITY ATTENTION REQUIRED MORNING REPORT - REGION I MARCH 25, 1997 Licensee/Facility: Notification: MR Number: 1-97-0024 Saic Frederick Cancer R&D Center Date: 03/22/97 Frederick,Maryland Dockets: 03019755 License No: 19-21091-01 Subject: FIRE AT SAIC FREDERICK CANCER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER Discussion: A fire on Friday, March 21, 1997 at the SAIC Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, License No. 19-21091-01, was reported to the NRC Headquarters Operations Center on March 22. The fire occurred in a building used primarily for housing research animals, and several laboratories used for work with radioactive materials. No radioactive materials were damaged or lost in the fire, and no contamination has been identified in preliminary surveys. Tritium compounds (19 millicuries) stored in a Revco freezer were recovered by a fireman under direction from the licensee health physics staff on Friday evening. Tritium and iodine-125 wastes (less than 1 millicurie total) stored in the iodination laboratory were recovered intact. Surveys and bioassays of personnel who were required to enter the radioactive materials laboratories identified no contamination or uptakes. News stories about the fire focused on the loss of the research animals. Regional Action: Review at the next routine inspection. Contact: E. Ullrich (610)337-5040 _ REGION II MORNING REPORT PAGE 2 MARCH 25, 1997 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Tennessee Valley Authority MR Number: 2-97-0018 Sequoyah 1 Date: 03/25/97 Soddy-Daisy,Tennessee Dockets: 50-327 PWR/W-4-LP Subject: REACTOR COOLANT SYSTEM PARTIAL DRAIN DOWN Discussion: On March 23, 1997, at approximately 7:15 a.m., Unit 1 was in Mode 5 during a refueling outage, and operators were conducting routine evolutions in preparation for reactor vessel disassembly. Operators initiated steps to reduce the reactor coolant system (RCS) inventory from 56 percent to 25 percent pressurizer level (approximately 716 foot elevation) by procedure using the cold calibrated instrument. At approximately 7:45 a.m., operators noticed that the pressurizer cold calibration level indication had stopped decreasing and was holding steady at approximately 34 percent. The pressurizer hot calibration level indications had dropped to 0 percent although were not requried by procedure to be monitored. The operators also observed Reactor Vessel Level Indication at 92 percent. The operators stopped the drain down evolution upon realization of the level discrepancy and initiated filling. The licensee subsequently determined that the RCS level had drained to approximately the 705 foot elevation, which is approximately 3 feet above the top of the reactor vessel flange. This represents approximately 4000 gallons drained below the intended amount. Shutdown cooling was unaffected during this event. The licensee identified that the reference leg for the cold calibration pressurizer level instrument was not filled and is investigating the root cause. Regional Action: Resident Inspectors are continuing to follow licensee activities. Contact: Mark S. Lesser (404)331-0342 _ REGION III MORNING REPORT PAGE 3 MARCH 25, 1997 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Wisconsin Electric Power Co. MR Number: 3-97-0050 Point Beach 1 2 Date: 03/24/97 Two Rivers,Wisconsin SRI Dockets: 50-266,50-301 PWR/W-2-LP,PWR/W-2-LP Subject: STATION MANAGEMENT CHANGES Discussion: Point Beach Nuclear Plant has announced the following management changes and additions. Keith Eckard with Performance Improvement International (PII) formerly Failure Prevention & Investigation (FPI) has been named Acting Assistant Operations Manager. Richard Mende, formerly with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and former Start-up Manager for Watts Bar, has been named Operations Manager. Two additional management positions have been created. Steve Cartwright current Off-Site Review Committee (OSRC) Chairman and former Supply Chain Manager of Electric and Gas Operations for Wisconsin Energy has been named Manager-Nuclear Support. Gary Boldt, presently Vice President-Nuclear Production for Florida Power Corporation, has been named Special Assistant to the Site Vice President for engineering issues. Regional Action: Routine follow-up Contact: J.W. MCCORMICK-BARGE (630)829-9872 _ REGION III MORNING REPORT PAGE 4 MARCH 25, 1997 Licensee/Facility: Notification: Non-Licensee MR Number: 3-97-0051 Rochester Manufacturing Date: 03/24/97 Rochester,Michigan TELECON License No: NON-LICENSEE Subject: IODINE-131 CONTAMINATION FOUND ON SCRAP METAL Discussion: Michigan Department of Radiological Health reported to Region III on March 24, 1997, that it had recently responded to a reported contaminated metal waste occurrence in Rochester, Michigan. Rochester Manufacturing located in Rochester, Michigan had shipped some scrap ferrous filings to Ferrous Processing at 9100 John Kronk, Detroit, MI on March 19, 1997. When it arrived, the radiation detector at Ferrous Processing tripped, indicating the scrap was contaminated with radioactive material. The shipment was sent back to Rochester Manufacturing the following day. An environmental consultant was contracted by Rochester Manufacturing, who notified the state agency after identifying and isolating the contaminated material in the scrap. The State Radiological Health department was contacted by the contractor and it dispatched an inspector to check the contamination. A sample of the scrap was taken and a gamma spectral analysis determined that the contaminating radionuclide was Iodine-131. The highest reading with a micro-R meter was 0.1 mR/Hr at the surface of the contaminated metal. The source of the contamination is not known. The contaminated metal has been placed in a secured area pending decay of the radioactivity to background levels. The president of Rochester Manufacturing stated that in his opinion the scrap might have become contaminated at either the plant or at the scrap dealer. His theory is that it could have been caused by some one who had recently received medical treatment with iodine-131, who may have urinated onto the scrap at either location. Some 180 employees work at the Rochester location. The company is trying to identify the person who may have caused the scrap to be contaminated. The contaminated scrap is locked in a semi trailer and will be checked by the companies consultant each week. The state will be notified each time the scrap is checked and the company will rely on the state agency to let them know when it can release the material. This appears to be of minor health and safety concern. Regional Action: Follow up with State of Michigan Contact: JOHN D. JONES (630)829-9832 MONTE P. PHILLIPS (630)829-9806 _