| U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center Event Reports For
01/04/2005 - 01/05/2005 ** EVENT NUMBERS ** |
 | General Information or Other | Event Number: 41300 | Rep Org: MA RADIATION CONTROL PROGRAM
Licensee: UNIVERSITY OF MASS - AMHERST
Region: 1
City: AMHERST State: MA
County:
License #: 60-0107
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: JOHN SUMARES
HQ OPS Officer: JEFF ROTTON | Notification Date: 12/30/2004
Notification Time: 11:25 [ET]
Event Date: 12/23/2004
Event Time: 15:30 [EST]
Last Update Date: 12/30/2004 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
JAMES TRAPP (R1)
ELMO COLLINS (NMSS)
AARON DANIS (TAS)
| Event Text AGREEMENT STATE LOST RADIOACTIVE SOURCE
"University of Mass - Amherst called [Massachusetts Radiation Control Program] to report a missing Ni-63 source in an ECD detector. A Varian Model 3700 gas chromatograph [GC] machine was due for leak testing on 11/15/04. The unit could not be found and was presumed missing. The unit's ECD contained a Ni-63 source (8 milliCurie) and had serial number A3240. In Sept / Oct of 2004, laboratory equipment was moved and / or sent to the trash. It is suspected that the missing GC was mistakenly sent out for disposal at that time, and in Nov. 2004, the licensee determined the unit was missing."
The calibration date of the source activity was not known at the time of the report. The last known confirmed inventory of the device was when the last leak test was performed in May 2004 |
| General Information or Other | Event Number: 41303 | Rep Org: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Licensee: N/A
Region: 4
City: WACO State: TX
County:
License #:
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: D. RAY JISHA
HQ OPS Officer: MIKE RIPLEY | Notification Date: 12/31/2004
Notification Time: 10:52 [ET]
Event Date: 12/27/2004
Event Time: [CST]
Last Update Date: 12/31/2004 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
TOM FARNHOLTZ (R4)
ELMO COLLINS (NMSS)
| Event Text MILITARY RADIO WITH RADIUM-226 FOUND IN SCRAP METAL BIN
On Monday, December 27, 2004 the Agency was contacted by the Emergency Management Coordinator, for Waco-McLennan County with concerns over a metallic box retrieved from a scrap metal recycling bin. This item was first noted as being radioactive by a scrap metal firm under the name of Lipschitz on Elm Street in Waco who purportedly has sensitive scintillation detectors to screen in-coming scrap. Once the item was returned to the City of Waco landfill, the Emergency Management Coordinator confirmed that one end of the two part metal device or container was indeed emitting radiation at a rate of 2mR/hr at an unspecified distance as measured with a yellow CVD meter obtained from the local haz-mat team.
State personnel responded on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 to the landfill and performed extensive surveys of the grounds, personnel, and equipment that may have come in contact with the device. All results were negative as measured with a pancake GM and the surface dose rate of 10mR/hr was recorded. After triple bagging, the device was brought to the State's Austin office.
Trace amounts of removable contamination was noted only on the inside of the cover for the controls of the rad/rec/trans which was labeled with the following data: Type CKB-43069-A, Radio-Transmitter-Receiver, Model Maw-1,Serial #784, NAVSHIPS 91529A. Radium-226 was confirmed as the radionuclide present by spectral analysis on Thursday, December 30, 2004. The State is seeking contact within the Navy who will assist in appropriate disposition.
Texas Incident # I-8194. |
| Power Reactor | Event Number: 41307 | Facility: CALLAWAY
Region: 4 State: MO
Unit: [1] [ ] [ ]
RX Type: [1] W-4-LP
NRC Notified By: JAMES MILLIGAN
HQ OPS Officer: CHAUNCEY GOULD | Notification Date: 01/04/2005
Notification Time: 18:32 [ET]
Event Date: 01/04/2005
Event Time: 12:30 [CST]
Last Update Date: 01/04/2005 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
50.72(b)(3)(xiii) - LOSS COMM/ASMT/RESPONSE
| Person (Organization):
LINDA SMITH (R4)
|
| Unit | SCRAM Code | RX CRIT | Initial PWR | Initial RX Mode | Current PWR | Current RX Mode | | 1 | N | Y | 100 | Power Operation | 100 | Power Operation | Event Text SITE HAD 86.2% OF THEIR EMERGENCY ALERT SIRENS INOPERABLE
"At 1230, 1/4/05, while performing a weekly test of alert sirens utilized in the prompt public notification system, it was determined that the twenty five sirens actuated by the Callaway County Emergency Operation Center (EOC) would not operate. There are a total of twenty nine alert sirens distributed among four counties and failure of the twenty five sirens actuated by Callaway County equates to a loss of 86.2 % of the alert sirens. During the period when the faulted sirens were unavailable, the back-up automated telephone calling service Community Alerting Network System (CANS) and the tone alert radio system were available and the Callaway County EOC was instructed to perform local route notifications as a backup method of notification. At 1345, 1/4/05, the twenty five Callaway County actuated sirens were restored and all twenty nine alert sirens were tested satisfactorily."
"Initial investigation indicates a computer software problem related to the feedback system. This caused a failure to occur in a circuit at the Callaway County radio tower and in the back-up manual system. The system vendor is researching the failure experienced and expects to provide a failure determination report by 1/5/05. Final corrective actions will be developed based upon the information provided by the vendor."
The NRC Resident Inspector and local agencies were notified and the State will be informed. | |