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Event Notification Report for October 01, 2020

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center

EVENT REPORTS FOR
09/30/2020 - 10/01/2020

EVENT NUMBERS
5492554999

Agreement State
Event Number: 54925
Rep Org: TEXAS DEPT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES
Licensee: Fugro USA Land Inc
Region: 4
City: Austin   State: TX
County:
License #: L 03875
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: Art Tucker
HQ OPS Officer: Bethany Cecere
Notification Date: 10/01/2020
Notification Time: 12:10 [ET]
Event Date: 10/01/2020
Event Time: 00:00 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 11/27/2020
Emergency Class: Non Emergency
10 CFR Section:
Agreement State
Person (Organization):
PATRICIA SILVA (R4DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)
ILTAB (EMAIL)
CNSNS (MEXICO) (EMAIL)
Event Text
EN Revision Imported Date: 11/30/2020

EN Revision Text: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN TROXLER GAUGE

The following was received from the state of Texas (the Agency) by email:

"On October 1, 2020, the Agency was notified by the licensee's radiation safety officer (RSO) that a Troxler model 3430 moisture\density gauge containing a 40 milliCurie americium-241 source and an 8 milliCurie cesium-137 source was stolen from an employee's truck. The truck was parked at the employee's residence and when they came out to go to the job site they found both chains securing the gauge in the truck were cut and the gauge was missing. The RSO stated they had notified local law enforcement and the fire department.

"The RSO stated their management group was searching social media looking for the gauge. The RSO stated they currently have people in the field looking for the gauge. The RSO stated the gauge operating arm was locked. The gauge would not create an exposure risk to any individual unless the lock was cut off the operating arm and the cesium source exposed. Additional information will be provided as it is received in accordance with SA-300."

TX Incident # 9803.

* * * UPDATE ON 11/27/2020 AT 1827 EST FROM ART TUCKER TO JEFFREY WHITED * * *

The following was received from the Agency via email:

"On November 27, 2020, the Agency was notified that the gauge was recovered by the Austin, Texas Police Department. The licensee has been contacted and is arranging to pick up the device. Addition information will be provided as it is received in accordance with SA-300."

Notified R4DO (Kozal), NMSS Event Notification (email), ILTAB (email), and CNSNS Mexico (email).

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


Agreement State
Event Number: 54999
Rep Org: NC DIV OF RADIATION PROTECTION
Licensee: TC Transcontinental
Region: 1
City: Matthews   State: NC
County:
License #: 060-2808-0G
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: Travis Cartoski
HQ OPS Officer: Thomas Herrity
Notification Date: 11/16/2020
Notification Time: 11:08 [ET]
Event Date: 10/01/2020
Event Time: 00:00 [EDT]
Last Update Date: 11/16/2020
Emergency Class: Non Emergency
10 CFR Section:
Agreement State
Person (Organization):
ERIN CARFANG (R1DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)
Event Text
AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - SOURCE SENT TO RECYCLING CENTER, THEN RECOVERED AND RETURNED

The following was received from the state of North Carolina, Radioactive Materials Branch (RMB):

"Licensee reports that a laminating device containing a Kr-85 source was inadvertently disposed through their recycling service on 10/1 and was discovered missing on 11/4. On 11/5, working with the licensee, RMB was able to trace the disposal of the device to a recycling yard in York, SC. Licensee arranged with an authorized service provider that was able to assess the device for leakage/contamination and arrange for transport to return to vendor. No evidence of leakage or contamination was found, and the device was packaged and removed from the recycling yard on 11/6. South Carolina DHEC [Department of Health and Environmental Control] was made aware of this incident on 11/5.

"Device Manufacturer: INDEV, Model: 015030-2, Serial: 2289-4

"Source Manufacturer: INDEV, Model: 127-2, Isotope: Kr-85, Serial: KV-412, Activity: 500 mCi

"Cause: The licensee identified the cause as human error/process error.

"Corrective Action(s): Re-training of personnel, Methods & Procedure reviews and revising existing procedures."

NC event number: 200022

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