EN Revision Imported Date : 10/2/2020
EN Revision Text: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOST TRITIUM EXIT SIGNS
This is information received from the state of Nebraska via email:
"In conducting a search for records for NRC Event #54500, it was determined that Home Depot #3210 was remodeled at the same time as Home Depot #3208 in Grand Island, NE and all (16) tritium exit signs were exchanged for LED in May 2012. Disposal records are unavailable due to Staybright Electric, the contractor in charge of replacement and disposal, going out of business. Home Depot was unable to produce disposal records but it is their belief that the signs were disposed of properly as Staybright conducted tritium exit sign removals for other Home Depots in the region prior to their closing for which records of disposal were obtained, demonstrating knowledge of proper procedure.
"The State of Nebraska also checked with Tritiumdisposal.com and SRBT in attempt to locate records as the outlets of disposal for Staybright, but no records were found.
"Home Depot currently has a plan in place that was submitted to the NRC in July of 2009 for facility management to reiterate tritium exit sign management requirements to existing vendors to ensure signs are managed within NRC requirements. As part of ongoing tritium exit sign servicing it is very reasonable to believe that Staybright transferred and disposed of tritium exit sign inventory properly. Home Depot continues to proactively address and replace (as appropriate) its remaining tritium exit sign inventories through the use of professional, third party vendors and continues to responsibly manage its existing inventories at current stores throughout the United States.
"A Home Depot corporate representative will track all purchases and returned signs to ensure accurate inventory and disposal.
"All Tritium Exit Signs have been replaced with LED.
"Home Depot will no longer install tritium exit signs within newly constructed locations."
Nebraska Item Number: NE200006
* * * RETRACTION ON 10/1/2020 AT 1020 EDT FROM DEB WILSON TO ANDREW WAUGH * * *
This is information received from the state of Nebraska via email:
"While the Home Depots were remodeled at similar times, it was found that the tritium exit signs at Store 3210 in Scottsbluff were kept in service until the end of their useful life. Records were recovered showing all signs being disposed of by Curie Environmental Services in Albuquerque, NM on 9/20/2019."
Notified R4DO (Silva), NMSS Events (email), and ILTAB (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 |