In addition to the physical
inventory of nuclear fuel the report includes a comprehensive documentation of
procedures , records, and processes for control of and reporting on nuclear
material, that have been used at HBPP. HARRISBURG, Pa. When not in use, the handle is normally locked, with the
sources in the retracted, safely shielded position. Both centers are staffed 24
hours a day.

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The investigation began last June when the utility
reported to the NRC the discovery of conflicting records on the location of
three, 18-inch long segments. In particular, ATI thoroughly examined the ends of fuel pieces
to determine whether they were cut.us.

CONTACT: Diane Screnci (NRC)
(610 )337-5330

Maria A.

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* An inspection of the entire HBPP facility was conducted .
ATI concluded that a strong case can be made that the end piece remnants
of the cut seven -foot long A-49 fuel rod and at least a portion of one of the
three cut segments have been found in the pool. Because of the tendency of the
stainless steel cladding to fail, some fuel rods were broken during fuel
assembly cleaning during the plant's operation, and these fragments fell to
the bottom of the pool, where they were collected and stored in containers in
the pool. In the event of an emergency please dial 911.

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006 of
an ounce.

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In
the process, PG+E also established an accurate inventory for all special
nuclear material onsite, and developed solid controls for storing and
accounting for these materials.
* PG+E has completed a comprehensive physical inventory of nuclear
material and handling processes at the site. This search
confirmed that there are no fuel fragments, or fuel rods, including the three
18 inch fuel rod segments, located outside of the used fuel pool at the plant
site. He realized the gauge was
missing after driving for a short distance and noticed it was not in the back
of the truck. "As long as the device is not tampered with or damaged,
the gauge would present no hazard to the public. The device consists
of a shielding container with a plunger-type handle protruding from the top.

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By inference and based on the cut plans
indicating that 8 cut ends should be found, ATI has concluded all three of the
unaccounted for cut fuel rod segments have been found in the used fuel pool.

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Analysis of Fuel Fragments
Although no intact , 18-inch fuel rod segments have been found to date,
fragments of fuel rods of the same type as the three segments at issue have
been retrieved from storage containers located in the used fuel pool .

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The most probable location of this material is a licensed low level
waste facility.

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SAN FRANCISCO , Pacific Gas and Electric
Company has provided the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) with an interim
report on the status of the investigation into the location of segments of a
used nuclear fuel rod at its Humboldt Bay Power Plant (HBPP) near Eureka in
northern California.
"The results of the investigation to date, while inconclusive, support our
original belief that the segments are either in our possession in the used
fuel pool or were shipped offsite to a licensed nuclear waste facility," said
Greg Rueger, senior vice president for generation and chief nuclear officer. While three, intact 18 inch fuel rod segments
were not located, smaller fragments of used fuel rods were discovered which
showed evidence of being mechanically cut, rather than broken. A number
of the fragments have at least one end that appears under visual inspection to
have been cut mechanically . According to the company,
the container was secured to the vehicle, as required by NRC regulations .

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It is believed that the 18-inch
segments could have been broken into smaller fragments during movement of fuel
and equipment inside the pool, at various times since the late 1960s.
* A comprehensive analysis of the possibility of theft or diversion of the
three fuel segments was conducted. HBPP records indicate 54
of these 2-1/2-inch long "in-core detectors" should be in the spent fuel pool ,
but only 50 complete and three partial in-core detectors have been identified. This stainless steel cladding failure was an industry issue, and not
unique to Humboldt Bay. King, Jr. The
NRC will review the loss of the gauge and determine whether enforcement action
is warranted.
For more information about PEMA, please visit our Web site at
http://www.

rsicc radioisotopes

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As a result, some end pieces likely would have been bent or crushed,
making a final determination that they were mechanically cut difficult, if not
impossible.m.
"We are asking anyone in the area that may have witnessed the device fall
from the vehicle or if they picked up the device to call the NRC Operations
Center immediately," said Adrian R.pema.

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"

Results of the investigation to date include:

* A comprehensive search of the used fuel pool has been completed, with
the exception of removing the 390 fuel assemblies to search the areas between
them and the racks they are in.
The total amount of radioactive material in these items is less than 0.
In its evaluation, ATI Consulting reviewed videotapes, close-up digital
photos and dimensioned drawings of the fuel fragments, and was provided with
plant records describing the cut plans used by plant staff in 1968 to segment
the A-49 rod. Several of the other fragments
also appear to have been mechanically cut, though the evidence is not as
conclusive for these fragments. Handling of the unshielded sources
outside their container would carry a risk of potentially dangerous radiation
exposure.
Anyone seeing the gauge should leave it alone and report its location to
the NRC's Operations Center at (301) 816-5100 or the PA Emergency Management
Agency Operations Center number at (717) 651-2001.

radioactively nrc

PG+E
expects to submit a final report on the investigation in the second quarter of
2005.

nrc nukeworker

These records indicate that the segments were
either stored in the used fuel pool in 1968 or were shipped to a licensed
nuclear waste facility in 1969.
PG+E contracted with ATI Consulting, a firm specializing in metallurgical
forensic analysis and supplemented by nationally known experts in nuclear
fuel, to evaluate the various fuel fragments found in the storage containers
in the pool.
ATI Consulting theorized that the cut fuel rod segments were struck during
fuel movement activities occurring during the 1960s and 1970s, and were broken
into smaller pieces ranging in length from thumbnail sized pieces up to 14
inches., A New Jersey company has
notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) that a portable moisture-
density gauge containing sealed sources of radioactive material has been lost
in Chester County.

ionizing reac

Moreover
there is no evidence that such an attempt took place.

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The interim report to the NRC details the work that has been conducted
over the last seven months to determine the location of the segments if
possible, and to rule out unlikely locations and scenarios. The NRC has been notified of this one discrepancy.

Nuclear Gauge Missing in Chester County Recovery of Device is Sought

According to the company, a technician loaded the gauge into the truck
near the Chester County Prison about 3 p., director of the PA Emergency
Management Agency.
The device contains approximately 8 millicuries of Cesium-137 and 40
millicuries of Americium-241. The gauge makes its measurements by projecting
the radiation from the two radioactive sources into the ground and then
displaying the reflected radiation on a dial on its top.

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The three 18-
inch fuel rod segments are the result of the only instance at HBPP that a used
fuel rod was cut.

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Pacific Gas and Electric Company Files Interim Report on Investigation Into Location of Fuel Segments

today . Smith (PEMA)
(717) 651-2009

radnet technologically

These activities
include: 1) a meticulous review of the records, record-keeping processes and
reporting associated with the used fuel pool and with shipments of used fuel
and other radioactive materials; 2) interviews of former plant personnel and
contractors; 3) a physical search of the used fuel pool and the rest of the
HBPP site and; 4) an analysis of the possibility of theft or diversion. Unfortunately, their condition after 40
years of being stored under other components in the pool makes positive
identification extremely difficult . Successful theft or
diversion of the fuel rod segments would present challenges to the party
responsible that are technically complex, risky, expensive, and potentially
life threatening because the fuel is highly radioactive. At that time he notified the Pennsylvania State Police that the
device was missing."
The gauge was in its transportation container.

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Any attempt to tamper with the radioactive sources in the device could
subject the person to radiation exposure.

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During the course of the exhaustive
inventory, HBPP personnel were able to verify the presence of all special
nuclear materials expected to be at the site with the exception of a very
small amount of non-fuel radioactive material that was part of instrumentation
used to measure reactor power level during operation.

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The utility states in this interim report that there is reasonable, but
not conclusive, evidence that the three 18-inch fuel rod segments have been
found in the used fuel pool at the plant, but in broken, fragment form rather
than as intact, 18-inch cut segments.
"Based on an independent expert analysis of the fuel fragments we have
recovered from the used fuel pool, it is most likely that we have the cut fuel
rod segments in our possession.

Since the location of the three 18-inch segments in the used fuel pool is
reasonably likely but not conclusive, HBPP personnel are continuing to search
documentation, complete interviews, perform a cause analysis, and analyze
scenarios of possible off-site shipment of the three fuel rod segments.
The existence of multiple fuel fragments beyond the cut fuel rod in
question are the result of the inferior nature of stainless steel cladding,
which was used in early fuel rod manufacturing.
The handle is used to extend and then retract the radioactive sources from the
shielded position.

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In addition, the fuel
rod segments are of insufficient quality and quantity to construct an
effective radiological dispersion device (dirty bomb) or a nuclear weapon. Plant records indicate that General Electric "Type
1" stainless steel clad fuel experienced failures and broken fuel fragments
were created, however, the rod removed from Assembly A-49 was the only rod
ever mechanically cut.pa.

mitchel radiopharmaceutical

Because fragments with apparently cut ends were found, it is
likely that some or all of the three 18-inch segments have remained in the
used fuel pool since they were cut in 1968. The analysis shows that barriers in place
at HBPP throughout the entire period of interest were sufficient to detect and
prevent attempted theft by either an internal or external party.
Craig Testing based in New Jersey reported to the NRC today that one of
its employees acknowledged the loss of a Troxler Model 3430 nuclear gauge that
may have fallen off a work truck near SR 52 and US route 1 in Chester County. The rectangular base of
the gauge is yellow.state.