Home NRC Library Document Collections Events, Reports Associated with Event Notification Reports 2019

Event Notification Report for October 04, 2019

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center

Event Reports For
10/3/2019 - 10/4/2019

** EVENT NUMBERS **

Agreement State	Event Number: 54294
Rep Org: MARYLAND DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT Licensee: GEO-TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATES, INC Region: 1 City: REISTERSTOWN State: MD County: License #: MD-25-038-01 Agreement: Y Docket: NRC Notified By: ALAN GOLDEY HQ OPS Officer: OSSY FONT	Notification Date: 09/25/2019 Notification Time: 16:09 [ET] Event Date: 09/23/2019 Event Time: 15:20 [EDT] Last Update Date: 09/25/2019
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: AGREEMENT STATE	Person (Organization): CHRISTOPHER LALLY (R1DO) NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)

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

Event Text

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOST PORTABLE DENSITY GAUGE

The following was received from the Maryland Radiological Health Program via phone and email:

"On September 23, 2019 at 1520 EDT, the Maryland Department of the Environment Radiological Health Program (MDE/RHP) was contacted via telephone by the Assistant Radiation Safety Officer (ARSO) of Geo-Technology Associates, Inc. that a portable density gauge was missing. The gauge was identified as a CPN model MC-1DR, serial number MD50707960 with nominal activities of 10 mCi of Cs-137 and 50 mCi of Am-241:Be. The last leak test was performed on April 11, 2019.

"On September 23, 2019 at approximately 1300 EDT, the density gauge was placed in the bed of a pick-up truck by the gauge operator after making measurements starting earlier in the morning for a residential development project known as Fields at Worthington. The area is located near the intersection of Baublitz Road and Worthington Ridge Road, Reisterstown, MD. Work was suspended due to equipment failure on the job site not related to the density gauge. The gauge operator proceeded to drive back to the licensee's office. After driving approximately 1.5 miles from the jobsite, the gauge operator realized that the gauge was not placed in its transportation case and pulled over near Knox Avenue. The gauge was missing from the bed of the pick-up truck. The tailgate was in the down position. The gauge operator called the ARSO at approximately 1330 EDT to report the missing gauge.

"The ARSO and the construction site manager looked for the gauge in the surrounding neighborhood with no success. The event has been reported to Baltimore County Police. The Case Number is: 192661514.

"MDE/RHP will conduct a reactive investigation."

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: 54295
Rep Org: CALIFORNIA RADIATION CONTROL PRGM Licensee: G3 QUALITY, INC. Region: 4 City: STATELINE State: NV County: License #: 7986-19 Agreement: Y Docket: NRC Notified By: DONALD OESTERLE HQ OPS Officer: HOWIE CROUCH	Notification Date: 09/26/2019 Notification Time: 14:47 [ET] Event Date: 09/26/2019 Event Time: 00:00 [PDT] Last Update Date: 09/26/2019
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: AGREEMENT STATE	Person (Organization): VINCENT GADDY (R4DO) NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL) - CNSNS (MEXICO) (EMAIL)

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

Event Text

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN MOISTURE / DENSITY GAUGE

The following information was received from the State of California via email:

"On September 26, 2019, the RSO [radiation safety officer] of Maurer Technical Services, (Maurer, CA RAM license 6163-30) a nuclear gauge service provider and authorized CPN/Instrotek dealer, contacted the Brea RAM/Radiologic Health Branch office to report the theft of one of their nuclear gauges that they had leased to G3 Quality, Inc. (G3). The gauge was a CPN Model MC-3, S/N M39028685 (10 mCi Cs-137 and [50 mCi] Am:Be-241). The gauge was stolen at the Hard Rock Hotel in Stateline, NV where the gauge operator was staying while working at a project in Lake Tahoe, CA. The gauge was locked to the bed of the vehicle (open bed), the alarm enabled, and left in the parking lot of the hotel on the evening of September 25, 2019 (around 2130 PDT). The gauge was discovered missing on the morning of September 26, 2019, with the handles broken off the transport case. The cab of the truck was also broken into with other items stolen, including a laptop and the front hood was broken into to defeat the vehicle alarm. A police report was taken (the specific law enforcement agency was not provided) and the loss was reported to the G3 office and then to [the Maurer RSO] who then contacted our [California Radiologic Health Branch] office. The incident is under investigation and corrective actions will be determined at a later date."

CA 5010 No.: 092619

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: 54296
Rep Org: TEXAS DEPT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES Licensee: BLUE CUBE OPERATIONS, LLC Region: 4 City: FREEPORT State: TX County: License #: L06926 Agreement: Y Docket: NRC Notified By: KAREN BLANCHARD HQ OPS Officer: HOWIE CROUCH	Notification Date: 09/26/2019 Notification Time: 18:11 [ET] Event Date: 09/26/2019 Event Time: 00:00 [CDT] Last Update Date: 09/26/2019
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: AGREEMENT STATE	Person (Organization): VINCENT GADDY (R4DO) NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)

Event Text

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - SHUTTER FAILURE ON A FIXED NUCLEAR GAUGE

The following information was obtained from the State of Texas via email:

"On September 26, 2019, the licensee's radiation safety officer notified the Agency [Texas Department of State Health Services] that it had a shutter failure on one of its fixed nuclear gauges. The Ohmart SH-F1 gauge, containing 5 milliCuries of cesium-137 (SN: 2925 CG), is mounted on a vessel. The licensee had closed the shutter in order to do some work in the area. Upon completion of the work, the licensee was attempting to re-open the shutter when the screws holding the actuator to the shutter handle sheared. The shutter is in the fully closed position which was confirmed by survey. There were no exposures as result of this event. A service company has been scheduled to make repairs on September 27, 2019. An investigation into this event is ongoing. More information will be provided as it is obtained in accordance with SA-300."

Texas Incident No.: 9714

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