Event Notification Report for June 26, 2020

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center

Event Reports For
6/25/2020 - 6/26/2020

** EVENT NUMBERS **

 
54747 54748

Agreement State Event Number: 54747
Rep Org: OHIO BUREAU OF RADIATION PROTECTION
Licensee: Cohen Brothers
Region: 3
City: Middletown   State: OH
County:
License #:
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: Michael Snee
HQ OPS Officer: Bethany Cecere
Notification Date: 06/17/2020
Notification Time: 10:57 [ET]
Event Date: 06/15/2020
Event Time: 00:00 [EDT]
Last Update Date: 06/17/2020
Emergency Class: Non Emergency
10 CFR Section:
Agreement State
Person (Organization):
KENNETH RIEMER (R3DO)
DONNA JANDA (R1DO)
ILTAB (EMAIL)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)
This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material.

Event Text

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - FOUND NUCLEAR GAUGE IN SCRAP YARD

The following was received by email from the state of Ohio:

"The Bureau received a call on June 15 to report that a company working under reciprocity, Chase Environmental [license number 00004KY2001, Louisville, KY], had discovered a gauging device containing a Cs-137 source at the Cohen Brothers scrap yard in Middletown, Ohio. Chase Environmental packaged the gauge and took possession of the gauge for ultimate disposal.

"The shutter on the gauge appeared to be stuck open or non-existent. Dose rates of 407 mR/hr on contact with the area where the shutter should be, and 23.5 mR/hr at 1 foot were measured. No loose contamination was detected. No scrap yard personnel were exposed. The Cs-137 source is estimated at 6 mCi. No identifying information was visible on the gauge.

"A representative of the scrap yard said that they were cleaning up a section of the yard and a load of dirt with the gauge alarmed their radiation monitors on the way out. He said that this device could have been there for 10+ years. The origin of the gauge is unknown.

"The Bureau performed a survey of the scrap yard on June 16 with no other radioactive material detected."

Ohio Item Number: OH200003
Ohio Reference Number: OH 2020-024

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: 54748
Rep Org: LOUISIANA RADIATION PROTECTION DIV
Licensee: Premium Inspection and Testing Inc. Capitol Division
Region: 4
City: Baton Rouge   State: LA
County:
License #: LA-5838-L01
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: James Pate
HQ OPS Officer: Andrew Waugh
Notification Date: 06/18/2020
Notification Time: 16:35 [ET]
Event Date: 06/18/2020
Event Time: 11:30 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 06/18/2020
Emergency Class: Non Emergency
10 CFR Section:
Agreement State
Person (Organization):
GREG WARNICK (R4DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)

Event Text

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - DAMAGED RADIOGRAPHY CAMERA

The following information was received via email:

"On June 18, 2020 at 1130 CDT, an industrial radiography crew was working at DOW Chemical Company located in St. Charles Parish. The crew was working on top of a furnace. The crank-out controls [of a radiography camera] came into contact with a pipe and melted while the source was out. The source retracted some but stopped. The source was secured. Six people worked the boundary to ensure no one got exposed. The Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) disconnected the 35 foot crank-out that had melted and pulled on the cable to finish retracting the source into a shielded condition. The RSO received a 43 mrem exposure and their assistant received a 73 mrem exposure.

"The radiography camera was a QSA 880 Delta, s/n D6309. Source s/n was 92997G, with an activity of 23 Ci of Ir-192."

Event Report ID No.: LA20200004

Page Last Reviewed/Updated Thursday, March 25, 2021