Report to Congress on Abnormal Occurrences - Fiscal Year 2008 (NUREG-0090, Volume 31)

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Publication Information

Manuscript Completed: April 2009
Date Published: May 2009

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
Washington, DC 20555-0001

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Abstract

Section 208 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-438) defines an "abnormal occurrence" (AO) as an unscheduled incident or event that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) determines to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety. The Federal Reports Elimination and Sunset Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-66) requires that the NRC report AOs to Congress annually.

This report describes five events that NRC identified as AOs during Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 based on the criteria defined in Appendix A to this report. All five events occurred at NRC-licensed or regulated medical institutions. The first event involved radiation exposure to an embryo/fetus. The other four events were medical events as defined in Title 10, Part 35, of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR Part 35).

In addition, this report describes five events that Agreement States identified as AOs during FY 2008, based on the criteria in Appendix A to this report. Agreement States are those States that have entered into formal agreements with NRC, pursuant to Section 274 of the Atomic Energy Act (AEA), to regulate certain quantities of AEA material at facilities located within their borders. Currently, there are 35 Agreement States. The first Agreement State event involved radiation exposure to an embryo/fetus. The other four Agreement State events were medical events, as defined in 10 CFR Part 35.

Appendix A to this report presents NRC's criteria for selecting AOs as well as the guidelines for selecting "Other Events of Interest." Appendix B, "Updates of Previously Reported Abnormal Occurrences," provides updated information for one event reported in the FY 2006 Report to Congress on Abnormal Occurrences regarding the spill of high-enriched uranium at a fuel fabrication facility. In addition, this appendix contains updated information for two events reported in the FY 2007 Report to Congress on Abnormal Occurrences regarding medical events at Agreement State-licensed medical institutions. Appendix C, "Other Events of Interest," presents two events of interest identified during FY 2008 at materials facilities. Appendix D, "Updates of Previously Reported Other Events of Interest," provides updated information for events at two U.S. commercial nuclear power plants that were reported in the FY 2007 Report to Congress on Abnormal Occurrences, regarding inattentive security officers and the installation of a new siren system. Appendix E, "Glossary," contains a glossary of terms used throughout this report. Appendix F, "Conversion Table," presents commonly used conversions when calculating doses.