Event Notification Report for May 15, 2002
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center
EVENT REPORTS FOR
05/14/2002 - 05/15/2002
EVENT NUMBERS
38922
General Information or Other
Event Number: 38922
Rep Org: CALIFORNIA RADIATION CONTROL PRGM
Licensee: HUNTINGTON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
Region: 4
City: PASADENA State: CA
County:
License #: 0239-19
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: BARBARA HAMRICK
HQ OPS Officer: MIKE NORRIS
Licensee: HUNTINGTON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
Region: 4
City: PASADENA State: CA
County:
License #: 0239-19
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: BARBARA HAMRICK
HQ OPS Officer: MIKE NORRIS
Notification Date: 05/16/2002
Notification Time: 17:25 [ET]
Event Date: 05/15/2002
Event Time: 11:00 [PDT]
Last Update Date: 05/16/2002
Notification Time: 17:25 [ET]
Event Date: 05/15/2002
Event Time: 11:00 [PDT]
Last Update Date: 05/16/2002
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
10 CFR Section:
Person (Organization):
GREG PICK (R4)
C.W. (BILL) REAMER (NMSS)
GREG PICK (R4)
C.W. (BILL) REAMER (NMSS)
AGREEMENT STATE REPORT INVOLVING THEFT OF LICENSED MATERIAL >1000 TIMES
"At 11:00 am PDT on May 15, 2002, four packages were stolen from an unsecured Airborne Express truck parked at 39 Congress Avenue, Pasadena, Ca. Due to a mix-up by the driver, it was not known that one of the packages contained radioactive material until the next day, when Huntington Memorial Hospital's Radiation Safety Officer[ ], realized that they had not received one of the packages of Palladium-103 seeds that they were expecting. [The RSO] reported the loss to the California Radiologic Health Branch at 12:15 PM PDT on May 16, 2002.
"The package was supposed to have contained 72 seeds at 1.54 mCi/seed, or a total of 110 mCi of Pd-103, which would produce a field of about 230 mR/hr at one foot from the unshielded material.
"Los Angeles County personnel took the initial call from the hospital, and is following up on this incident. Los Angeles County is a Contract County in California's Agreement State Program. The L.A. County inspector talked to the hospital about issuing a press release, and they are currently preparing one. The inspector will also obtain information on the package dose-rates, when it was shipped by Imagyn in TX, and the calibration dates for the seeds.. The seeds were purchased from Theragenics, shipped to Imagyn for some preparation, then shipped to the California licensee in two packages. The first package was received in tact. The second was stolen from the Airborne Express truck. There has been no indication by any of the parties that the other three packages stolen contained any radioactive material."
"At 11:00 am PDT on May 15, 2002, four packages were stolen from an unsecured Airborne Express truck parked at 39 Congress Avenue, Pasadena, Ca. Due to a mix-up by the driver, it was not known that one of the packages contained radioactive material until the next day, when Huntington Memorial Hospital's Radiation Safety Officer[ ], realized that they had not received one of the packages of Palladium-103 seeds that they were expecting. [The RSO] reported the loss to the California Radiologic Health Branch at 12:15 PM PDT on May 16, 2002.
"The package was supposed to have contained 72 seeds at 1.54 mCi/seed, or a total of 110 mCi of Pd-103, which would produce a field of about 230 mR/hr at one foot from the unshielded material.
"Los Angeles County personnel took the initial call from the hospital, and is following up on this incident. Los Angeles County is a Contract County in California's Agreement State Program. The L.A. County inspector talked to the hospital about issuing a press release, and they are currently preparing one. The inspector will also obtain information on the package dose-rates, when it was shipped by Imagyn in TX, and the calibration dates for the seeds.. The seeds were purchased from Theragenics, shipped to Imagyn for some preparation, then shipped to the California licensee in two packages. The first package was received in tact. The second was stolen from the Airborne Express truck. There has been no indication by any of the parties that the other three packages stolen contained any radioactive material."