Event Notification Report for November 29, 2018
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center
EVENT REPORTS FOR
11/28/2018 - 11/29/2018
Non-Agreement State
Event Number: 53761
Rep Org: US STEEL CORPORATION GARY WORKS
Licensee: US STEEL CORPORATION GARY WORKS
Region: 3
City: GARY State: IN
County:
License #: 13-26104-01
Agreement: N
Docket:
NRC Notified By: RYAN MCGHAN
HQ OPS Officer: ANDREW WAUGH
Licensee: US STEEL CORPORATION GARY WORKS
Region: 3
City: GARY State: IN
County:
License #: 13-26104-01
Agreement: N
Docket:
NRC Notified By: RYAN MCGHAN
HQ OPS Officer: ANDREW WAUGH
Notification Date: 11/29/2018
Notification Time: 17:18 [ET]
Event Date: 11/29/2018
Event Time: 00:00 [CST]
Last Update Date: 11/29/2018
Notification Time: 17:18 [ET]
Event Date: 11/29/2018
Event Time: 00:00 [CST]
Last Update Date: 11/29/2018
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
30.50(b)(2) - SAFETY EQUIPMENT FAILURE
10 CFR Section:
30.50(b)(2) - SAFETY EQUIPMENT FAILURE
Person (Organization):
BILLY DICKSON (R3DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)
BILLY DICKSON (R3DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)
GAUGE STUCK SHUTTER
Maintenance technicians performing a lockout for maintenance manipulated a moisture gauge and the handle broke, rendering the shutter stuck in the open position. The normal position for the shutter is open. The maintenance was canceled and the area around the gauge was roped off. The vendor has been contacted to help the licensee repair the gauge. No exposure to personnel resulted from this event.
The gauge measures the moisture content in a bin containing metallurgical coke. The gauge is a Berthold containing a 300 mCi Am-241/Be source (serial number 048/10).
Maintenance technicians performing a lockout for maintenance manipulated a moisture gauge and the handle broke, rendering the shutter stuck in the open position. The normal position for the shutter is open. The maintenance was canceled and the area around the gauge was roped off. The vendor has been contacted to help the licensee repair the gauge. No exposure to personnel resulted from this event.
The gauge measures the moisture content in a bin containing metallurgical coke. The gauge is a Berthold containing a 300 mCi Am-241/Be source (serial number 048/10).
Agreement State
Event Number: 53773
Rep Org: MARYLAND DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Licensee: KIM ENGINEERING
Region: 1
City: BELTSVILLE State: MD
County:
License #: MD-31-275-01
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: ALAN GOLDEY
HQ OPS Officer: JOANNA BRIDGE
Licensee: KIM ENGINEERING
Region: 1
City: BELTSVILLE State: MD
County:
License #: MD-31-275-01
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: ALAN GOLDEY
HQ OPS Officer: JOANNA BRIDGE
Notification Date: 12/04/2018
Notification Time: 15:53 [ET]
Event Date: 11/29/2018
Event Time: 00:00 [EST]
Last Update Date: 12/06/2018
Notification Time: 15:53 [ET]
Event Date: 11/29/2018
Event Time: 00:00 [EST]
Last Update Date: 12/06/2018
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
Person (Organization):
CHRISTOPHER LALLY (R1DO)
ADAM TUCKER (ILTAB)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)
CHRISTOPHER LALLY (R1DO)
ADAM TUCKER (ILTAB)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)
AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - THEFT AND RECOVERY OF MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE
The following was received from the Maryland Department of the Environment via phone:
"On November 29, 2018, at approximately 2230 EST, an unidentified citizen contacted the Prince William, VA police department stating they observed a suspicious person throw a yellow box out of their vehicle and then exit the commuter parking lot at 12745 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, VA 22192. The response was coordinated by the Virginia Emergency Response Center and Hazardous Materials Office. The responding officer located the yellow case having a radiation warning label affixed and his PRD [Personal Radiation Detector] [indicated that] a radiation source [was] present. The Virginia Department of Fire and Rescue, Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Emergency Management, Virginia State Police, and the FBI responded.
"Spectral analysis identified Cs-137 with readings of approximately 1.5 mR/hr on contact with the case; typical for a Troxler gauge. The outside lock on the case was cut; a Troxler 3430 gauge with shipping papers were present. The trigger lock was in place. The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) did not have the facilities or capability to take possession of the gauge. The gauge was secured in the Hazardous Materials officer's (HMO) vehicle until other arrangements could be made.
