Part 21 Report - 1995-127

ACCESSION #: 9505100118

psi  Environmental
     Geotechnical                                      Corporate
Office
     Construction
Consulting o Engineering o Testing

                                             April 27, 1995

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Document Control Desk
Washington, D.C. 20555

Attention: Document Control Desk

                                        Re: 10CFR Part 21

Gentlemen:

In accordance with my 04/26/95 telephone conversation with Mr.
James
Bondick (USNRC, Region I), the following is provided as an
information
notice regarding a defect of a device containing licensed
by-product
(radioactive) material, in accordance with 10CFR Part 21.

     In July, 1994, PSI identified a failed weld on the source
cup/rod of
     a Troxler model 3430 portable moisture/density gauge (s/n
21026),
     containing an 8.0 millicurie sealed source of cesium-137
(Cs-137).
     (The device also contains a 40 millicurie sealed source of
     americium-421:beryllium [Am-241:Be], which was not
effected.) PSI
     contacted the gauge manufacturer, Troxler Electronic
Laboratories,
     Inc., and requested that all (18) of PSI's Troxler model
3430 gauges
     in the 21000 series serial numbers be inspected.

     Upon completion of the evaluation of the gauges in question,
Troxler
     notified PSI that the "weld joint on all inspected gauges
have been
     found to be sound under visual inspection..." (Attached is a
letter
     from Troxler Electronic Laboratories, Inc.  regarding the
results of
     the evaluation of the 21000 series serial number 3430
gauges;
     Troxler has indicated that the documentation pertaining to
the
     evaluation of the PSI gauges is maintained on file.) It
would
     appear, then, that the failed source cup weld on gauge s/n
21026 was
     an isolated occurrence, and not an inherent defect with the
gauge.
     Since there were no elevated radiation levels as result of
the
     defect, this occurrence does not represent a "substantial
safety
     hazard" within the scope of 10CFR[Section]21.1.

     Although notification of this occurrence is not required by
10CFR
     Part 21, this correspondence is provided as an information
notice in
     accordance with 10CFR[Section]21.21(c)(1).

PSI o 510 East 22nd Street o Lombard, IL 60148 o Phone
708/691-1490 o
Fax 708/691-1498

USNRC Document Control Desk
April 27, 1995
Page Two

     Should you have any questions, please contact me at
708/691-1490
     (x 320).

                                        Sincerely,

                                        John T. Thornton
                                        Radiation Safety Director

JTT/lls
Attachment(s) - 1

cc:  W. Zollars - PSI, Pittsburgh, PA
     File

     USNRC
     Region I
     475 Allendale Road
     King of Prussia, PA 19406
     Attn: Regional Administrator

                              T R O X L E R

December 15, 1994

Mr. John Thornton
PSI
510 E. 22nd Street
Lombard, IL 60148

Dear John:

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to inspect your 3430
gauges.  We
have received and checked your 21000 serial number 3430 (total of
18)
gauges.  The weld joint on all inspected gauges have been found
to be
sound under visual inspection under high power magnification. 
The
inspection results on these rods and a magnified photograph of
each weld
joint is documented in our files at Troxler's headquarters at
Research
Triangle Park, NC.

In our last conversation we discussed a training program for your
technical support personnel in Pennsylvania to perform source rod
inspections.  At that time I indicated a need for several pieces
of
equipment to perform this task.  One of which was a magnifying
glass.
Since then, we have found that the most effective way of
inspecting the
rods is through the use of a high power microscope equipped with
a fight
source.  After months of investigation, we have identified a
microscope
at the right price (approximately $650) that would work for this
application.  PSI would need one of these microscopes or
something
comparable to perform this test effectively.

As I mentioned before, we will provide the lead source holder and
everything else required for the inspection.  However, we do have
to ask
that you pay for the microscope.  During the visit we will also
have our
master gauge available to restandardize your calibration blocks
at no
charge.  This will involve a full day accumulating data.  Prior
to our
visit, I will be sending Bill Zollars our required specification
for the
layout of the calibration bay and a written copy of the
inspection
procedure.

I have checked with Mr. Zollars about the regulatory requirements
involving the removal of source rods for extended service at your
facility.  He believes source removal is within the provision of
PSI's
license.  We have decided on January 11 and 12, 1995 as a
tentative date
for inspection training and

  Troxler Electronic Laboratories, Inc.  o Troxler International,
Ltd.

3008 Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12057, Research Triangle Park,
North
Carolina 27709, U.S.A. Telephone 919/549-8661, Cable Troxelec,
                Telex 6844902 TROXL UW o FAX 919/549-0761

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