U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Operations Center Event Reports For 03/19/2007 - 03/20/2007 ** EVENT NUMBERS ** | General Information or Other | Event Number: 43237 | Rep Org: OHIO BUREAU OF RADIATION PROTECTION Licensee: UNKNOWN Region: 3 City: STRONGSVILLE State: OH County: License #: UNKNOWN Agreement: Y Docket: NRC Notified By: STEVEN JAMES HQ OPS Officer: JASON KOZAL | Notification Date: 03/14/2007 Notification Time: 19:34 [ET] Event Date: 03/12/2007 Event Time: 15:00 [EDT] Last Update Date: 03/14/2007 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: AGREEMENT STATE | Person (Organization): RICHARD SKOKOWSKI (R3) JOSEPH GIITTER (FSME) ILTAB VIA E-MAIL () | This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material. | Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOST/STOLEN EXIT SIGNS The State provided the following information via email: "On 3/14/07 the Strongsville Ohio Police Department was notified that ten (10) tritium exit signs were missing and presumed stolen from a storage area at a local shopping center construction site. The apparent theft occurred between 3 PM on 3/12/07 and 1 PM on 3/13/07. The contractor reporting the incident stated that the signs could have been taken by anyone that had access to the construction site, because many different contractors were using the same storage area. The ten signs were all packaged in one box. The signs are manufactured by SRB Technologies as the Betalux-E Life Safety Sign, Model 171. They are distributed by Cooper Lighting under the name Sure Lites, TRX1 series. The signs are rated for a 20-year life cycle." Ohio event # - OH70003 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 | General Information or Other | Event Number: 43241 | Rep Org: ARIZONA RADIATION REGULATORY AGENCY Licensee: GEOTECHNICAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS Region: 4 City: PHOENIX State: AZ County: License #: 07-402 Agreement: Y Docket: NRC Notified By: WILLIAM WRIGHT HQ OPS Officer: BILL HUFFMAN | Notification Date: 03/15/2007 Notification Time: 13:45 [ET] Event Date: 03/14/2007 Event Time: 17:30 [MST] Last Update Date: 03/16/2007 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: AGREEMENT STATE | Person (Organization): MICHAEL SHANNON (R4) GREG MORELL (FSME) | Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT ON DAMAGED MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE The State provided the following information via facsimile: "At approximately 8:30 AM, March 15, 2007, the Agency was informed that a Density Moisture Gauge had been run over by a large steel compacting roller which crushed the gauge. This had occurred at approximately 5:30 PM on March 14, 2007. It appeared that when it occurred, the operating rod was in the safe position and the source was shielded. During the attempt to retrieve the gauge, the source fell out of the shielded position and the internal sources fell out of the capsule. These were retrieved from the site and placed along with the crushed gauge into the transport container and returned to the office of the licensee. Wipe tests were taken and no spreadable contamination was noted. "The Agency is currently inspecting the licensee and will continue follow-up evaluations as necessary. " State Report # 07-05 * * * UPDATE FROM THE STATE OF ARIZONA (VIA FAX) TO HUFFMAN AT 14:04 EDT ON 3/16/07 * * * "The Agency performed an inspection of the broken gauge and source at the licensee's office on the morning of March 15, 2007. The broken gauge and source were removed from the Troxler transport case and the broken Cs-137 source and AmBe/241 source were examined and wipe tested. The sources and broken gauge were returned to the transport case, stored in the gauge storage room with additional shielding material placed around it and locked up awaiting shipping and transport containers from Troxler. A field survey of the site where the gauge was run over was conducted again and no radioactive material was detected. Initial wipe test data from the two sources indicates no spreadable radioactive contamination. Discussion with the licensee indicates that exposure to the gauge technician during source retrieval was minimized." R4DO (Shannon) and FSME EO (Giitter) notified. | Other Nuclear Material | Event Number: 43248 | Rep Org: KAMPNER IRON AND STEEL Licensee: UNKNOWN Region: 1 City: HOOVERSVILLE State: PA County: License #: UNKNOWN Agreement: N Docket: NRC Notified By: ANTHONY HULL HQ OPS Officer: BILL HUFFMAN | Notification Date: 03/19/2007 Notification Time: 12:31 [ET] Event Date: 03/16/2007 Event Time: [EDT] Last Update Date: 03/19/2007 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: INFORMATION ONLY | Person (Organization): MEL GRAY (R1) GREG MORELL (FSME) | This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material. | Event Text ORPHAN SOURCE FOUND IN STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA DURING SCRAP METAL RECYCLING A truck carrying a load of scrap metal set off a rad alarm at a metal recycling facility. The truck returned to its origin (Kampner Iron and Steel) where the source of the radioactivity was found to be a TN Technologies gauge Model 5191 (Serial number B927) containing a 200 millicurie source of Cs-137. TN Technologies was contacted and it was determined that the gauge was purchase under a general license by Rapco Inc of Tennessee in 1977. It is believed that the gauge was used for process measurements of fluidized coal flow. A health physics contractor for Kampner Iron and Steel (Applied Health Physics) and a representative for the State of Pennsylvania were present when the gauge was recovered. Field testing indicated that the source was intact and no contamination present. The gauge was place in a drum and locked in a secured location at Kampner Iron and Steel and posted per regulations. Based on radiation measurements, the health physics contractor does not believe that the source resulted in any personnel exposures. Kampner Steel has been in contact with TN Technologies on options for retrieval of the gauge. Investigation into the status of Rapco Inc and how the gauge wound up as scrap are also in progress. The NRC Region 1 Office (Lodhi) has been notified. 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. Although IAEA categorization of this event is typically based on device type, the staff has been made aware of the actual activity of the source, and after calculation determines that it is a Less than Cat 3 event. Note: the value assigned by device type "Category 3" is different than the calculated value "Less than Cat 3" | Power Reactor | Event Number: 43249 | Facility: OYSTER CREEK Region: 1 State: NJ Unit: [1] [ ] [ ] RX Type: [1] GE-2 NRC Notified By: STEVE FULLER HQ OPS Officer: JOHN MacKINNON | Notification Date: 03/19/2007 Notification Time: 21:16 [ET] Event Date: 03/19/2007 Event Time: 18:16 [EDT] Last Update Date: 03/19/2007 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: 50.72(b)(2)(xi) - OFFSITE NOTIFICATION | Person (Organization): MEL GRAY (R1) | Unit | SCRAM Code | RX CRIT | Initial PWR | Initial RX Mode | Current PWR | Current RX Mode | 1 | N | Y | 82 | Power Operation | 82 | Power Operation | Event Text OFFSITE NOTIFICATION MADE TO NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION "Notified the New Jersey State, Department of Environmental Protection that Oyster Creek generating station was not in compliance with the NJPDES permit due to equipment malfunction. "The malfunction was an electrical bus fault which resulted in a trip of both operating dilution pumps. "Alternate power is now being supplied to the dilution pumps. The pumps have been restarted. "There has been no observed impact on the environment.." NRC Resident Inspector was notified of this event by the licensee. | |