| U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center Event Reports For
11/24/2005 - 11/25/2005 ** EVENT NUMBERS ** |
 | General Information or Other | Event Number: 42160 | Rep Org: NE DIV OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
Licensee: FAGEN, INC
Region: 4
City: MINDEN State: NE
County:
License #:
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: TRUDY HILL
HQ OPS Officer: JEFF ROTTON | Notification Date: 11/21/2005
Notification Time: 15:16 [ET]
Event Date: 05/22/2003
Event Time: [CST]
Last Update Date: 11/21/2005 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
LINDA SMITH (R4)
GREG MORELL (NMSS)
AARON DANIS (EMAIL) (TAS)
| Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN TRITIUM EXIT SIGNS
The State provided the following information via facsimile:
"Safety Light shipped 15 self illuminating exit signs to Fagen, Inc. on April 14, 2003 with serial numbers 220369 - 220383. The signs were [Safety Light Corp] model SLX-60 with 11.5 curies [of Tritium (H-3)] in each. Fagen, Inc. was the contractor for Kaapa Ethanol, LLC In Minden, Nebraska. Fagen, Inc. staff suspect that five signs were stolen on May 22 or 23, 2003 from a trailer that they kept supplies in. They [Fagen, Inc] then ordered six additional signs (five for the ones suspected stolen and one needed for an additional area needing a sign). Safety Light shipped the six signs on June 17, 2003 with serial numbers 211313-211318. Kaapa Ethanol, LLC took over the plant in January of 2004. When Kaapa did a complete inventory of the signs in 2005 they could not locate all of the signs. After a number of emails and phone calls it was determined that in addition to the unreported five signs that were missing in May of 2003, one additional sign from the April 14, 2003 order and three from the June 17, 2003 order were also missing. They believe that the signs were taken/stolen the first week of January 2004. Kappa Ethanol staff does not believe that the nine missing signs were ever installed."
Serial numbers of stolen exit signs: 220369, 220370, 220371, 220372, 220373, 220380, 211315, 211316, 211317.
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. |
| General Information or Other | Event Number: 42163 | Rep Org: IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Licensee: GEMINI, INC
Region: 3
City: DECORAH State: IA
County:
License #: IA 3135196SEM
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: NANCY FARRINGTON
HQ OPS Officer: MIKE RIPLEY | Notification Date: 11/22/2005
Notification Time: 10:03 [ET]
Event Date: 11/21/2005
Event Time: [CST]
Last Update Date: 11/22/2005 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
RICHARD SKOKOWSKI (R3)
GREG MORELL (NMSS)
TAS (EMAIL) ()
| Event Text IOWA AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - MISSING STATIC ELIMINATOR
The licensee notified the State that on 11/21/05, a static eliminator was discovered missing. The eliminator is a Model P-2021 NRD Static Eliminator, Serial No. A2DT581, containing Po-210 with an original activity of 10 milliCuries. The licensee continues to investigate the loss.
* * * UPDATE FROM STATE (N. FARRINGTON) TO M. RIPLEY 1040 EST 11/22/05 * * *
The licensee notified the State that the missing static eliminator was found 11/22/05 in the area where it was supposed to be in, but unexpectedly under a workbench, and therefore originally missed.
Notified R3 DO (Skokowski), NMSS (G. Morell), and TAS (email).
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. |
| General Information or Other | Event Number: 42164 | Rep Org: WA DIVISION OF RADIATION PROTECTION
Licensee: EARTH CONSULTANTS, INC
Region: 4
City: BELLEVUE State: WA
County:
License #: WN-L061-1
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: ARDEN SCROGGS
HQ OPS Officer: JEFF ROTTON | Notification Date: 11/22/2005
Notification Time: 11:45 [ET]
Event Date: 11/19/2005
Event Time: [PST]
Last Update Date: 11/22/2005 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
RUSSELL BYWATER (R4)
GREG MORELL (NMSS)
| Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - DAMAGED MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE
The State provided the following information via email:
"ABSTRACT: (where, when, how, why; cause, contributing factors, corrective actions, consequences, Dept. of Health (DOH) on-site investigation; media attention) The licensee called the Washington State Department of Health, Office of Radiation Protection emergency line Saturday November 19, 2005 to report a damaged portable gauge. The Office of Radiation Protection Emergency Response Duty Officer called the supervisor of the Radioactive Materials Section with the information who drove to the incident site to access the situation and monitor for radiation. Radiation readings were normal for a Troxler gauge.
"The Licensee provided a statement of the event by the operator. In it the operator said when all the contractor personnel left the area for lunch no equipment was running. Thinking everything was OK; the operator walked to her car for lunch and left the gauge in place. The gauge was not in use. When contractor personnel began returning to the site the operator followed. The operator heard equipment start up and was approximately 50 feet away when a moving piece of equipment backed over the gauge.
"The operator called the company RSO and 911 to notify the local fire department. The area was cordoned off to keep personnel away. The operator then removed the shipping and emergency papers and made calls to the State Department of Health who responded to the scene of the incident. The gauge was taken to the licensee's lab in nearby Fife, Washington before being taken to their licensed storage location in Bellevue, Washington.
"To prevent reoccurrence, gauge operators have been instructed by the RSO to be with in a few feet of the gauge when it is in an exposed location. The Licensee has suspended for a week without pay the operator in this incident. Notification Reporting Criteria: WAC 246-221-250 Notification of Incidents. Isotope and Activity involved: 8 mCi of Cesium 137, and 40 mCi of Americium 241 Beryllium.
"Overexposures? (number of workers/members of the public; dose estimate; body part receiving dose; consequence): None expected.
"Lost, Stolen or Damaged?(mfg., model, serial number) : Troxler, model 3430, serial number 26287.
"Disposition/recovery: The gauge was placed back in the manufactures transport case and returned to the licensed storage location in Bellevue, Washington. A licensed technical service provider was contacted and the gauge is being held for pick up and disposal by the service provider.
"Leak test? None reported post incident. Last Leak Test performed on September 8, 2005.
"Vehicle: (description; placards; Shipper; package type; Pkg. ID number) NA Release of activity? None found.
Activity and pharmaceutical compound intended: NA
Misadministered activity and/or compound received: NA
Device (HDR, etc.) Mfg., Model; computer program: NA
Exposure (intended/actual); consequences: NA
Was patient or responsible relative notified? NA
Was written report provided? NA
Was referring physician notified? NA
Consultant used? No. | |