| U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center Event Reports For
02/02/2012 - 02/03/2012 ** EVENT NUMBERS ** |
 | Agreement State | Event Number: 47613 | Rep Org: PA BUREAU OF RADIATION PROTECTION
Licensee: UNKNOWN
Region: 1
City: NORRISTOWN State: PA
County:
License #: UNKNOWN
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: DAVID ALLARD
HQ OPS Officer: BILL HUFFMAN | Notification Date: 01/20/2012
Notification Time: 20:00 [ET]
Event Date: 01/19/2012
Event Time: [EST]
Last Update Date: 01/20/2012 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
RONALD BELLAMY (R1DO)
BRUCE WATSON (FSME)
|
| This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material. | Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - RADIUM-226 SOURCES DISCOVERED AT WASTE TRANSFER STATION
The following event was received via facsimile from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection [DEP], Bureau of Radiation Protection:
"Event Description: On Thursday, January 19, 2012, DEP's southeast regional office received a call from the Waste Management, Inc. Norristown solid waste transfer station stating that a roll-off container of waste had set off their radiation alarm. The facility's consulting health physicist investigated, along with representatives of the Department's Bureau of Radiation Protection. The radioactive material recovered from the roll-off was four (4) small cylinders identified as approximately one (1) curie [total] of radium-226 contained in what appeared to be a lead-lined box. The lead-lined box (with shiny exterior) was inside an old metal locking box that contained various other source holders, instruments and applicators, some containing the name 'Standard Chemical.' It is believed these Ra-226 sources are vintage circa 1920 medical radiation therapy capsules. Preliminary wipes revealed no significant removable contamination, thus, no leaking sources. The consultant HP was given a DOT Special Permit for transport, and [took] possession of the Ra-226 for safe and secure storage. Contact dose rates outside the closed shiny metal lead-lined box were as high as 2.0 R/hr. In an open configuration, dose rates were about 100 R/h in near contact with the sources.
"The unlocked roll-off container was located for several weeks in a parking lot of an adult-only living community in West Chester, PA while a contractor performed work on townhomes in the development. Department personnel have been in touch with the contractor and will be interviewing workers, as well as nearby homeowners to determine if any people were significantly exposed to these sources. Local outreach is also planned to ensure similar sources are not in the public sector.
"CAUSE OF THE EVENT: Suspected intentional abandonment of old medical radium sources in an open construction waste dumpster.
"ACTIONS: The Department is in contact with DOE and a LLRW vendor for transfer or disposal of Ra-226 sources. Further investigations will be performed, as well as any needed dose reconstruction."
Pennsylvania Report: PA120004
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. For additional information go to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf
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. |
| Agreement State | Event Number: 47627 | Rep Org: CALIFORNIA RADIATION CONTROL PRGM
Licensee: CONSTRUCTION TESTING & ENGINEERING, INC
Region: 4
City: MANTECA State: CA
County:
License #: 5927-34
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: KENT PRENDERGAST
HQ OPS Officer: JOHN KNOKE | Notification Date: 01/31/2012
Notification Time: 14:36 [ET]
Event Date: 01/31/2012
Event Time: [PST]
Last Update Date: 01/31/2012 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
JEFF CLARK (R4DO)
ANGELA MCINTOSH (FSME)
MATTHEW HAHN (ILTA)
MEXICO via fax ()
|
| This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material. | Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN TROXLER GAUGE
This information was provided by the State of California by e-mail:
"The Alternate RSO for Construction Testing & Engineering reported a Troxler 3440, serial number 22426, containing 9 mCi of Cs-137 and 44 mCi of Am-241, was stolen out of the cab of his pickup, which was parked in his driveway. . . sometime last night.
"The Licensee notified the Manteca Police Department and is working on posting a reward for the safe return of the gauge."
CA Report Number: 013112
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. For additional information go to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf | |