 INES 0 |
LOW ACTIVITY WATER LEAK FROM THE CONTAMINATED CONDENSATE TANK |
Unit 3 was maintained at the minimum controlled power level. Unit 4 was operating at 430 MWe power. The event is related to the equipment operating in the controlled zone of unit 3 and periodically participating in the process. As a result of the leak in the contaminated condensate tank (specific activity - 2*10(-5) Ci/l) 400 m3 of condensate were spilled and, over penetrations, got into some working rooms in the controlled zone, having changed the radiological situation up to the dose rate of 3 mkR/s and 2*10(3) beta-particles/(cm2*min) for the surfaces. Some water (3-5 m3) got into the service corridor.
Measures were taken to decontaminate the affected area. Activation of the reactor safety systems was not required; radioactivity release into environment as well as personnel excessive exposure to radiation did not occur.
This event is categorized as an event common for all nuclear facilities, namely as contamination spread in the factility.
Radioactive contamination was limited to the working area of the facility, impact on the people on- and off-site was not observed, safety systems and protection barriers were entirely operable; so this condensate leak is considered an event not important to safety and falls into level 0 of the INES scale.
Other factors like procedural deficiencies and lack of safety culture do not justify to upgrade this event to level 1 since: radiological consequences on- and off-site would be insignificant given any evaluation of the situation; time to define and perform corrective actions as well as efficiency of protective measures to manage the situation and prevent its aggravation were sufficient. Thus, the event can be classified as "deviation" from the normal operation in storage of the reactor condensate.
Event date: Sat, 12-09-1992
