TMI Incident

[zer0onyx]

Im here at TMI on Outage Coverage for the T1R18 Outage. Yesterday I was watching at they were getting ready to remove the first steam generator. They started removing it, then took it back in and pulled the tarp over the hole cut into containment. I thought nothing of it til this morning when I was watching the news.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=7131935

[JsonD13]

Mutant,
      to you.  There is absolutely no need to add to possible fears of anyone until that station figures out the extent of damage.  If you read into the article it says that 20 people were treated for exposure.  That would tend to imply that they recieved exposures bad enough to warrant medical attention.  However, these people probably were only contaminated and just needed to take a shower.

Jason

[zer0onyx]

Sorry. You are right I should change that.

[RRhoads]

Not defend the media, but perhaps TMI/Exelon should be more careful about what THEY put out to the media & how THEY handle jobs going on in Containment.
While i totally agree about the significance of the "incident" (minor to nil at best)
however, if anybody should know how to deal with Media issues it should be TMI and they should be the most sensitive to their neighbors!
Everybody in this business is fully awear of Exelon's "reputation" as well as SGT's when it comes to "getting things done". The worst HP experiences on SG replacements happened to me while SGT was there and talking to other HP's seems to be the norm & not the exception.

[RRhoads]

Nope sure dont have any info on that but just making a general statement about SGT. Perhaps you should start another topic about SGT if you are so inclined!.
Seems you may be too close to the situation to make an unbiased statement.

[Gamecock]

Not defend the media, but perhaps TMI/Exelon should be more careful about what THEY put out to the media

I think this is the problem the plagues the nuclear industry as a whole.  The general public is ignorant of all things nuclear.  The nuclear power conglomerates should educate the public with TV commercials, etc. to help overcome the public misperceptions.  Until they do this, the "Nuclear Renaissance" will never become a reality.

Just my .02

[zer0onyx]

All we have heard is that they were cutting some pipes and the airborne alarm had went off.

[ruth13]

You have to chuckle when you see headlines like "Radiation Detected at Three Mile Island, 150 Workers Sent Home".  (Fox News.com)  Duh.....it IS a nuclear power plant, afterall......

[JustinHEMI05]

I always love how they end it with "there was a partial meltdown in 1979." Because that is related and will help the public remain calm.

[Brett LaVigne]

That short article was absolute BS, fueled with a total lack of understanding and aimed to scare those that don't know the difference. This stuff always makes me really angry. I also think it is a good point that was made in an earlier post about how much info. the utility gives the press. Generally, the media likes to sensationalize things, it pulls in more viewers.

I will also comment that SGT, in my opinion, run SGR projects like a bunch of cowboys with a get-r-done at all costs attitude. I don't know enough to imply that it was their fault, but I was terrified of the refuel floor both times at Diablo once we turned over the can to them. Dropping things on a daily basis it seemed along with much talk about the bonus recieved if done ahead of schedule. Sorry, I know we have to get the job done, but schedule infront of safety is wrong in any industry. In fact, I would consider it almost criminal taking a stance that the risk of injury or death is worth taking to come in under budget and ahead of schedule. And that was exactally my impression of how SGT did business, and how the utility allowed it is just as suspect.

[JsonD13]

Working a normal workday could read like this at any news network.  I detect radiation every day, and every day we sent hundreds of people home, .

[JavaJoe]

All we have heard is that they were cutting some pipes and the airborne alarm had went off.

I've heard that TMI just received 2 more NRC guys to come help them out

[kp88]

I've heard that TMI just received 2 more NRC guys to come help them out

They tend to be helpful that way.   

[matthew.b]

I just love the article opening with "A small amount of radiation was detected in a reactor building."

Hmmm, I've never known a reactor building at an operating plant that didn't have at least a little radiation in it.

Until we see more info, this is a very speculation loaded event.

[Smart People]

I remember an incident at Hatch. there was a lifting accident in the turbine access and a worker had to go to the hospital. All the local news was worried about was that the worker had to be checked for contamination (Just like everybody else at the plant)

[HydroDave63]

I've heard that TMI just received 2 more NRC guys to come help them out

Portable shielding! 

