Alert

Due to a lapse in appropriations, the NRC has ceased normal operations. However, excepted and exempted activities necessary to maintain critical health and safety functions—as well as essential progress on designated critical activities, including those specified in Executive Order 14300—will continue, consistent with the OMB-Approved NRC Lapse Plan.

Event Notification Report for August 23, 2007

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center

Event Reports For
08/22/2007 - 08/23/2007

** EVENT NUMBERS **

43576

General Information or Other	Event Number: 43576
Rep Org: ARIZONA RADIATION REGULATORY AGENCY Licensee: WALTER BOSWELL MEMORIAL HOSPITAL Region: 4 City: SUN CITY State: AZ County: License #: 07-138 Agreement: Y Docket: NRC Notified By: AUBREY GODWIN HQ OPS Officer: JASON KOZAL	Notification Date: 08/17/2007 Notification Time: 18:20 [ET] Event Date: 08/17/2007 Event Time: 15:00 [MST] Last Update Date: 08/17/2007
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: AGREEMENT STATE	Person (Organization): ANTHONY GODY (R4) JOSEPH HOLONICH (FSME) ILTAB (E-Mailed) ()

This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material.

Event Text

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOST BRACHYTHERAPY SOURCES

"At approximately 9:00 AM the Agency was informed by [DELETED] Walter Boswell Memorial Hospital that on 8/14/2007 at approximately 4:30 PM, two seeds of Iodine 125 were discovered missing in the operating room number 10. Originally, 9 seeds were taken to surgery by a nuclear medicine technician to be sterilized. Only 7 seeds were returned from surgery. A search was initiated and the results were negative. Each seed contained 0.34 millicuries of Iodine 125. The Agency dispatched a team to attempt to locate the missing sources. The seeds have not been located.

"The Agency and the Hospital continue to look for the sources.

"The U.S. NRC and FBI are being notified of this event.

"First Notice: 07-011"

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.

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