ENS 40614
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
01:00 Mar 28, 2004 | |
| Title | State of Connecticut Reported the Discovery of a Strontium-90 Source |
| Event Description | The item was found adjacent to a house in a wooded area in East Lyme, CT. It was a cylinder measuring 6 inches in length and 2 inches in diameter. The bottom of the cylinder had the following serial number: M2477. It was a general licensed strontium-90 source. The source was contained inside a metal box with a radioactive material symbol on the outside. The State response personnel conducted a radiological survey. The source read 250 millirem per hour on contact for gamma. The source read 3.2 rem per hour on contact for beta. At 12 inches, the source measured 5 millirem per hour. At one meter the source measured less than 1 millirem per hour. The State took the source to a secure locked location for followup on Monday to try to determine the owner.
The item was identified as a component to a helicopter In-flight Blade Inspection System. Notified Mark Evetts at the Homeland Security Operations Center.
U.S. NRC, Region I (Mr. Jim Schmidt) informed the U. S. Navy (NAVSEADET RASO) on March 31, 2004 that an IBIS device (serial number 2397) containing 500 microCi of Sr-90 was found on private property in East Lyme, Connecticut, on March 28, 2004. The NRC also informed the Navy that the IBIS device was confiscated by the State of Connecticut, and placed in safe and secure storage. Early results of NRC inquiries pointed to the U.S. Navy as the probable owner of the IBIS device. A preliminary investigation by the Navy has found that the these devices are routinely returned to the manufacturer (General Nucleonics) for refurbishing, where they may be resold, through the Defense Logistic Agency to the Navy, the Marine Corp, the Army, or the Coast Guard. The Navy's preliminary investigation also found that these devices are also used on some commercial aircraft. The Navy's preliminary investigation verified that the Navy possessed the device until at least 1989, but found no conclusive data or documentation to show that the device was returned to the manufacturer after that time. Therefore, the Navy has accepted responsibility for the device. The Navy's preliminary investigation was unable to determine how the IBIS device came to be located on private property. The Navy has contacted the State of Connecticut, and has initiated actions to retrieve the device for proper disposal or facilitate its return to the manufacturer. The Navy will follow-up with a 30 day report as required by 10 CFR 20.2201. United States Navy General Radioactive Material license number is 45-23645-01NA. R1DO (Della Greca) & NMSS (Roberto Torres) notified. |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Connecticut Dept. Of Rad. Prot. East Lyme, Connecticut (NRC Region 1) | |
| Organization: | Connecticut Dept. Of Rad. Prot. |
| Reporting | |
| Information Only | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+-3.63 h-0.151 days <br />-0.0216 weeks <br />-0.00497 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Mike Firsick 21:22 Mar 27, 2004 |
| NRC Officer: | Rich Laura |
| Last Updated: | May 7, 2004 |
| 40614 - NRC Website | |
Connecticut Dept. Of Rad. Prot. with Information Only | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 406142004-03-28T01:00:00028 March 2004 01:00:00
[Table view]Information Only State of Connecticut Reported the Discovery of a Strontium-90 Source 2004-03-28T01:00:00 | |