[Neutron Whisperer]

Might I suggest saving a millirem:

[MeterSwangin]

So what actually happened at the TMI SGR?  Grind on mrad pipe-end?  Need facts.

[zer0onyx]

They are still not sure. They "think" it was from the cutting of pipes. There has been talk about the vacuums they were using in the opposing d-ring that did not have filters in them. The workers that were using the vacuums did not receive any dose so i am not sure how they are thinking they are the cause.

[UncaBuffalo]

In a statement, a county representative said, "County and state officials did not learn of the exposure until Middletown Mayor Robert Reid called the county's 911 center at 9:30 p.m., which was five and a half hours after the leak was detected."

http://www.wgal.com/news/21691924/detail.html

So...why did they notify the local authorities anyway?  I've been in several 'incidents' where we had airborne in the can & crapped a bunch of people up...but notifying the county was never mentioned. 

Is this a notification that only TMI (because of their history) has to make?

[rumrunner]

TMI doesn't help themselves when their 4-hour NRC report uses poor terminology.  "Hmm, we got some of that radiation activity going on in there."

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/en.html#en45514

[Brett LaVigne]

This whole thing is just stupid.

I helped an Areva guy a couple of years ago that got nearly 100 millirem from an uptake on the generator platform. Looking back on it, I should have called 911 as soon as I found out he was contaminated!

[Marvin]

You guys are looking at this through a dirty lens.

Keep em scared and in the dark and we'll have work for life.  If everyone knew about radiation, then they wouldn't need us.

[RDTroja]

You guys are looking at this through a dirty lens.

Keep em scared and in the dark and we'll have work for life.  If everyone knew about radiation, then they wouldn't need us.

I disagree. The regulators will never relax rules or allow the utilities to reduce controls no matter what the public thinks. You don't have to teach them the magic, just get them to accept that the magic and magicians are benevolent.

[Melrose]

FYI,

At approximately 1600 on Saturday an unexpected increase in airborne radioactivity developed in the Reactor Building.  This was immediately evident by the alarming of local air monitors first in the B D-ring, then in other areas of the Reactor Building.  As per procedure, the control room and OCC were notified and all work was stopped.  Personnel were directed to exit the reactor building until conditions could be assessed.  Precautionary actions were then taken to cover reactor building openings, including lowering of the pre-installed curtain at the construction hatch, and covering the personnel hatch entrance area.  RB purge supply fans were secured to maximize purge exhaust ventilation flow and reduce air flow out of the construction opening.  An airborne sample taken at the inside of the construction opening at 1830 showed activity levels had returned to normal values.  The calculated release for this event was 0.7% of TMI’s annual limit, which is equivalent to 0.1 mrem on an annual limit of 15 mrem.  No contamination was found on any surfaces outside the containment building – in other words, this event posed no threat to public health or safety, or the health or safety of our team.

 The inside airborne contamination was caused by a slight change in air pressure inside the containment building that dislodged small irradiated particles in the reactor system piping. Some of the small particles were lofted into the air inside the building and were detected by an array of monitors in place to detect such material.

 The air pressure change occurred when fans were started to supply warm air to the Reactor Building.   

145 Whole Body Counts (WBC) were completed using the bioassay process with the results being validated by the Radiological Technical Manager and Corporate RP staff as well as the NRC.  Some workers may continue to alarm the gamma monitors at the main access facility until the activity is biologically eliminated from the body over the next few days.  All workers are expected to receive zero (0) mrem of dose following completion of final whole body counts.


Each person in the United States receives about 300 mrem per year of radiation dose from naturally occurring sources.  The activity released during this event was about 0.1 mrem (one tenth of one mrem). 

 
Hope this clears things up......... RELAX...

[MeterSwangin]

I heard today that Areva's pipe-end decon system blew through the HEPA unit....that would certainly make a mess in hurry.

Confirmation?

[MLP]

Something the industry does not want to have happen, but they know it is likely to occur.  The task of replacing two STM GEN in a nuclear power plant is HIGHLY LIKELY to cause some contaminated particles to be disturbed. 

I suppose cutting a large whole in the side of the containment building, cutting STM GEN piping - would cause a little dust. Yes, likely contaminated. Plasma cutting of contaminated piping moves particles around as well.

