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Due to a lapse in appropriations, the NRC has ceased normal operations. However, excepted and exempted activities necessary to maintain critical health and safety functions—as well as essential progress on designated critical activities, including those specified in Executive Order 14300—will continue, consistent with the OMB-Approved NRC Lapse Plan.

Event Notification Report for March 6, 2003








                    U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

                              Operations Center



                              Event Reports For

                           03/05/2003 - 03/06/2003



                              ** EVENT NUMBERS **



39626  39638  



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|General Information or Other                     |Event Number:   39626       |

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| REP ORG:  MA RADIATION CONTROL PROGRAM         |NOTIFICATION DATE: 02/28/2003|

|LICENSEE:  NITON CORP                           |NOTIFICATION TIME: 13:46[EST]|

|    CITY:  BILLERICA                REGION:  1  |EVENT DATE:        02/05/2003|

|  COUNTY:                            STATE:  MA |EVENT TIME:        15:00[EST]|

|LICENSE#:  55-0238               AGREEMENT:  Y  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  02/28/2003|

|  DOCKET:                                       |+----------------------------+

|                                                |PERSON          ORGANIZATION |

|                                                |JOHN KINNEMAN        R1      |

|                                                |FRED BROWN           NMSS    |

+------------------------------------------------+MARISSA BAILEY-email NMSS    |

| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  KENATH TRAEGDE               |                             |

|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  GERRY WAIG                   |                             |

+------------------------------------------------+                             |

|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |                             |

|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |

|NAGR                     AGREEMENT STATE        |                             |

|                                                |                             |

|                                                |                             |

|                                                |                             |

|                                                |                             |

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                                   EVENT TEXT                                   

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| AGREEMENT STATE REPORT- RECEIPT OF CONTAMINATED PACKAGES                     |

|                                                                              |

| The following is taken from an email received from the MA Dept. of Public    |

| Health, Radiation Control Program:                                           |

|                                                                              |

| "On Wednesday, February 5, 2003, it was discovered that a routine wipe of an |

| incoming 20 millicurie (0.740 GBq) Iron-55 source ordered from AEA           |

| Technology QSA, Inc. was contaminated.  The wipe was sent off for analysis.  |

| On Friday, February 14, the wipe was reported to contain 213.7 nanocuries    |

| (7.91kBq) of Iron-55 contamination.  The distributor, AEA Technology QSA,    |

| Inc., was notified of the leaking source as was the Radiation Control        |

| Program of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.                    |

|                                                                              |

| "In the interim, on Monday, February 24, 2003, another incoming Iron-55      |

| leaking source from the same lot number was discovered by Niton Corporation  |

| at approximately 5:00 p.m.  The wipe has been sent to an authorized          |

| consultant for further analysis.  The level of contamination of the second   |

| source has not been reported to the Agency at the time of this report.       |

| Again, the manufacturer/distributor, AEA Technology QSA, Inc., was notified  |

| of the leaking source as was the Radiation Control Program.                  |

|                                                                              |

| "An investigation into these leaking source events has been initiated by the |

| Radiation Control Program."                                                  |

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+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

|Transportation                                   |Event Number:   39638       |

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| REP ORG:  STATE OF WV RAD HEALTH PROGRAM       |NOTIFICATION DATE: 03/06/2003|

|LICENSEE:  UNKNOWN                              |NOTIFICATION TIME: 01:24[EST]|

|    CITY:  PARKERSBURG              REGION:  2  |EVENT DATE:        03/06/2003|

|  COUNTY:                            STATE:  WV |EVENT TIME:        01:15[EST]|

|LICENSE#:                        AGREEMENT:  N  |LAST UPDATE DATE:  03/06/2003|

|  DOCKET:                                       |+----------------------------+

|                                                |PERSON          ORGANIZATION |

|                                                |CAROLYN EVANS        R2      |

|                                                |C.W. (BILL) REAMER   NMSS    |

+------------------------------------------------+JOSEPH HOLONICH      IRO     |

| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  DAN HILL                     |NANCY OSGOOD         DOT     |

|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  HOWIE CROUCH                 |GIBSON               DOE     |

+------------------------------------------------+CAPT. HOLLAND        LLEA    |

|EMERGENCY CLASS:          NON EMERGENCY         |                             |

|10 CFR SECTION:                                 |                             |

|NINF                     INFORMATION ONLY       |                             |

|                                                |                             |

|                                                |                             |

|                                                |                             |

|                                                |                             |

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                                   EVENT TEXT                                   

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT INVOLVING RADIOGRAPHY SOURCE                             |

|                                                                              |

| At 0124 EST on 3/06/2003, NRC Headquarters was contacted by State of WV      |

| Radiation Health Program that an automobile/truck accident had occurred in   |

| Parkersburg, West Virginia that involved a Iridium-192 radiography source.   |

| Local HazMat responders do not have radiation monitoring equipment.          |

| Currently, LLEA is in contact with Camden-Clark Hospital to obtain proper    |

| radiation monitoring equipment to determine if packaging is intact.  (It was |

| determined that Camden-Clark is unable to respond). Vehicle is located in    |

| local towing impound yard.  West Virginia will be responding in the morning  |

| to perform surveys.                                                          |

|                                                                              |

| Notified NMSS EO (Reamer), R2DO (Evans), DIRO Mgr. (Holonich), NRC           |

| Transportation (Osgood), DOT (LT. (jg) Johnson) and DOE (Gibson).            |

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Page Last Reviewed/Updated Thursday, March 25, 2021

Page Last Reviewed/Updated Thursday, March 25, 2021