"On November 30, 2018, at approximately 0930 EST, VDH contacted the lead Prince William County HMO and was told that there was information contained in the shipping container with the gauge that identified the owner. VDH received that information at approximately 1000 EST and determined the owner of the gauge to be a Maryland licensee [Kim Engineering]. At approximately 1020 EST, the Director of the Virginia Radioactive Materials Program contacted the Maryland Radiological Health Program (RHP) concerning a recovery of a Troxler gauge at a Virginia Department of Transportation park-and-ride. The device was identified as a model 3430, S/N 67880 having an 8 mCi Cs-137 source (5/14/2013), S/N 77-12674, and a [40mCi] Am-241/Be source, S/N 78-8664. The device was last leak tested on 6/22/2018. An official of the Maryland RHP volunteered to drive to Prince William County, VA to retrieve the gauge. Arrangements were [made with] the Maryland official to meet with the Prince William County HMO. At approximately 1315 EST, the State of Maryland official contacted the VDH to confirm transfer of possession of the Troxler gauge to transport it back to Maryland. The Maryland official informed VDH that the licensee notified RHP that someone had stolen a Troxler gauge from the licensee. Maryland agreed to notify the US NRC Operations Center of this incident.
"Maryland has scheduled a reactive inspection of the licensee to determine the root cause of the loss or theft."
* * * UPDATE AT 1337 ON 12/06/2018 FROM ALAN GOLDEY TO JEFF HERRERA * * *
The following is a summary of the additional information was provided by the Maryland Department of the Environment via email:
The activity for the Am/Be source, Serial Number: 78-8664, was tested on 6/22/2018 and was less than 185 Bq (0.005 microCuries).
Notified R1DO (Lally), ILTAB (Allston - via email), NMSS_events (via email).
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
The following was received from the Maryland Department of the Environment via phone:
"On November 29, 2018, at approximately 2230 EST, an unidentified citizen contacted the Prince William, VA police department stating they observed a suspicious person throw a yellow box out of their vehicle and then exit the commuter parking lot at 12745 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, VA 22192. The response was coordinated by the Virginia Emergency Response Center and Hazardous Materials Office. The responding officer located the yellow case having a radiation warning label affixed and his PRD [Personal Radiation Detector] [indicated that] a radiation source [was] present. The Virginia Department of Fire and Rescue, Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Emergency Management, Virginia State Police, and the FBI responded.
"Spectral analysis identified Cs-137 with readings of approximately 1.5 mR/hr on contact with the case; typical for a Troxler gauge. The outside lock on the case was cut; a Troxler 3430 gauge with shipping papers were present. The trigger lock was in place. The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) did not have the facilities or capability to take possession of the gauge. The gauge was secured in the Hazardous Materials officer's (HMO) vehicle until other arrangements could be made.
"On November 30, 2018, at approximately 0930 EST, VDH contacted the lead Prince William County HMO and was told that there was information contained in the shipping container with the gauge that identified the owner. VDH received that information at approximately 1000 EST and determined the owner of the gauge to be a Maryland licensee [Kim Engineering]. At approximately 1020 EST, the Director of the Virginia Radioactive Materials Program contacted the Maryland Radiological Health Program (RHP) concerning a recovery of a Troxler gauge at a Virginia Department of Transportation park-and-ride. The device was identified as a model 3430, S/N 67880 having an 8 mCi Cs-137 source (5/14/2013), S/N 77-12674, and a [40mCi] Am-241/Be source, S/N 78-8664. The device was last leak tested on 6/22/2018. An official of the Maryland RHP volunteered to drive to Prince William County, VA to retrieve the gauge. Arrangements were [made with] the Maryland official to meet with the Prince William County HMO. At approximately 1315 EST, the State of Maryland official contacted the VDH to confirm transfer of possession of the Troxler gauge to transport it back to Maryland. The Maryland official informed VDH that the licensee notified RHP that someone had stolen a Troxler gauge from the licensee. Maryland agreed to notify the US NRC Operations Center of this incident.
"Maryland has scheduled a reactive inspection of the licensee to determine the root cause of the loss or theft."
* * * UPDATE AT 1337 ON 12/06/2018 FROM ALAN GOLDEY TO JEFF HERRERA * * *
The following is a summary of the additional information was provided by the Maryland Department of the Environment via email:
The activity for the Am/Be source, Serial Number: 78-8664, was tested on 6/22/2018 and was less than 185 Bq (0.005 microCuries).
Notified R1DO (Lally), ILTAB (Allston - via email), NMSS_events (via email).
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