ENS 41153

v t e ENS Event
05:00 Oct 26, 2004
Title	Lost Radioactive Material
Event Description	RSO for the VA Medical Center, New Orleans, LA was notified at 0900 CDT on 10/27/04 of a missing shipment of I-125 (10 millicuries) that had been received by that facility on 10/26/04. The RSO is conducting an investigation into the missing radioactive material. * * UPDATE AT 1500 ON 11/10/04 M. SIMMONS TO W. GOTT * * * The radioactive material was I-125 as sodium iodide, liquid form, shipped in a shielded vial containing 10 millicuries in a volume of less than 1 milliliter. The RAM was to be used in a biomedical research lab. The permittee investigated the loss and concluded the radioactive material most likely ended up in a local landfill. The permittee notified the local landfill operations staff of the event. The permittee and landfill operations staff performed radiation surveys of the landfill. The radiation surveys did not locate the missing radioactive material. The NHPP performed a reactive inspection one week after the loss was discovered. The initial inspection results confirm the radioactive material is most likely buried at the local landfill and is not recoverable. According to witnesses, the probable cause of the event is the shipping box was not correctly labeled as containing radioactivity. Notified NMSS (Moore), R3DO (Ring), and R4DO (Gody).

ENS 41153 +/-
Where
Department Veterans Affairs New Orleans, Louisiana (NRC Region 4)
License number:	03-23853-01VA
Organization:	Department Veterans Affairs
Reporting

10 CFR 20.2201(a)(1)(i)
Time - Person (Reporting Time:+37.27 h1.553 days <br />0.222 weeks <br />0.0511 months <br />)
Opened:	Gary Williams 18:16 Oct 27, 2004
NRC Officer:	Jeff Rotton
Last Updated:	Nov 10, 2004
41153 - NRC Website
v • d • e

v t e Emergency Notification System
Department Veterans Affairs with 10 CFR 20.2201(a)(1)(i)
WEEKMONTHYEAR2004-10-26T05:00:00 [Table view]
[ENS list for Department Veterans Affairs]

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