Event Notification Report for March 29, 2013
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center
EVENT REPORTS FOR
03/28/2013 - 03/29/2013
Agreement State
Event Number: 48874
Rep Org: COLORADO DEPT OF HEALTH
Licensee: TERRACON, INC.
Region: 4
City: COLORADO SPRINGS State: CO
County:
License #: 664-02
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: MARK DATER
HQ OPS Officer: DONG HWA PARK
Licensee: TERRACON, INC.
Region: 4
City: COLORADO SPRINGS State: CO
County:
License #: 664-02
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: MARK DATER
HQ OPS Officer: DONG HWA PARK
Notification Date: 04/02/2013
Notification Time: 10:55 [ET]
Event Date: 03/29/2013
Event Time: 10:06 [MDT]
Last Update Date: 04/02/2013
Notification Time: 10:55 [ET]
Event Date: 03/29/2013
Event Time: 10:06 [MDT]
Last Update Date: 04/02/2013
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
10 CFR Section:
Person (Organization):
RAY KELLAR (R4DO)
FSME EVENTS RESOURCE
RAY KELLAR (R4DO)
FSME EVENTS RESOURCE
AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - DAMAGED TROXLER MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE
The following information was received from the State of Colorado via email:
"At 10:06 am on Friday, March 29, 2013 the Emergency Response Duty Officer was notified that there was an incident involving a portable moisture density gauge that had been run over by a piece of heavy construction equipment. The [Colorado] Department [of Public Health and Environment] responded by phone and contacted the RSO [Radiation Safety Officer] for Terracon, Inc., who was on site supervising the incident. The RSO reported that the gauge had been backed over by a Bobcat loader. The Bobcat loader had a counter balance weight on the rear of the equipment and this contacted the gauge damaging the outer casing. The RSO reported that the source had been fully retracted and was in the safe (shielded position). The RSO conducted a survey and the reading was 0.2 mr/hr at 1 foot. The gauge was loaded into the transport box and readied for transport back to storage at the Tarracon facility. The transport index on the box was 0.1 mr/hr and the RSO was given permission to transport gauge back to storage and perform a leak test before sending off for repair. The leak tests proved negative and the gauge was [shipped] for repair. This licensee will be issued a Notice of Violation of Part 4.26.1: 'The licensee shall control and maintain constant surveillance of licensed or registered radioactive material that is in an unrestricted area and that is not in storage or in a patient.'
"Licensee causing incident: Terracon, Inc., Colo. License number 664-02
"Density gauge model and serial number: Troxler model 3430 s/n 28184
"Isotopes in gauge: Cs-137 (9mCi); Am-241 (40mCi)
"Survey meter used by RSO: Radiation Alert Monitor 4, s/n 42585, Cal. Date: August 7, 2012"
Incident number: I13-03
The following information was received from the State of Colorado via email:
"At 10:06 am on Friday, March 29, 2013 the Emergency Response Duty Officer was notified that there was an incident involving a portable moisture density gauge that had been run over by a piece of heavy construction equipment. The [Colorado] Department [of Public Health and Environment] responded by phone and contacted the RSO [Radiation Safety Officer] for Terracon, Inc., who was on site supervising the incident. The RSO reported that the gauge had been backed over by a Bobcat loader. The Bobcat loader had a counter balance weight on the rear of the equipment and this contacted the gauge damaging the outer casing. The RSO reported that the source had been fully retracted and was in the safe (shielded position). The RSO conducted a survey and the reading was 0.2 mr/hr at 1 foot. The gauge was loaded into the transport box and readied for transport back to storage at the Tarracon facility. The transport index on the box was 0.1 mr/hr and the RSO was given permission to transport gauge back to storage and perform a leak test before sending off for repair. The leak tests proved negative and the gauge was [shipped] for repair. This licensee will be issued a Notice of Violation of Part 4.26.1: 'The licensee shall control and maintain constant surveillance of licensed or registered radioactive material that is in an unrestricted area and that is not in storage or in a patient.'
"Licensee causing incident: Terracon, Inc., Colo. License number 664-02
"Density gauge model and serial number: Troxler model 3430 s/n 28184
"Isotopes in gauge: Cs-137 (9mCi); Am-241 (40mCi)
"Survey meter used by RSO: Radiation Alert Monitor 4, s/n 42585, Cal. Date: August 7, 2012"
Incident number: I13-03
Agreement State
Event Number: 48866
Rep Org: MA RADIATION CONTROL PROGRAM
Licensee: FELINE HEALTH, INC.
Region: 1
City: WESTFIELD State: MA
County:
License #: 48-0316
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: MIKE WHALEN
HQ OPS Officer: DONALD NORWOOD
Licensee: FELINE HEALTH, INC.
Region: 1
City: WESTFIELD State: MA
County:
License #: 48-0316
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: MIKE WHALEN
HQ OPS Officer: DONALD NORWOOD
Notification Date: 03/29/2013
Notification Time: 13:46 [ET]
Event Date: 03/29/2013
Event Time: 00:00 [EDT]
Last Update Date: 03/29/2013
Notification Time: 13:46 [ET]
Event Date: 03/29/2013
Event Time: 00:00 [EDT]
Last Update Date: 03/29/2013
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
10 CFR Section:
Person (Organization):
PAUL KROHN (R1DO)
ANGELA MCINTOSH (FSME)
FSME EVENTS RESOURCE (EMAI)
PAUL KROHN (R1DO)
ANGELA MCINTOSH (FSME)
FSME EVENTS RESOURCE (EMAI)
AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - VETERINARY TECHNICIAN POSSIBLE OVEREXPOSURE
The following information was received via facsimile:
"The Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) called to report that the quarterly whole body dosimeter for her technician recorded 993 mrem deep, 21,900 mrem to the lens, and 58,000 mrem shallow dose. The technician's finger ring dose was negligible.
