ENS 42106
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
05:00 Oct 29, 2005 | |
| Title | Agreement State Report - Radioactive Material Missing in Shipment |
| Event Description | The State provided the following information via facsimile:
A single package originally containing two pigs arrived on 10/29/05 at the FedEx hub at the Memphis Airport damaged, with one of the two pigs missing. The missing pig contains 10 special form capsules of Am-241/Be with a total activity of 500 milliCuries. The pig is small (described as the size of a shotgun shell). The package was being sent by AEA Technology QSA of Burlington, MA to CPN Corp in California. FedEx stated that the package arrived in Memphis on Saturday morning 10/29, however, it was not determined that one of the pigs was missing until the morning of 10/30. On 11/1/05, the Tennessee Radiation Control Program was at Fed Ex hub to assist in the search for the pig, and AEA Technology QSA (now known as QSA Global, Inc.) confirmed that the container did contain 2 pigs. 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.
The following information was provided from the States of Tennessee and Massachusetts via email: The following is an summary/update from [the Tennessee State inspector's ] visit: The container/sources have not been found. FedEx said they have thoroughly searched and continue to search all possible areas where the source could have been lost. They are tracking all the details of the package from the time it arrived through their system until it was last seen. They are attempting to determine the root cause of the damage to the package and loss of part of its contents. Interviews are being conducted of individuals who played a role in the handling/processing of the package. The damage to the package was such that it looks like a mechanical device (closing metal grate/gate?) was involved in tearing the package. Radiation surveys have been and are being performed by Fed-Ex in any areas that they think the source could have been lost. There is a suspicion that the container and the sources have been swept up and disposed of at the landfill. AEA Technology (now QSA Global) provided the following information via the State of Massachusetts: "The W1 lead pot (i.e., pig) is 2.5 inches tall X 1 inch diameter, it is painted white and has tape securing the cap. AEA performed measurements on the W1 lead pot and found the surface measurements were: 36 mr/hr gamma and 70 mr/hr neutron. They performed measurements on a pig with the same amount of Am-241/Be lost in TN - 500 mCi of Am241/Be Notified R1DO (C. Anderson), NMSS EO (J. Gitter), TAS (L. English). |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Aea Technology Qsa Burlington, Massachusetts (NRC Region 1) | |
| License number: | 12-8361 |
| Organization: | Ma Radiation Control Program |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+81.45 h3.394 days <br />0.485 weeks <br />0.112 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Michael P. Whalen 15:27 Nov 1, 2005 |
| NRC Officer: | Mike Ripley |
| Last Updated: | Nov 2, 2005 |
| 42106 - NRC Website | |
Aea Technology Qsa with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 421062005-10-29T05:00:00029 October 2005 05:00:00
[Table view]Agreement State Agreement State Report - Radioactive Material Missing in Shipment ENS 415912005-04-08T22:30:0008 April 2005 22:30:00 Agreement State Two Americium-241 Sources Being Shipped to Australia Were Reported Potentially Lost 2005-04-08T22:30:00 | |