| U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center Event Reports For
01/29/2009 - 01/30/2009 ** EVENT NUMBERS ** |
 | General Information or Other | Event Number: 44614 | Rep Org: MA RADIATION CONTROL PROGRAM
Licensee: WAL-MART
Region: 1
City: NORTHAMPTON State: MA
County:
License #:
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: JOHN SUMARES
HQ OPS Officer: JOHN KNOKE | Notification Date: 10/30/2008
Notification Time: 14:13 [ET]
Event Date: 10/30/2008
Event Time: [EDT]
Last Update Date: 01/29/2009 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
EUGENE COBEY (R1)
MICHELE BURGESS (FSME)
| Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - DAMAGED EXIT SIGNS.
"On 10/30/08 the Agency [state] received a written report of damaged Tritium exit signs from Richard Dailey, RSO of Wal-Mart Stores. The 2 exit signs, manufactured by SRB Lite, are identified as S/N's 249470 and 249477 each containing 20 curies.
"During an inventory on 9/29/08 at the Northampton store, Wal-Mart's contractor discovered 2 damaged signs that failed the glow test. Additionally, one of the signs, S/N 249477, had a cracked face plate. Interviews with the store manager and associates indicated the signs were probably damaged during a recent remodel project. Wal-Mart hired Dade Moeller to assess the radiological impact of the damaged signs. A wipe survey was performed and the survey indicated no high levels of contamination. The signs were packaged per the protocols of Isolite, a specific licensee authorized to receive Tritium exit signs for disposal and transferred to Isolite. Wal-Mart will send the Agency a report of the transfers."
* * * UPDATE FROM JOHN SUMARES TO JOE O'HARA VIA EMAIL AT 0838 ON 1/29/09 * * *
"On January 28, 2009, the [Commonwealth of Massachusetts] has received a report of these transfers, completed this NMED report, and considers this event to be closed."
MA NMED# 080732
Notified R1DO( W.Schmidt) and FSME (M. Burgess) |
| General Information or Other | Event Number: 44794 | Rep Org: NH DEPT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Licensee: WALMART
Region: 1
City: State: NH
County:
License #: GL
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: TWILA KENNA
HQ OPS Officer: HOWIE CROUCH | Notification Date: 01/22/2009
Notification Time: 13:25 [ET]
Event Date: 01/22/2009
Event Time: [EST]
Last Update Date: 01/22/2009 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
WILLIAM COOK (R1)
MICHELE BURGESS (FSME)
ILTAB via email ()
|
| This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material. | Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - MISSING TRITIUM EXIT SIGNS
The State of New Hampshire was notified by a Walmart corporate representative located in Bentonville, AR, indicating that Walmart was unable to account for 35 tritium exit signs (which are general licensed materials) that were used at one time in Walmart stores throughout the State of New Hampshire. The Walmart representative informed the State office that Walmart had exhausted searching for the tritium exit signs and considered them to be lost and/or missing. The state of New Hampshire was provided a listing from corporate Walmart of the store locations along with information on the tritium exit sign manufacturers, model and serial numbers, and curie content where known.
THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "LESS THAN CAT 3" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
Sources that are "Less than IAEA Category 3 sources," are either sources that are very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury. Some of these sources, such as moisture density gauges or thickness gauges that are Category 4, the amount of unshielded radioactive material, if not safely managed or securely protected, could possibly - although it is unlikely - temporarily injure someone who handled it or were otherwise in contact with it, or who were close to it for a period of many weeks.
