Event Notification Report for December 27, 2009
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center
EVENT REPORTS FOR
12/26/2009 - 12/27/2009
EVENT NUMBERS
45606
General Information or Other
Event Number: 45606
Rep Org: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Licensee: LANTHEUS
Region: 4
City: State: TX
County:
License #:
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: ART TUCKER
HQ OPS Officer: DONALD NORWOOD
Licensee: LANTHEUS
Region: 4
City: State: TX
County:
License #:
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: ART TUCKER
HQ OPS Officer: DONALD NORWOOD
Notification Date: 01/05/2010
Notification Time: 12:57 [ET]
Event Date: 12/27/2009
Event Time: 00:00 [CST]
Last Update Date: 01/05/2010
Notification Time: 12:57 [ET]
Event Date: 12/27/2009
Event Time: 00:00 [CST]
Last Update Date: 01/05/2010
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
10 CFR Section:
Person (Organization):
MICHAEL SHANNON (R4DO)
ANGELA MCINTOSH (FSME)
MEXICO (VIA)
MICHAEL SHANNON (R4DO)
ANGELA MCINTOSH (FSME)
MEXICO (VIA)
AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOST Mo-99 ISOTOPE GENERATOR
"On January 5, 2010, at 0740 hours, the Agency [Texas Department of State Health Services] received a phone call from the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) informing them that on December 27, 2009, 38 molly generators containing various activities of molybdenum (Mo) 99 were shipped to the Dallas/Forth Worth Airport. Some of the generators were to be delivered to various surrounding states and 24 were intended for delivery to licensees in the State of Texas.
"The shipper was Lantheus and they are located in N. Billerica, Massachusetts. The shipper stated that the number of units shipped was verified at the airport prior to shipping. The number of generators arriving in Texas was not verified by the shipping company according to USDOT. A device containing four curies of Mo-99 for the National Central Pharmacy in Abilene, Texas was not found.
"USDOT has contacted all companies who received generators from this shipment, and none of them indicated that they had received the generator that is missing. The consultant for the shipping company stated that during transit the devices were flown from Massachusetts to Cincinnati, Ohio, and then to Dallas/Fort Worth, where they were removed from the plane. A search of all transportation vehicles used to transport the devices was conducted, but the device was not located.
"The consultant stated that the shipping company also contacted each company who received a device and confirmed that they had not received any additional material. The consultant stated that there may be some discrepancies in the shipping documents and that it could be a clerical error and not a missing source. The shipping company is currently conducting a document review. Additional information will be provided as it is obtained."
Texas Incident #: I-8696
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. For additional information go to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf
"On January 5, 2010, at 0740 hours, the Agency [Texas Department of State Health Services] received a phone call from the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) informing them that on December 27, 2009, 38 molly generators containing various activities of molybdenum (Mo) 99 were shipped to the Dallas/Forth Worth Airport. Some of the generators were to be delivered to various surrounding states and 24 were intended for delivery to licensees in the State of Texas.
"The shipper was Lantheus and they are located in N. Billerica, Massachusetts. The shipper stated that the number of units shipped was verified at the airport prior to shipping. The number of generators arriving in Texas was not verified by the shipping company according to USDOT. A device containing four curies of Mo-99 for the National Central Pharmacy in Abilene, Texas was not found.
"USDOT has contacted all companies who received generators from this shipment, and none of them indicated that they had received the generator that is missing. The consultant for the shipping company stated that during transit the devices were flown from Massachusetts to Cincinnati, Ohio, and then to Dallas/Fort Worth, where they were removed from the plane. A search of all transportation vehicles used to transport the devices was conducted, but the device was not located.
"The consultant stated that the shipping company also contacted each company who received a device and confirmed that they had not received any additional material. The consultant stated that there may be some discrepancies in the shipping documents and that it could be a clerical error and not a missing source. The shipping company is currently conducting a document review. Additional information will be provided as it is obtained."
Texas Incident #: I-8696
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. For additional information go to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf