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Event Notification Report for March 15, 2022

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center

EVENT REPORTS FOR
03/14/2022 - 03/15/2022

EVENT NUMBERS
55771 55772 55773 55774 55786 55788
Agreement State
Event Number: 55771
Rep Org: Arkansas Department of Health
Licensee: Arkansas Department of Health
Region: 4
City:   State: AR
County:
License #: ARK-0399-03222
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: Angie Hill
HQ OPS Officer: Kerby Scales
Notification Date: 03/07/2022
Notification Time: 16:55 [ET]
Event Date: 02/23/2022
Event Time: 00:00 [CST]
Last Update Date: 03/07/2022
Emergency Class: Non Emergency
10 CFR Section:
Agreement State
Person (Organization):
Groom, Jeremy (R4)
NMSS_Events_Notification, (EMAIL)
Event Text
EN Revision Imported Date: 3/15/2022

EN Revision Text: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LEAKING SEALED SOURCE

The following information was provided by the Arkansas Department of Health (the Department) via email:

"The Agreement State Radioactive Materials Licensee reported to the State of Arkansas, Arkansas Department of Health, on February 23, 2022, that a general licensed device listed on their specific license has tested positive on the leak test results. The Department provided correspondence to the licensee on February 25, 2022. The leaking sealed source was Ni-63, which is used in a Agilent Gas Chromatograph.

"The Department considers this event to be in process and will submit additional information until this event is closed."

State Event Report ID Number: AR-2022-003


Agreement State
Event Number: 55772
Rep Org: Arizona Dept of Health Services
Licensee:
Region: 4
City: Chandler   State: AZ
County:
License #:
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: Brian Goretzki
HQ OPS Officer: Kerby Scales
Notification Date: 03/07/2022
Notification Time: 19:14 [ET]
Event Date: 03/07/2022
Event Time: 00:00 [MST]
Last Update Date: 03/07/2022
Emergency Class: Non Emergency
10 CFR Section:
Agreement State
Person (Organization):
Groom, Jeremy (R4)
NMSS_Events_Notification, (EMAIL)
Event Text
EN Revision Imported Date: 3/15/2022

EN Revision Text: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - POTENTIALLY RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL DISCOVERED

The following information was received from the Arizona Department of Health Services (the Department) via email:

"The Department received a call from a concerned citizen over 3 potentially radioactive pieces of metal that he found in a toolbox that his father-in-law previously owned. When Department inspectors went onsite, the pieces of metal read between 2-8 mR/hr on contact. The metal pieces were removed by Department staff and are currently in secure storage. Exposures to individuals are unknown at this time and the origin of the metal is unknown. The Department will continue to investigate."

Arizona Incident Number: 22-005


Agreement State
Event Number: 55773
Rep Org: Arizona Dept of Health Services
Licensee: Western Technologies Inc.
Region: 4
City: Tucson   State: AZ
County:
License #: 07-080
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: Brian Goretzki
HQ OPS Officer: Kerby Scales
Notification Date: 03/07/2022
Notification Time: 20:01 [ET]
Event Date: 03/07/2022
Event Time: 07:30 [MST]
Last Update Date: 03/07/2022
Emergency Class: Non Emergency
10 CFR Section:
Agreement State
Person (Organization):
Groom, Jeremy (R4)
NMSS_Events_Notification, (EMAIL)
ILTAB, (EMAIL)
CNSNS (Mexico), - (EMAIL)
Event Text
EN Revision Imported Date: 3/15/2022

EN Revision Text: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN TROXLER GAUGE

The following information was received from the Arizona Department of Health Services (the Department) via email:

"The Department received notification from the licensee that a portable gauge was lost/stolen. A technician last saw the gauge on 03/04/2022 at a jobsite in Phoenix at 1320 [MST]. The technician then realized that the gauge was no longer in his possession on 03/07/2022 when he arrived at his first jobsite at 0730 [MST] in Tucson. The gauge is a Troxler 3430P, Serial Number 72511, containing approximately 8 millicuries of Cesium-137 and 40 millicuries of Americium-241:Beryllium. The Department has requested additional information and continues to investigate the event. The licensee has reported the gauge stolen to the cities of Tucson and Phoenix. The report numbers are as follows:

"City of Phoenix - #2022-00000355178, City of Tucson - #2203078513"

