site.bta16 Events Involving Radioactive Sources, Materials with Increased Activity Recorded in 2019

January 10 (BTA) - A total of 16 events involving
radioactive sources and materials with increased activity were
recorded in Bulgaria in 2019, according to the Annual Report of
the Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NRA) that was presented here on
Friday. Most events were registered by the automated radioactive
 control systems installed at the entrances of large
metallurgical companies and at border crossings.

In one of the cases, the radioactive cargo, detected at one of
the border checkpoints, was returned to the sender, the Agency
said. In the other five cases, because of the insignificant
radiation levels the cargo was released. In the cases where
radioactive contamination was confirmed and the cargo consisted
mostly of scrap metal, the cargo was segregated and measures
were taken to detect, isolate and eliminate the contamination or
 the sources of ionizing radiation.

The consequences of the events are eliminated by
interdepartmental emergency teams, which are formed on a
case-by-case basis and are composed of officials of the
competent state bodies: the Nuclear Regulatory Agency, the
Health Ministry and the State Enterprise Radioactive Waste, the
Agency said.

In 2019, the NRA recorded four operational events at the
Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant: one in Unit 5 and three in Unit 6.
 In two of the events in Unit 6, the technological safety
systems were actuated. In the other two events, the main
circulating pumps shut down after the actuation of the safety
systems.

The events at the nuclear plant involved equipment intended for
the normal operation of the units with no direct relevance to
nuclear safety and radiation protection. The registered events
did not impact nuclear safety at Kozloduy and did not lead to
violation of operating limits and conditions. The events did not
 result in any changes in the radiation background in the
vicinity of the plant and to overexposure of personnel or
members of the public.

All events were rated "Below the scale/Zero Level" on the
seven-level International Nuclear Event Scale (INES), which
qualifies them as events without safety significance, the Agency
 adds. The Kozloduy N-plant analyzed all these events in order
to implement measures for the prevention of their recurrence.
RY/PP

 
 


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