Event Notification Report for November 01, 2010

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - SHUTTER INDICATOR SHOWED INCORRECT POSITION

The following information was received via email:

"[The licensee Radiation Safety Officer (RSO)], for Ames Municipal, Iowa License 0147-1-85-FG reported [to the state] via phone a 'sticky' shutter for their Texas Nuclear fixed gauge device, model number 5197, Cs-137, 100 mCi (September 1980), serial number B843. The RSO said that during a shutter check this morning at approximately 10:00 a.m. the shutter was in the closed position, however the indicator showed that it was not completely closed. This fixed gauge is usually in the open position as it is a level detection device for the coal hopper. They only close it when doing scheduled work on the machine/hopper that requires the shutter to be closed. He reports that a leak test on October 15th was good and that a radiation worker adjusted a detector on October 28th and was able to close the shutter on that day.

"[The RSO] reports that no employees were exposed to radiation as a result of this event and that they are going to attempt to mitigate the issue on the morning of November 2nd. He will report to the Iowa Department of Public Health for updates."

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN TROXLER MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE

The following information was received by e-mail:

"On November 1, 2010, at [1015 PDT] the authorized user from Soil Surveys, Inc., License Number 3428-27, called RHB [Radiologic Health Branch] Richmond, [CA] to notify that a moisture/density gauge was missing from his residence located at Salinas, CA. On October 29, 2010, authorized user checked out the nuclear gauge, Troxler, Model TEL, 3440, S/N 18026 from the permanent storage location to be used on October 30, 2010. The gauge was stored inside the company's transportation truck and parked at the residence indicated above, until November 1, 2010. As the authorized user approached the company's truck the early morning of November 1, 2010, he found out that the two locks that were used to fasten the nuclear gauge case to the bed of the truck were cut with a bolt cutter, and the nuclear gauge was removed with its transportation case from the company's transportation vehicle."

The licensee notified the Salinas Police Department of the incident.

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

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

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - DAMAGED TROXLER MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE

The following information was received via e-mail:

"At approximately 1000 [PDT] today an iron piling fell on top of a portable gauge and left significant damage. The incident happened in a sparsely populated area of Overton, Nevada. The RSO was on his way to the location with a survey meter. The gauge has been moved and a 100 foot perimeter around it has been established.

"The gauge was damaged such that the source tube can be pulled from the shielding. The RSO has secured the source tube in the shielded position and determined that the source is intact. He will be transporting the gauge directly to Instrotek for repairs and will be submitting a written report shortly."

The damaged portable gauge is a Troxler model number 3430; serial number 17916. The gauge sources include Cs-137 (.011Ci); model number A-102112; Serial Number 50-7401 and a sealed source that includes Am-Be (.044 Ci); model number A-102451; Serial number 47-13357.

Nevada Item Number: NV100021

OFFSITE NOTIFICATION DUE TO OIL SPILL

"During the performance of rounds an operator found a leak on the traveling water screens. The traveling water screens are part of the Service Water System. The travelling screen drive chain oil reservoir was found empty. It is estimated that approximately 5 gallons of oil entered the Service Water System forebay. The oil residue has been cleaned up. The environmental impact will be assessed following further investigation.

"Notifications have been made to NYSDEC [New York State Department of Environmental Conservation] and National Response Center."

NYS (New York State) spill #: 1008090

National Response Center spill #: 958672.

The licensee will notify the NRC Resident Inspector.