Event Notification Report for February 03, 2021

EN Revision Imported Date: 3/3/2021

EN Revision Text: ALERT DECLARED DUE TO RADIOACTIVE RELEASE TO THE ENVIRONMENT

At 0910 EST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) test reactor declared an ALERT in accordance with their NRC approved Emergency Plan, due to the stack radiation monitor reading 100,000 counts per minute due to the release of fission products. The reactor had been operating at 50% power (10 MW), and automatically scrammed one minute prior based on the stack monitor reaching 50,000 counts per minute. When the automatic scram occurred, the facility ventilation system automatically changed to emergency ventilation mode to limit discharge to the environment. Several workers were determined to be externally contaminated and these workers were decontaminated by a change of clothes and showers. These workers are being monitored for possible uptake of internal contamination. Environmental surveys are in progress.

The NRC remained in the normal mode.

Notified DHS SWO, FEMA Operations Center, CISA Central, USDA Operations Center, HHS Operations Center, DOE Operations Center, EPA Emergency Operations Center, FDA EOC (email), FEMA NWC (email), FEMA NRCC SASC (email) and NuclearSSA (email).

* * * UPDATE FROM TOM NEWTON TO KARL DIEDERICH AT 1532 EST ON 2/3/21 * * *

Event is downgraded to a Notification of Unusual Event (NOUE) based upon environmental samples at the site boundary. Members of the public are not expected to have been contaminated.

Notified R1DO (Dentel), NRR EO (Miller), IRD (Kennedy), DHS SWO, FEMA Operations Center, CISA Central, USDA Operations Center, HHS Operations Center, DOE Operations Center, EPA Emergency Operations Center, FDA EOC (email), FEMA NWC (email), FEMA NRCC SASC (email) and NuclearSSA (email).

* * * UPDATE FROM TOM NEWTON TO HOWIE CROUCH AT 1940 EST ON 2/3/21 * * *

At 1935 EST, NIST terminated the Notification of Unusual Event. The basis for termination was that all air samples were normal.

Notified R1DO (Dentel), NRR EO (Miller), IRD (Kennedy), NPR PM (Torres and Montgomery), NPR (Takacs), DHS SWO, FEMA Operations Center, CISA Central, USDA Operations Center, HHS Operations Center, DOE Operations Center, EPA Emergency Operations Center, FDA EOC (email), FEMA NWC (email), FEMA NRCC SASC (email) and NuclearSSA (email).

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOST P-32 SHIPMENT

The following was received from Iowa Department of Public Health via email:

"On February 3, 2021, the University of Iowa received a package from [the common carrier] that was labeled as one of the standing orders of 1 millicurie P-32 dCTP for the Pathology Lab at UIHC [(University of Iowa Health Care)]. The outer label was correct and the packing slip inside was correct, however the contents of the package was actually a prescription of Enbrel intended for an individual in Illinois.
Further, the contents had obviously been repacked. It arrived in a large [common carrier] box, much bigger than required for the P-32 order or the Enbrel. Also, the top of the original package that held the P-32 had been torn off and affixed to the replacement box in an adhesive pouch. The licensee contacted both [the common carrier] and the pharmaceutical company that shipped the Enbrel. [The common carrier] returned to retrieve the Enbrel but haven't heard anything about the location of the original P-32 order. Perkin Elmer sent a replacement shipment of P-32 to the licensee. On February 10, 2021, [the common carrier] sent an email to the licensee notifying them that the original shipment of P-32 has not been located and they were closing the case. On March 4, 2021, the Iowa Department of Public Health contacted the University of Iowa Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) and was informed by the RSO that the original shipment of P-32 is still missing. The activity of the P-32 as of March 4, 2021 is approximately 244 microcuries."

Item Number: IA210001


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