I can remember replacing leaking O Rings on the STM GEN heater bundles (3) and there was a significant limits and precautions, primarily mandatory local dust/dirt barriers on the integrated scaffolding. Just for cleanliness, no radiation or contaminated particles involved.

Now for whatever reason, this event should have never escalated beyond the rad tech supervision....in my opinion.  I have been on the frontline of heavily contaminated areas,
it is simply, a "Time, Distance and Shielding" and a Anti-C protection world". A nuclear power plant is no place for on the job training, for many.

Things like this are likely to occur when specific task briefing is neither given or adhered
to, who's to say?....only the "hands on" staff are most accurate source - and certainly not any one outside of the containment building. 

Not a win for the industry to have the public nose in it.  The first to cry when the lights go out.

As a dedicated alumni of the US Fleet of US reactors....if this 'routine part of a job do get done' was any where else in the US...no one would have blinked an eye.  We can thank the anti-nuclear movement for this unnecessary escalation of what comes with the territory.   

[Bonds 25]

Yeah I think its about time we start educating the "Public"........this seems like a very silly event.

[nowhereman]

Not being biased and being close to the source, not one person has quite hit the nail squarely on the head regarding their guesswork.
 thats all I have to say about that......

[UncaBuffalo]

FYI,

At approximately 1600 on Saturday an unexpected increase in airborne radioactivity developed in the Reactor Building.  This was immediately evident by the alarming of local air monitors first in the B D-ring, then in other areas of the Reactor Building.  As per procedure, the control room and OCC were notified and all work was stopped.  Personnel were directed to exit the reactor building until conditions could be assessed.  Precautionary actions were then taken to cover reactor building openings, including lowering of the pre-installed curtain at the construction hatch, and covering the personnel hatch entrance area.  RB purge supply fans were secured to maximize purge exhaust ventilation flow and reduce air flow out of the construction opening.  An airborne sample taken at the inside of the construction opening at 1830 showed activity levels had returned to normal values.  The calculated release for this event was 0.7% of TMI’s annual limit, which is equivalent to 0.1 mrem on an annual limit of 15 mrem.   No contamination was found on any surfaces outside the containment building – in other words, this event posed no threat to public health or safety, or the health or safety of our team.

 The inside airborne contamination was caused by a slight change in air pressure inside the containment building that dislodged small irradiated particles in the reactor system piping. Some of the small particles were lofted into the air inside the building and were detected by an array of monitors in place to detect such material.

 The air pressure change occurred when fans were started to supply warm air to the Reactor Building.   

145 Whole Body Counts (WBC) were completed using the bioassay process with the results being validated by the Radiological Technical Manager and Corporate RP staff as well as the NRC.  Some workers may continue to alarm the gamma monitors at the main access facility until the activity is biologically eliminated from the body over the next few days.  All workers are expected to receive zero (0) mrem of dose following completion of final whole body counts.


Each person in the United States receives about 300 mrem per year of radiation dose from naturally occurring sources.  The activity released during this event was about 0.1 mrem (one tenth of one mrem). 

 
Hope this clears things up......... RELAX...

So there was an unplanned release.  I guess that clears up my question as to why the local authorities were notified.  Thanks! 

[kp88]

The calculated release for this event was 0.7% of TMI’s annual limit, which is equivalent to 0.1 mrem on an annual limit of 15 mrem.

One event which is probably ninety percent of the TMI administrative dose guideline for the year.
I think that I'm going to get training on this. 

[Marvin]

Did they get any bloodwork done? How about chromosome aberration dosimetry.  Come on, just putting a plug in for the dosimetrists.  They need work too....

