| U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center Event Reports For
04/14/2016 - 04/15/2016 ** EVENT NUMBERS ** |
 | Agreement State | Event Number: 51849 | Rep Org: WA OFFICE OF RADIATION PROTECTION
Licensee: UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
Region: 4
City: SEATTLE State: WA
County:
License #: WN-C001-1
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: ANINE GRUMBLES
HQ OPS Officer: JEFF HERRERA | Notification Date: 04/06/2016
Notification Time: 14:24 [ET]
Event Date: 03/31/2016
Event Time: [PDT]
Last Update Date: 04/06/2016 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
RAY KELLAR (R4DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFIC (EMAI)
CNSC (CANADA) (FAX)
|
| This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3 " level of radioactive material. | Event Text AGREEMENT STATE - PACKAGE CONTAINING 40 MILLICURIES OF NI-63 REPORTED MISSING
The following report was received from the Washington Department of Health via email:
"[The] RSO [Radiation Safety Officer] of UW [University of Washington] reported on 4/6/2016, that a package containing four 10 mCi electron capture devices (ECDs), a total activity of 40 mCi, went missing on 3/31/2016, while being transported from Sydney airport to Tasmania, Australia on a Quantas flight. Quantas has put a trace out for the missing package. The ECDs were being sent to the Marine National Facility, CSIRO [Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization] Marine Laboratories. The ECDs were to be used in gas chromatographs (GC) on board a marine vessel by a University of Washington researcher for obtaining research results. The GCs were shipped separately and these are not missing. The Radiation Safety Office did obtain an import permit from Australia for the ECD shipment, and can provide that documentation if needed.
"Device Manufacturer:
Shimazdu Scientific Instruments Mini-2 GC
Serial Number: 500401
Activity: 0.010 Ci
Radionuclide: Ni-63
"Device Manufacturer:
Shimazdu Scientific Instruments GC-8A
Model Number: ECD-8A
Serial Number: SS1932
Activity 0.010 Ci
Radionuclide: Ni-63
"Device Manufacturer:
Shimazdu Scientific Instruments GC-8A
Model Number: ECD-8A
Serial Number: SS1953
Activity: 0.010 Ci
Radionuclide: Ni-63
"Device Manufacturer:
Shimazdu Scientific Instruments GC-8A
Model Number: ECD-8A
Serial Number: SS2047
Activity: 0.010 Ci
Radionuclide: Ni-63"
Package was shipped from University of Washington to Australia on 3/23/16.
Washington Incident # WA-16-010
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 |
| Agreement State | Event Number: 51852 | Rep Org: COLORADO DEPT OF HEALTH
Licensee: CARQUEST
Region: 4
City: DENVER State: CO
County:
License #: GENERAL LICEN
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: LINDA BARTISH
HQ OPS Officer: JEFF HERRERA | Notification Date: 04/06/2016
Notification Time: 16:46 [ET]
Event Date: 11/16/2015
Event Time: [MDT]
Last Update Date: 04/06/2016 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
RAY KELLAR (R4DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFIC (EMAI)
|
| This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3 " level of radioactive material. | Event Text AGREEMENT STATE - LOST TRITIUM EXIT SIGN
The following report was received from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment via email:
"An audit of the radioactive materials general license files was conducted on the site at 800 W 84th Avenue. Inventory report showed Carquest - Denver had 6 Tritium exit signs registered in 2014. The report received from Carquest in December of 2015 showed a transfer of 5 Tritium exit signs being shipped to TritiumDisposal.com. An inquiry was made with the corporate office to obtain clarification as to lost exit sign. The property was further inspected to try and locate the missing sign however it was not discovered.
"The corporate office [Advanced Auto Parts] contacted the location to obtain further clarification regarding the report of shipping the exit signs to TritiumDisposal.Com. The notification of lost exit sign was mailed to the corporate office Advanced Auto Parts to obtain a corrective action."
"Model: SLX TURW10
Source Serial: #175174
Isotope: H-3, Activity
Activity: 7300 mCi"
Event Report ID No.: CO16-I16-06
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 |
| Agreement State | Event Number: 51855 | Rep Org: WA OFFICE OF RADIATION PROTECTION
Licensee: EARTH SOLUTIONS NW, LLC
Region: 4
City: BELLEVUE State: WA
County:
License #: WN-I0560-1
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: JAMES KILLINGBECK
HQ OPS Officer: MARK ABRAMOVITZ | Notification Date: 04/07/2016
Notification Time: 19:38 [ET]
Event Date: 04/06/2016
Event Time: [PDT]
Last Update Date: 04/07/2016 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
RAY KELLAR (R4DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICA (EMAI)
| Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - DAMAGED MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE
The following report was received via e-mail:
"On April 6, 2016, a portable moisture/density nuclear gauge from Earth Solutions NW, LLC was damaged at a construction site near Monroe, Washington.
"The technician from Earth Solutions NW, LLC restricted the area around the damaged nuclear gauge and reported the incident using our [Washington Office of Radiation Protection] 206-NUCLEAR emergency number.
"Our [Washington Office of Radiation Protection] nuclear engineer assessed the condition of the nuclear gauge over the telephone and determined that the nuclear gauge should be safe to transport, so the nuclear gauge was transported to the Snohomish office of Northwest Technical Services, which is the company that typically maintains and calibrates the gauges for Earth Solutions NW, LLC.
"Northwest Technical Services personnel inspected the damaged nuclear gauge and determined the nuclear gauge is intact, and that both radioactive sources are present in their normal locations inside the nuclear gauge. The cesium-137 source [10 mCi] is attached to its source rod, which is bent a bit, but the source is inside the gauge in its shielded position. The americium-241:beryllium source [50 mCi] is not compromised and is also inside the gauge in its normal position.
"Based on the professional opinion of Northwest Technical Services personnel, there would not be any radioactive contamination at the construction site where the nuclear gauge was damaged. So, we [Washington Office of Radiation Protection] advised Earth Solutions NW, LLC personnel that it would no longer be necessary to restrict the part of the construction site where the nuclear gauge was damaged.
"The next steps that will be taken are:
1) Northwest Technical Services personnel will conduct leak tests of the two sealed radioactive sources in the damaged nuclear gauge, to verify that no radioactive materials have leaked from the two sealed radioactive sources. They will send a written report, including photographs of the sealed radioactive sources and the damaged nuclear gauge.
2) The damaged nuclear gauge will be properly disposed of by Northwest Technical Services personnel.
3) Earth Solutions NW, LLC will send us a written report about the incident."
Gauge model: CPN-131 from Campbell Pacific Nuclear
Washington Incident: WA160001 | |