"The technician & RSO have worked for years injecting three to ten cats with I-131 on a monthly basis (approximately 3 mCi per cat) and neither have ever approached such high radiation doses.
"It is suspected that the dosimeter has malfunctioned or was inadvertently contaminated with I-131. The licensee has requested that the dosimeter manufacturer re-analyze the dosimeter.
"The Massachusetts Radiation Control Program is investigating."
The following information was received via facsimile:
"The Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) called to report that the quarterly whole body dosimeter for her technician recorded 993 mrem deep, 21,900 mrem to the lens, and 58,000 mrem shallow dose. The technician's finger ring dose was negligible.
"The technician & RSO have worked for years injecting three to ten cats with I-131 on a monthly basis (approximately 3 mCi per cat) and neither have ever approached such high radiation doses.
"It is suspected that the dosimeter has malfunctioned or was inadvertently contaminated with I-131. The licensee has requested that the dosimeter manufacturer re-analyze the dosimeter.
"The Massachusetts Radiation Control Program is investigating."
Agreement State
Event Number: 48867
Rep Org: NV DIV OF RAD HEALTH
Licensee: AMERICAN SOIL TESTING
Region: 4
City: SPARKS State: NV
County:
License #:
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: ERIC MATUS
HQ OPS Officer: DONALD NORWOOD
Licensee: AMERICAN SOIL TESTING
Region: 4
City: SPARKS State: NV
County:
License #:
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: ERIC MATUS
HQ OPS Officer: DONALD NORWOOD
Notification Date: 03/29/2013
Notification Time: 17:22 [ET]
Event Date: 03/29/2013
Event Time: 08:30 [PDT]
Last Update Date: 04/08/2013
Notification Time: 17:22 [ET]
Event Date: 03/29/2013
Event Time: 08:30 [PDT]
Last Update Date: 04/08/2013
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
10 CFR Section:
Person (Organization):
GREG PICK (R4DO)
FSME EVENTS RESOURCE (EMAI)
GREG PICK (R4DO)
FSME EVENTS RESOURCE (EMAI)
AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - DENSITY GAUGE FOUND
An auction lot of industrial equipment was purchased by West Tech, Inc., an electronics recycling company, at an auction in Milpitas, California. The auction lot was subsequently delivered to West Tech, Inc. in Sparks, Nevada. A CPN density gauge, s/n M17031878, manufactured 1/1/1976, originally containing 50 mCi Americium-241/Be and 10 mCi Cs-137, was found in the auction lot. After discovering the gauge, West Tech, Inc. notified InstroTek, Inc. (parent company of CPN) which notified the State of Nevada Radiation Control Program.
The State of Nevada Radiation Control Program dispatched inspectors. The gauge was found to be in its shipping container. The gauge appeared to be undamaged and intact. Swipes were taken and no contamination was found. The State of Nevada Radiation Control Program has impounded the gauge.
The State of Nevada will provide more information as it becomes available.
* * * UPDATE AT 1601 EDT ON 04/08/13 FROM GENE FORRER (STATE OF CALIFORNIA) TO S. SANDIN * * *
The State of Nevada informed the State of California that after checking with the manufacturer, the recovered CPN Moisture Density gauge, S/N M17031878 was registered to American Soil Testing, Licensee # CA5059-43. The gauge will be returned to the manufacturer for disposal.
HOO Note: See EN #48895 for report of stolen gauges.
Notified R4DO (Deese), FSME Events Resource via email and Mexico via fax.
An auction lot of industrial equipment was purchased by West Tech, Inc., an electronics recycling company, at an auction in Milpitas, California. The auction lot was subsequently delivered to West Tech, Inc. in Sparks, Nevada. A CPN density gauge, s/n M17031878, manufactured 1/1/1976, originally containing 50 mCi Americium-241/Be and 10 mCi Cs-137, was found in the auction lot. After discovering the gauge, West Tech, Inc. notified InstroTek, Inc. (parent company of CPN) which notified the State of Nevada Radiation Control Program.
The State of Nevada Radiation Control Program dispatched inspectors. The gauge was found to be in its shipping container. The gauge appeared to be undamaged and intact. Swipes were taken and no contamination was found. The State of Nevada Radiation Control Program has impounded the gauge.
The State of Nevada will provide more information as it becomes available.
* * * UPDATE AT 1601 EDT ON 04/08/13 FROM GENE FORRER (STATE OF CALIFORNIA) TO S. SANDIN * * *
The State of Nevada informed the State of California that after checking with the manufacturer, the recovered CPN Moisture Density gauge, S/N M17031878 was registered to American Soil Testing, Licensee # CA5059-43. The gauge will be returned to the manufacturer for disposal.
HOO Note: See EN #48895 for report of stolen gauges.
Notified R4DO (Deese), FSME Events Resource via email and Mexico via fax.