Event Notification Report for September 26, 2005

MISSING TWO KRYPTON-85 THICKNESS GAUGES

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastic located in Hoosick, NY, said that they are missing two 500 millicurie Kr-85 thickness gauges (500 millicuries in 1967, half life 10.4 years) from their Saint-Gobain Performance Plastic company in New Haven, CT, which was closed in late 2003 or early 2004. The Kr-85 thickness gauges license number is 20-01382-02 (license expired in 1994 and were licensed through LFE Industrial System Corp.). Caller stated that the krypton thickness gauges were not licensed through the State of New York but to CT which is an NRC non-agreement state. On 09/26/05 the two krypton thickness gauges were discovered missing while putting together an ionizing radiation report for the State of CT for the radioactive materials that were located in their New Haven facility. The two krypton thickness gauges were made by LFE Tracer Units (now known as EGS Gauging located in MA) and each contained 500 millicures of Kr-85 as of 1967. Based on a total of activity 1000 millicuries for the two Kr-85 thickness gauges at the end of 1968 as of 2005 the total activity of the two thickness gauges would be around 85 millicuries (37years, half life 10.4 years). Model number of the two gauges are S-6A and their serial numbers are 24A & T9A.

SOURCE LOST IN SHIPMENT

"This memo is to report a missing/lost Cs-137 (s/n A5-509 100 milliCuries) source and describe the events of its loss under the US Geological Survey License 05-01399-08 as required in 10CFR20.2201. Two well logging sources (Cs-137 and Americium-Beryllium) were shipped by FedEx Overnight on September 21, 2005 from Denver, Colorado to arrive in Salisbury, Maryland on September 22, 2005.

"The Cs-137 never arrived at its destination. The status of the sources during transportation was being monitored by the licensee. FedEx was called on September 21, and 22, 2005, about both sources. FedEx assured the license that the sources were in transport and they had only been delayed by normal transportation delays. On Monday, September 23, 2005, when the Cs-137 source still was not at its final destination, the licensee had FedEx put a trace on the Cs-137 source. Later on September 23, 2005, the licensee was informed by FedEx that the Cs-137 source could not be found, that FedEx would continue looking for it and the source had made it to Baltimore-Washington Airport but did not make it to the next scheduled scan point.

"The Americium/Beryllium (AmBe) source arrived in Salisbury on September 24, 2005 after being delayed in Memphis, TN. A well logging supervisor picked up the AmBe source at the FedEx location in Salisbury, MD and noticed that both Declaration of Dangerous Goods Forms (Cs-137 and AmBe) had been erroneously placed on the AmBe package. This apparently happened in route since FedEx checked both declarations when the shipments were picked up in Denver and placed them back on their respective package."

* * * UPDATE FROM D. LILES TO W GOTT AT 1717 ON 09/28/05 * * *

The package containing the Cs-137 source was located at approximately 1530 CT 09/28/05, in Memphis, TN. The package will be delivered to the Salisbury, MD facility on 09/29/05.

Notified NMSS (Reamer), R1DO (Cahill), and R4DO (Spitzburg).

Less than the quantity of an IAEA Category 3 source.

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.

For some of these sources, such as moisture density gauges or thickness gauges that are IAEA 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.

ALABAMA AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - IODINE-125 CONTAMINATION

"[The State of Alabama Department of Public Health] Received a call from Baptist Medical Center -Princeton, Birmingham, Alabama, that they had found I-125 contamination during the post-operative clean-up of an I-125 prostate seed implant therapy. Licensee indicated that they were not sure that there was a leaking seed inserted into the patient. None of the seeds remaining after the procedure were leaking. The licensee performed a thyroid scan on the patient on 9/22/05, which showed that there was an uptake. Potassium iodide was administered at that time. The Seeds are Model ProstaSeed I125-SL, distributed by Mantor Brachytherapy. The applicator is MICK Model 200TP. The licensee is performing dose assessment to include in their written report."

Event ID Number: AL-05-48

OFFSITE NOTIFICATION

"A flatbed truck carrying one sea-land container overturned on Horn Rapids Road just outside the plant entrance. The sea-land container is loaded with TNF-11 loaded with uranium oxide powder. Survey results indicate no contamination outside of the container. Sea-land container integrity is visually good.

"The driver was not injured and no other vehicles were involved. AREVA responded using our own forces. Local law enforcement, state and county officials were notified."

There is media interest from three local television stations and the Tri-City Herald.

* * * UPDATE FROM C. MANNING TO W. GOTT AT 2011 ON 09/26/05 * * *

The container is back on Framatome property.

* * * UPDATE FROM C. MANNING TO W. GOTT AT 2028 ON 09/26/05 * * *

There has been no written press release. The container is being moved into a warehouse where additional surveys will be conducted. The internals will be inspected in the morning. There is a heavy bulkhead inside the sea-land container and appropriate equipment needs to be staged before opening the container.

NUCLEAR GAUGES LOST OFFSHORE DUE TO HURRICANE RITA

On 9/30/05, Rowan Companies of Houston, TX reported to the licensee that two generally-licensed slurry density gauges sank along with the drilling rig they were installed on due to Hurricane Rita. The rig was abandoned prior to the hurricane's approach and so the event date is an estimate. The rig is the Rowan Odessa owned by Rowan Companies. The rig was located at Ship Shoal 250 (distance offshore and depth of water not provided). Rowan Companies performed aerial searches of the area in an attempt to find the rig.

Both gauges are Halliburton 10-SD gauges with Cs-137 sources manufactured by Isotope Products. The first device has serial number V32-0246 with a current source activity of 11.11 milliCuries (source serial number DB-076). The second device has serial number W2C-097 with a current source activity of 9.4 milliCuries (source serial number DB-140).

The licensee notified NRC Region 4 (J. Whitten).