This source is not amongst those sources or devices identified by the IAEA Code of Conduct for the Safety & Security of Radioactive Sources to be of concern from a radiological standpoint. Therefore is it being categorized as a less than Category 3 source |
| General Information or Other | Event Number: 44795 | Rep Org: NH DEPT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Licensee: WALMART
Region: 1
City: State: NH
County:
License #: GL
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: TWILA KENNA
HQ OPS Officer: HOWIE CROUCH | Notification Date: 01/22/2009
Notification Time: 13:25 [ET]
Event Date: 01/22/2009
Event Time: [EST]
Last Update Date: 01/22/2009 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
WILLIAM COOK (R1)
LYDIA CHANG (FSME)
| Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - DAMAGED TRITIUM EXIT SIGNS
The State of New Hampshire was notified by a Walmart corporate representative located in Bentonville, AR, of a total of three (3) tritium exit signs (TES) (which are general licensed materials) that were damaged at Walmart stores throughout the State of New Hampshire. All three signs have been properly packaged and shipped to a specific licensee authorized to receive damaged TES. There were no overexposures to Walmart personnel. All contamination has been cleaned and all areas were free released. |
| General Information or Other | Event Number: 44806 | Rep Org: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Licensee: ALLIED ALLOYS OF HOUSTON
Region: 4
City: HOUSTON State: TX
County:
License #: GL
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: RAY JISHA
HQ OPS Officer: HOWIE CROUCH | Notification Date: 01/26/2009
Notification Time: 17:29 [ET]
Event Date: 01/25/2009
Event Time: [CST]
Last Update Date: 01/27/2009 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
CHUCK CAIN (R4)
LYDIA CHANG (FSME)
ILTAB VIA EMAIL ()
|
| This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material. | Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN PORTABLE NUCLEAR GAUGE
The following information was obtained from the State of Texas via email:
"[On January 25, 2009], a Thermo NITON Analyzer X-Ray Fluorescence Device Model XL3p 800 was stolen from Allied Alloys [located in] Houston, TX. The device contains a 30 mCi Am-241 source with either a QSA Global AMCL or IPL XFB-4 model source. The external radiation levels on the shipping case and instrument of <0.01 mRem/hr and the useful beam measurements are 0.3, 3, and 45 mrem/hr at 100, 30, and 5 centimeters respectively according to the SSDR sheet, MA-1159-D-102-B dated August 30, 2007. The company is considering a reward as the device is valued at $30K and a police report has been filed with [Houston Police Department]. There is some suspicion of the device being stolen by a former employee as there were other articles of value in the direct vicinity of the analyzer and this was the newest model out of six in the possession of the company.
"The pertinent identification numbers of the Niton hand held analyzer are as follows:
Model No. XL3p 800
Serial No. 31000
Americium 241 source SN: 07-232
Detector SN: 55276"
Texas Incident No.: I-8602
* * * UPDATE FROM JISHA TO SNYDER ON 1/27/09 AT 0732 * * *
The State of Texas provided the following information via e-mail:
"[The licensee is] not considering an award at this time. More cameras are being installed and all Nitons will be locked up in the main building [of the licensee's facility] where anyone going near the Niton storage area will pass through at least 4 cameras or more. The was the first noticeable break-in [that the licensee has] had in 5 years at this location."
Notified R4DO (Cain) and FSME EO (Burgess).
THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "LESS THAN CAT 3" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
Sources that are "Less than IAEA Category 3 sources," are either sources that are very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury. Some of these sources, such as moisture density gauges or thickness gauges that are Category 4, the amount of unshielded radioactive material, if not safely managed or securely protected, could possibly - although it is unlikely - temporarily injure someone who handled it or were otherwise in contact with it, or who were close to it for a period of many weeks. |
| Power Reactor | Event Number: 44815 | Facility: HATCH
Region: 2 State: GA
Unit: [1] [2] [ ]
RX Type: [1] GE-4,[2] GE-4
NRC Notified By: TONY SPRING
HQ OPS Officer: JOE O'HARA | Notification Date: 01/29/2009
Notification Time: 09:40 [ET]
Event Date: 01/29/2009
Event Time: 08:50 [EST]
Last Update Date: 01/29/2009 | Emergency Class: UNUSUAL EVENT
10 CFR Section:
50.72(a) (1) (i) - EMERGENCY DECLARED
| Person (Organization):
GERALD MCCOY (R2)
BILL GOTT (IRD)
THOMAS BLOUNT (NRR)
ANTHONY McMURTRAY (IRD)
VICTOR MCREE (R2)
ERIC LEEDS (NRR)
MIKE INZER (DHS)
MIKE LAFORTE (FEMA)
|
| Unit | SCRAM Code | RX CRIT | Initial PWR | Initial RX Mode | Current PWR | Current RX Mode | | 1 | N | Y | 100 | Power Operation | 100 | Power Operation | | 2 | N | Y | 97 | Power Operation | 97 | Power Operation | Event Text UNUSUAL EVENT - TOXIC GAS DISCHARGE IN WASTE GAS TREATMENT BUILDING
An unisolable pipe break on an in-service waste gas treatment building chiller has resulted in a toxic release of asphyxiant freon gas. All personnel were evacuated and no injuries occurred. An entry by operations personnel with self contained breathing apparatus verified that all site personnel have evacuated the building. There was no impact to offgas processing equipment in the area and actual gas concentration was not known at the time of declaration so the assumption of toxic gas concentration is conservative.
The Licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector, Georgia Emergency Management Agency, Appling County, Jeff Davis County, Tattnall County, and Toombs County.
* * * UPDATE FROM TONY SPRING TO PETE SNYDER AT 0957 ON 1/29/09 * * *
Air samples in the area indicated no detectable freon. Licensee terminated the event at 0946.
Notified R2DO(McCoy), NRR EO(Ross-Lee), DHS(Inzer), and FEMA(LaForte) | |