[pmelendy]

Thanks to Mutant for reminding us all where our bread is buttered.  You sound really fun.  Having said that, I was also at Diablo for the SGR's, on the refuel floor, and I've just got two words:  in, sane.  Four, five, or six loads in the air at any one time, crews on top of crews, looky-lou's looking at other looky-lou's, RP speedbumps getting hopped at every turn.  Our house foreman showed superhuman mind-control in the face of total annihilation, at times having to throw dozens of well-meaning but extraneous bodies out of the can, just so we could focus on minor tasks, like, oh, moving the Reactor Head.  It's a miracle nobody got killed, and it's even a bigger miracle house RP didn't get themselves royally hosed from kowtowing to SGT's every retarded whim. 
I, like Mr. LaVaginier, was not terribly impressed with SGT, as I'm sure they are equally underwhelmed with the needs and concerns of Joe Metermonkey.  We do so much, dear friends, that goes totally unnoticed, and hence, totally unappreciated, (and uncompensated.)  Our experienced eyes see so many uh-ohs before they happen, whether it's our purview or not, save newbies from certain O.E.-hood, and stay awake throughout the most pointless meetings ever conceived.  Sometimes we even get a cool mug!  Keep up the good work, folks.

[roadhp]

Actually, SGT is handing out these cool ice scrappers...must know we will be here until February!!! 

[Brett LaVigne]

I, like Mr. LaVaginier, was not terribly impressed with SGT,

That's pronounced La-Vig-anaeyqr@#p buddy!

[MeterSwangin]

Still no confirmation what really happened?

Areva pipe-end decon system dust collection can lets loose and "poof"......right?

[starving_dog]

Still no confirmation what really happened?

Areva pipe-end decon system dust collection can lets loose and "poof"......right?

Not so much, I am thinking more along the lines of valve line-ups and changes to containment purge.

[Marlin]

Not being biased and being close to the source, not one person has quite hit the nail squarely on the head regarding their guesswork.
 thats all I have to say about that......

Ran a HEPA vac without a HEPA?

[SloGlo]

That's pronounced La-Vig-anaeyqr@#p buddy!

wail,hail!  iffen yinz gist spelt things batter, know buddy wood git it skrewed up, doncha no.

bot (bak on topic) eye herd dat da s/g crew had cut da cold legs off both s/gs 'n ops turned on da containment ventilation witch caused da problem.  aye got this last weak.

[Preciousblue1965]

wail,hail!  iffen yinz gist spelt things batter, know buddy wood git it skrewed up, doncha no.

bot (bak on topic) eye herd dat da s/g crew had cut da cold legs off both s/gs 'n ops turned on da containment ventilation witch caused da problem.  aye got this last weak.

----Activate the SloGlo universal translator------

<whirr, buzz, click, click, whirr, beep, beep>

You guys don't know how to spell good

Somebody flipped a switch and made things go wrong.

[SloGlo]

----Activate the SloGlo universal translator------

lmao.... yinzer awl write. 

[MeterSwangin]

I think I have it now from a bud on the Island:  Dude lit off a HEPA vac with no HEPA in it.  Blew nasties from one D ring into another.  Purge picked it up and POOF...

Bingo?

[HydroDave63]

But that's what the guy 3 people back in line at Gaby's was saying, and I think he was a roadie...so isn't that like almost the same as INPO? 

[Jr8black3]

Who cares, what happened there happens all over the place..jeez.The outage goes on period..Thats the way it is..If your an RP/HP and ya never seen somthing all of sudden go airborne, you will work through it, it's what management wants..

One thing you need to know, and I know this first hand.

Manager's do not care about you

Speaking only about a certain company.. it starts with a B and ends in a T

[SloGlo]

Who cares..

betcha doze alara types care.  a mrem issa mrem issa mrem...

[MeterSwangin]

After you didn't get far chumming the Areva PED bait it seems like your "bud" fed you a story you can believe   Why look for confirmation from strangers?  Is your "bud" not trustworthy?  Is he/she/it on fantasy island rather than 2.5 mile island?  If you are at a commercial plant and have rudimentary research skills you will be able to find out what happened.  ¿Comprendé dude?

Whatup all the hostility, Mutant?  Chill.  Union organizing is about people skills.  Find some.

Got no time for research.  Too many 12s.  Email is easier.

[ageoldtech]

This is the latest version I got from TMI.
Preliminary status of root cause:

The RCE team has concluded the airborne radioactivity resulted from the discharge of high activity contamination from a wet vacuum that was inappropriately being used to vacuum the (debris found inside the) ‘A’ cold leg. 

1.      The workers that used the wet vac did not know or did not recognize that the vacuum cleaner was inappropriate for the job.
 
2.      The job coverage RP technician did not inspect the vacuum prior to use, other than to perform a dose rate from a distance with a telepole.

