| U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center Event Reports For
01/02/2006 - 01/03/2006 ** EVENT NUMBERS ** |
 | General Information or Other | Event Number: 42236 | Rep Org: MA RADIATION CONTROL PROGRAM
Licensee: CARDINAL HEALTH
Region: 1
City: WOBURN State: MA
County:
License #: 42-0146
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: ROBERT GALLAGHER
HQ OPS Officer: PETE SNYDER | Notification Date: 12/29/2005
Notification Time: 12:26 [ET]
Event Date: 12/29/2005
Event Time: 11:45 [EST]
Last Update Date: 12/29/2005 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
MARVIN SYKES (R1)
SANDRA WASTLER (NMSS)
THOMAS YATES (DOE)
MS. JOHNSON DOT-NRC (DOT)
| Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - TRANSPORTATION ACCIDENT INVOLVING USED TECHNETIUM 99M SYRINGES
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts reported that there was a transportation accident on route 9 in Westborough, Massachusetts involving an overturned delivery truck returning used Technetium 99m medical diagnostic dose syringes. State police responded and closed the roadway. A hazardous materials team responded. A Commonwealth of Massachusetts Health Physicist also responded to the scene. Seven type A "ammo box" containers contained the used syringes. At least one of the boxes broke open.
The doses were supplied by Cardinal Health of Woburn, Massachusetts. Originally it was estimated that 56 millicuries of Tc-99m was involved. In an update to the original report, the Massachusetts official determined through interviewing the driver of the vehicle, that the dose syringes were used. The responders took surveys of the area and detected no readings above normal background radiation levels.
Local television news media responded to the scene.
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.
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 |
| Fuel Cycle Facility | Event Number: 42238 | Facility: PADUCAH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT
RX Type: URANIUM ENRICHMENT FACILITY
Comments: 2 DEMOCRACY CENTER
6903 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE
BETHESDA, MD 20817 (301)564-3200
Region: 2
City: PADUCAH State: KY
County: McCRACKEN
License #: GDP-1
Agreement: Y
Docket: 0707001
NRC Notified By: STEVEN SKAGGS
HQ OPS Officer: BILL HUFFMAN | Notification Date: 01/02/2006
Notification Time: 17:58 [ET]
Event Date: 01/02/2006
Event Time: 04:38 [CST]
Last Update Date: 01/02/2006 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
76.120(c)(2) - SAFETY EQUIPMENT FAILURE
| Person (Organization):
MARK LESSER (R2)
WILLIAM RULAND (NMSS)
| Event Text REPORT OF SAFETY EQUIPMENT FAILURE
"At 0453 CST on 01/02/2006, the Plant Shift Superintendent (PSS) was notified that steam was observed leaking from the C-337A Position 1 West Autoclave. A 14 ton cylinder containing 0.711 % U235 assay uranium hexafluoride had been heating (TSR [Technical Safety Requirement] Mode 5) for approximately 5 minutes when the leak was observed. The autoclave pressure containment boundary is a TSR system required to be operable per TSR 2.2.3.1, 'Autoclave High Pressure Isolation System (HPIS),' when the autoclave is in Mode 5. The autoclave was placed in Mode 2, 'Autoclave Out-of-Service' in accordance with LCO Required Actions 2.2.3.1.C.
"This event is reportable as a 24 hour event in accordance with 10CFR 76.120(c)(2)(i). This is an event in which equipment is disabled or fails to function as designed when: a.) the equipment is required by a TSR to prevent releases, prevent exposures to radiation and radioactive materials exceeding specified limits, mitigate the consequences of an accident, or restore this facility to a pre-established safe condition after an accident; b.) the equipment is required by a TSR to be available and operable and either should have been operating or should have operated on demand, and c.) no redundant equipment is available and operable to perform the required safety function."
The licensee noted that after steam was turned off to the autoclave, an inspection of the o-ring sealing surfaces did not identify any problems. No other sources of a steam leak could be found in the autoclave. The HPSI was declared inoperable due to a possible head-to-shell leak. The licensee will need to wait for a five day cool down time for the cylinder in the autoclave before it can be removed. Once the cylinder is removed, the autoclave can be re-pressurized in an attempt to determine the leak location.
The NRC Senior Resident Inspector and DOE have been notified of this event. | |