Event Notification Report for April 20, 2006

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOST PROCESS INSTRUMENT SOURCE

On 4/20/06 the licensee Radiation Safety Officer called the State of Georgia to report the loss of a process instrument source. The instrument contained a 100 millicurie Americium-241 source as part of an Industrial Dynamics Model CI-2 case inspector serial number 00224. The source serial number is 3139 and model number is 06765.

The instrument was installed in a conveyor system that was removed and salvaged between March 20 and 25 of this year. The licensee contacted the Albany recycling facility to notify them of possible disposal at their facility but the recycling center said that their radiation detectors did not alarm. The recycling company also sends their scrap to IPSCO and ELG recycling operations in Mobile, AL. The licensee continues its search for the lost source. The licensee is currently reviewing their procedures for handling radioactive devices and the entire plant population will be retrained.

The Georgia State ERC report number is 38364.

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.

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STUCK SOURCE

The State provided the following information via facsimile:

"On April 20, 2006, Global X-Ray had a source that failed to return to the shielded position. The source is a 105 Ci source of Ir-192 manufactured by SPEC with model #G-60 and serial #NC-1506. The source was in a SPEC 150 radiography camera with serial number 905. The RSO was dispatched to the Lonestar Horizon barge at West Cameron 165 to retrieve the source. The source was retrieved at approximately 11:37AM on April 20, 2006. No excessive exposures were reported. The badges were sent in for processing. The RSO picked up approximately 430 millirem while performing retrieval activity."

Event Report number: LA060006

This was reported by Global X-Ray and given NRC Event Number 42516

TECHNETIUM 99M SURFACE CONTAMINATION FOUND ON PACKAGE EXTERIOR

St. Vincent Hospital received a package with surface contamination levels excess of Department Of Transportation 49 CFR 173.443 required levels. The package was an expected shipment of Iodine 131 for hospital use. The Hospital identified the contaminant via exterior swipe surveys as Technetium 99m at levels in excess of 5200 decays per minute per 100 centimeters squared. The integrity of the package was not compromised. No contamination was found on the interior of the package. The hospital called the shipper, Cardinal Health Systems, to notify them of the contamination found and has isolated the package in a controlled area.

* * * UPDATE FROM WROBLEWSKI TO SNYDER AT 1427 ON 4/24/06 * * *

The licensee is retracting this event based on the fact that the reported surface contamination levels are not above the DOT limits referenced above.

Notified NMSS (Morell), R3DO (Peterson).

PIPELINE RADIOGRAPHY SOURCE FAILED TO RETRACT

Pipeline radiography was being performed offshore aboard the pipe lay barge "Lone Star Horizon" at West Cameron 165 (approximately 25 miles offshore of Louisiana). The source failed to retract into the camera after an exposure. At the time of the report, the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) was being dispatched to the barge via helicopter to retrieve the source and return it to the camera.

Camera: SPEC Model # 150 exposure device (serial number 905) containing 100 Curie Ir-192 source (SPEC # G-60 serial number NC-1506).

* * * UPDATE AT 1535 ON 4/20/06 W. JOHNSTON TO P. SNYDER * * *

The RSO went to the site and properly recovered the camera source. The RSO also took a new camera to the site and brought the existing camera back to be returned to the manufacturer for inspection.

No excessive exposures resulted. Film badges were sent for processing. The RSO received approximately 480 millirem performing the retrieval activity.

Notified R4DO (Kennedy) and NMSS (Morell).

This was reported by the state of Louisiana and given NRC event number 42521.