Event Notification Report for March 09, 2023

EN Revision Imported Date: 5/24/2023

EN Revision Text: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN EXPOSURE DEVICE

The following information was provided by the Texas Department of State Health Services (the Agency) via email:

"On March 9, 2023, the Agency was notified by the licensee's radiation safety officer (RSO) that a Source Production and Engineering Company (SPEC) 150 exposure device containing a 121 curie iridium-192 source was stolen from one of the company's trucks. The radiography crew stated they left their job site to get some food at around midnight and stopped at a fast-food restaurant. They went into the restaurant to eat. The radiographers stated they failed to set the alarm on the dark room. They also stated they had left the key for the exposure device transport box in the dark room. The radiographers completed their meals and went back to the job site.

"When they went to get the exposure device they found it was missing. The radiographers contacted the RSO and a search was conducted for the device. It was not found. The RSO reviewed security footage at the location the radiographers were working and confirmed the exposure device was not on the tailgate of the truck. They reviewed security footage at the fast-food restaurant, but the cameras were not pointed in the right direction to see the truck. The RSO stated there is a restaurant across the street from where they believe the exposure device was stolen that has security cameras. They will go there when it opens to see if the theft was captured by their cameras. The RSO stated that personnel will be sent back to the area where they believe the theft occurred for additional searches. The RSO stated they have sent people out to contact local pawn shops and scrap dealers and notify them of the theft and provide their contact information. Local law enforcement have been notified of the event. Additional information will be provided as it is received in accordance with SA-300."

Texas Incident number: I-10000

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), and NuclearSSA (email).

* * * UPDATE ON 03/11/23 AT 0652 EST FROM ART TUCKER TO KERBY SCALES * * *

The following update was provided by the Texas Department of State Health Services (the Agency) via email:

"On March 9, 2023, at 1935 [EST], the Agency's radiation safety officer and an incident investigator arrived in the area where the exposure device was reported stolen. They searched the area using the Agency's [Radiation Solution Inc] (RSI) RS-700 mobile radiation monitoring system. They did not find the missing device or source. They intend to meet with the licensee's RSO this morning and search a broader area."

Notified R4DO (Gepford), and NMSS Events Notification, ILTAB (MacDonald), IRMOC (Ulses), INES Coordinator (Smith), CNSNS (Mexico) via email.


* * * UPDATE ON 03/11/23 AT 1929 EST FROM ART TUCKER TO OSSY FONT * * *

The following update was provided by the Texas Department of State Health Services (the Agency) via email:

"The Agency personnel have completed their search in the Houston area and are returning to Austin. They did not locate the missing exposure device. The licensee will continue looking for the device."

Notified R4DO (Gepford), and NMSS Events Notification, ILTAB (MacDonald), IRMOC (Ulses), INES Coordinator (Smith), CNSNS (Mexico) via email.

* * * UPDATE ON 03/16/23 AT 1730 EST FROM ART TUCKER TO BILL GOTT * * *

The following update was provided by the Texas Department of State Health Services (the Agency) via email:

"On March 15, 2023, the Agency conducted interviews with the licensee and individuals involved in the event. Using the licensee's GPS records, it was determined that the theft occurred between 2314 and 2355 CST the night of March 8, 2023."

Notified R4DO (Kellar), and NMSS Events Notification, ILTAB (MacDonald), IRMOC (Crouch), INES Coordinator (Smith), CNSNS (Mexico) via email.

* * * UPDATE ON 05/23/23 AT 1108 EDT FROM ART TUCKER TO BRIAN SMITH * * *

The following update was provided by the Texas Department of State Health Services (the Agency) via email:

"On May 23, 2023, the Agency received a phone call from an apartment manager in Houston, Texas. The manager stated that he was cleaning an apartment when he found the exposure device on the balcony of the apartment. The manager provided the serial number of the device which matched the number of the stolen device. The Agency contacted the licensee who drove to the location and recovered the device. The licensee reported that the source was still fully shielded and that dose rates on the device were normal. The Agency notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent who has been involved with this event that the device had been located and recovered. The licensee reported that it had been in phone contact with the FBI agent. Additional information will be provided as it is received in accordance with SA-300."

Notified R4DO (Vossmar), NMSS (Rivera), NMSS Events Notification (email), ILTAB (MacDonald), IRMOC (Grant), INES Coordinator (Smith), CNSNS (Mexico) via email, 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), and Nuclear SSA (email).

THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A 'Category 2' LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL

Category 2 sources, if not safely managed or securely protected, could cause permanent injury to a person who handled them, or were otherwise in contact with them, for a short time (minutes to hours). It could possibly be fatal to be close to this amount of unshielded radioactive material for a period of hours to days. These sources are typically used in practices such as industrial gamma radiography, high dose rate brachytherapy and medium dose rate brachytherapy. For additional information go to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf*

OFFSITE NOTIFICATION DUE TO INJURED WORKER

The following information was provided by the licensee via email:
"At approximately 1153 CST on March 9, 2023, a contract worker was injured requiring an ambulance transport to a local hospital. Union Electric (Ameren Missouri) subsequently learned that the individual requires an overnight hospital stay. This event is reportable to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration per 29 CFR 1904.39(a)(2) by the contract worker's employer and is reportable to the Missouri Public Service Commission in accordance with Missouri regulation 20 CSR 4240-3.190(3)(A). This notification is being made to the NRC pursuant to 10 CFR 50.72(b)(2)(xi) due to other government notification. The individual was not working in a radiologically controlled area.

"The NRC Senior Resident Inspector has been notified of this event."

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - FOUND SOURCE

The following was received from the state of Wisconsin Department of Health Services (WI DHS) via phone and email:

"On 2/16/2023, WI DHS was notified that a citizen was in possession of a package labeled radioactive on their farm and that they had been in possession of the package for almost a year. The label on the package indicated that it contained 8.15 GBq (220 milliCuries) of Mo-99. The label on the box indicated that the intended destination was Medi-Ray. The shipper was unknown.

"On 03/01/2023, WI DHS took possession of the package and determined that it contained a Lantheus Mo-99/Tc-99m generator. The generator label indicated that it originally contained 277.5 GBq (7.5 Curies) Mo-99, with a calibration date of 04/03/2022. WI DHS confirmed that the package contents are no longer radioactive. WI DHS consulted with the NRC and determined that the event was not reportable based on the information known at the time, the lack of radioactive contents, an unidentified licensee, and an unknown common carrier.

"On 03/09/2023, WI DHS was contacted by a Lantheus representative who determined, based on the lot number, that the package was most likely originally distributed to the Medical College of Wisconsin (WI RAM license number: 079-1104-01). On 03/09/2023, WI DHS contacted the licensee to confirm if they had shipped the recovered package. On 03/09/2023, the licensee confirmed that they had possessed a generator from the identified lot number and that their records indicated a return shipment containing that generator should have been picked up for transfer to Medi-Ray by the common carrier on 04/17/2022. On 03/09/2023, Medical College of Wisconsin made an official telephone notification of a reportable event of the loss of 220 milliCuries of Mo-99.

"This investigation remains open and WI DHS is working with Medi-Ray to dispose of the generator."

Wisconsin Report ID: W1230003

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