Event Notification Report for May 29, 2024

EN Revision Imported Date: 5/29/2024

EN Revision Text: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOST NUCLEAR GAUGES

The following information was provided by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (the Department) via phone and email:

"The Department was notified via telephone on 5/3/2024, that four fixed gauging devices were unaccounted for by the general licensee. The general licensee is reporting that four Industrial Dynamics fixed gauging devices (model number FT 50) containing 100 mCi (3.7 GBq) of americium-241 each, for a total of 400 mCi (14.8 GBq), were sent to a recycling facility on 3/8/2024. The serial numbers for the four fixed gauging devices were as follows: 112531, 112532, 112533, 112534. The general licensee is reporting no immediate health and safety concerns, or ongoing emergencies. Department inspectors will be dispatched. This event is still under investigation by the Department. No internal event identification number has been assigned to this event."

* * * UPDATE ON 5/28/24 AT 0953 EDT FROM KORINA KOCI TO ADAM KOZIOL * * *

"Department inspectors were dispatched to the recycling facility on 05/08/24, but were unable to locate the missing fixed gauging devices. The general licensee submitted a 30-day written report on 05/24/24. This event is still under investigation by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control."

The internal event number is SC 240002

Notified R1DO (DeFrancisco) and NMSS Events (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

LOST LUTETIUM-177 SOURCE

The following synopsis was provided by the licensee via phone:

On 5/21/24, a 200 millicurie lutetium-177 (Lu-177) source was delivered to the Karmonas Cancer Institute and was placed in a clean hot laboratory. A physics resident cleaning the hot laboratory placed the box containing the source outside the hot lab on a trash can. A custodian threw the box in the trash at the end of the day. The licensee notified the trash management company and the facility security department. No threat to public health is expected based on source packaging.

The NRC Region 3 inspector was also notified.


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