3.      The vacuum was clearly labeled: “SGR #1 WET ONLY”. 

4.      The initiation of the reactor building purge supply fan concurrent with or shortly before the initiation of ‘A’ cold leg vacuuming resulted in the rapid removal of airborne contamination away from the workers in the ‘A’ D-ring and dispersal throughout the ‘B’ D-ring and the upper elevations of containment. Airborne radioactivity exited containment via the construction hatch opening and the personnel hatch.

[Jr8black3]

Slo.. I'm sure people cared.. What I'm saying is a couple of folks screwed up it's not the first time or place,, it wont be the last..What do ya do stop the outage and send everybody back through training..

[Mike McFarlin]

No, we hopefully learn from out mistakes and try not to let it happen again!

[atomicarcheologist]

No, we hopefully learn from out mistakes and try not to let it happen again!

Yet that vacuum was there in the first place.  Interesting scenario, though.  Use a vacuum to work on the S/G cold leg and not have barriers in place to prevent the vacuum discharge to the local environment.   Didn't the industry learn from S/G jumping to install a tent around areas with high contamination potential?  Let alone use higher tech equipment than a wet vac to do the job?
Maybe it's time for me to climb out of these ditches and back into containment.

[retired nuke]

Was at a plant that lost the refuel floor because somebody left a HEPA on in the corner, with the discharge pointed at the head stand. It was tucked behind some equipment and nobody saw it there. When they set the head.....you guessed it.

Sometimes you gotta take the extra step and walk down the jobsite (even if it means picking up an extra mRem or 2) and asking yourself "what is gonna bite me in the a$$ this time".

I have made plenty of mistakes. I have seldom repeated any of them, at least, not at work.
(My personal life is a loooong drinking story, on the other hand.... )

[Melrose]

Yet that vacuum was there in the first place.  Interesting scenario, though.  Use a vacuum to work on the S/G cold leg and not have barriers in place to prevent the vacuum discharge to the local environment.   Didn't the industry learn from S/G jumping to install a tent around areas with high contamination potential?  Let alone use higher tech equipment than a wet vac to do the job?
Maybe it's time for me to climb out of these ditches and back into containment.

Oh goody another 'hero', to come save us all.  Do us a favor, let us know when you get back, so we can all take a break. 
It has been murder in containment without you.

[Nuclear NASCAR]

You gentlemen play nice now and remember;

No One In This Room Is As Smart As All Of Us Put Together 

Excellent advice!!!

[Marvin]

The vacuum and/or portable HEPA let's evacuate the RCS into the can and watch everybody freak out scenario has played out numerous times over the years.  This is nothing new.  Just new people doing the standard "here hold my beer, now watch this" routine, which stems from the cable guy approach to nuclear safety (git-r-done).  This scenario has undoubtedly played out many more times than we'll ever know or that has ever been reported. Fortunately, most nuclear power isotopes tend to go away after a day or two of biological elimination.

[HydroDave63]

No One In This Room Is As Smart As All Of Us Put Together 

[MeterSwangin]

I understand from a friend there that, in general, the SGR at TMI is not going at all well.  Well behind schedule, dose and PCEs well over projections, and way too many first aids.

Any first hand input?

[zer0onyx]

I understand from a friend there that, in general, the SGR at TMI is not going at all well.  Well behind schedule, dose and PCEs well over projections, and way too many first aids.

Any first hand input?

Before I left for St. Lucie they were up to being I beleive 170 hours behind. WHo knows what it is now. I will find out when I leave St. Lucie and get back up there around x-mas.

[roadhp]

I can tell you that before I left TMI (Glad to get out of there!!!) the lower D rings in containment looked like New York City at rush hour...GRID LOCK.  Everyone has their priorities, but it seems to this country mouse HP that the coordination was definitely lacking, and people were walking all over each other to Git-R-Dun.

[withroaj]

Weird.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091128105454AAuOaGA

It brings up an interesting question.  How do we remove the taxidermy effect --symptoms may include glassy eyes, loss of mobility -- from nuclear power to educate folks and avoid overblown responses to relatively mild events?

[zer0onyx]

Refueling is comeplete. Now to set the head. THen its only a matter of time