Arizona Incident Number: 22-006


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


Non-Agreement State
Event Number: 55774
Rep Org: Qaltek Associates
Licensee: Qaltek Associates
Region: 4
City: Idaho Falls   State: ID
County: Bonneville
License #: 11-27610-01
Agreement: N
Docket:
NRC Notified By: Michael Albanese
HQ OPS Officer: Dan Livermore
Notification Date: 03/08/2022
Notification Time: 19:50 [ET]
Event Date: 03/08/2022
Event Time: 16:00 [MST]
Last Update Date: 03/08/2022
Emergency Class: Non Emergency
10 CFR Section:
20.2201(a)(1)(i) - Lost/Stolen LNM>1000x
Person (Organization):
Groom, Jeremy (R4DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)
ILTAB, (EMAIL)
CNSC (Canada), - (EMAIL) (EMAIL)
Event Text
EN Revision Imported Date: 3/15/2022

EN Revision Text: MISSING AMERICIUM-241/BERYLLIUM SOURCE
The following information was obtained from the licensee in accordance with Headquarters Operations Officers Report Guidance:

Qaltek Associates of Idaho Falls, Idaho contracted with AGEC of St. George, Utah to repair a Troxler 3440 Moisture Density gauge. The Troxler gauge was reported by AGEC to be reading low. On August 29, 2021, Qaltek used their own company van to pick up the gauge at the AGEC location in Utah. At this time, Qaltek does not have any information regarding surveys performed on the gauge when placed in the van. Troubleshooting of the gauge has been ongoing since receipt with time spent waiting for repair parts. On March 8, 2022, Qaltek discovered the 40 millicurie Americium-241/Be source was missing. The Cesium 137 source was still in the gauge. Surveys of the facility and of the van did not show any abnormal radiation levels.

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


Fuel Cycle Facility
Event Number: 55786
Facility: Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas
RX Type: Uranium Fuel Fabrication
Comments: Leu Conversion (Uf6 To Uo2)
Leu Fabrication
Lwr Commerical Fuel
Region: 2
City: Wilmington   State: NC
County: New Hanover
License #: SNM-1097
Docket: 07001113
NRC Notified By: Phillip Ollis
HQ OPS Officer: Lloyd Desotell
Notification Date: 03/13/2022
Notification Time: 09:34 [ET]
Event Date: 03/12/2022
Event Time: 10:45 [EST]
Last Update Date: 03/13/2022
Emergency Class: Non Emergency
10 CFR Section:
PART 70 APP A (c) - Offsite Notification/News Rel
Person (Organization):
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)
Miller, Mark (R2DO)
Event Text
EN Revision Imported Date: 3/15/2022

EN Revision Text: OFFSITE NOTIFICATION

The following information was provided by the licensee via email:

"At approximately 1045 EST on March 12th, 2022, the New Hanover County Deputy Fire Marshall was notified per State code requirements that the fire suppression system encompassing the Fuel Manufacturing Operation (FMO) was impaired. High winds had caused a tree to fall on a power line. As a result, the electric fire pump was without power. The backup diesel fire pump remained fully operational and available to perform its safety function. Power was restored at approximately 1600 EST on March 12th, 2022, and the Deputy Fire Marshall was notified of system restoration. Because the New Hanover County Deputy Fire Marshall was notified, a concurrent notification to the NRC Operations Center is being made per 10 CFR 70, Appendix A(c)."

The licensee will notify the State and NRC Region II.


Power Reactor
Event Number: 55788
Facility: LaSalle
Region: 3     State: IL
Unit: [1] [2] []
RX Type: [1] GE-5,[2] GE-5
NRC Notified By: Wes Keller
HQ OPS Officer: Brian Lin
Notification Date: 03/14/2022
Notification Time: 18:30 [ET]
Event Date: 03/14/2022
Event Time: 13:38 [CST]
Last Update Date: 03/14/2022
Emergency Class: Non Emergency
10 CFR Section:
26.719 - Fitness For Duty
Person (Organization):
Hills, David (R3DO)
FFD Group, (EMAIL)
Power Reactor Unit Info
Unit SCRAM Code RX Crit Initial PWR Initial RX Mode Current PWR Current RX Mode
1 N Y 0 Hot Shutdown 0 Hot Shutdown
2 N Y 100 Power Operation 100 Power Operation
Event Text
FITNESS-FOR-DUTY REPORT - CONTRACT SUPERVISOR FAILED FITNESS-FOR-DUTY TEST

The following information was provided by the licensee via fax or email:

"At 1338 CDT on 3/14/2022, it was determined that a contract supervisor tested positive during a random fitness-for-duty test. The individual's authorization for site access has been terminated.

"The NRC Resident Inspector has been notified."