ENS 43299
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
16:10 Feb 14, 2007 | |
| Title | Transportation Package Surface Exceeding Surface Contamination Limits |
| Event Description | Pursuant to 10 CFR 20.1906, a receipt wipe test of a package of radioactive material indicated that removable radioactive contamination of the package surface exceeded the limits in 10 CFR 71.87(i). The package was received at the VA Medical Center, 6010 Amarillo Boulevard West, Amarillo, TX, at about 1110 on February 14, 2007. This VA Medical Center is a site of use listed on Master Material License Permit No. 30-01747-02 held by the New Mexico VA Health Care System, 1501 San Pedro SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87108. A wipe test sample of the exterior of the package was measured as containing 107,000 dpm shortly after package receipt.
The package was received from Panhandle Nuclear Pharmacy, 6700 West 9th Street, Amarillo, TX 79106. The package contained 11 millicuries of Tc-99m for use by the nuclear medicine department. The commercial radiopharmacy, which was the final delivery carrier, was promptly notified. However, the staff of the nuclear medicine department did not notify the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO). The RSO discovered today [04/11/07] that the package contamination had exceeded an amount requiring notification of the NRC. The VA National Health Physics Program will follow up on this event and will also notify the NRC project manager for our master material license.
The licensee provided the following information via email: As a followup review to this event, the facility Radiation Safety Officer has discovered that receipt wipe tests of the outer surfaces of two other packages of radioactive material indicated removable radioactive contamination exceeding the limits in 10 CFR 71.87(i). A wipe test of a package received on June 12, 2006, was assayed as 33,200 dpm and a wipe test of a package received on January 10, 2007, was assayed as containing 28,600 dpm. The packages were received from Cardinal Health, 27 Medical Drive, Suite A, Amarillo TX 79106 [information redacted]. The packages both contained Tc-99m for use by the nuclear medicine department. In both cases, the commercial radiopharmacy, which was the final delivery carrier, was promptly notified. The small amounts of removable contamination, less than two percent of a microcurie on either wipe sample, make it unlikely that any harm was caused in either case. The VA National Health Physics Program will follow up on this incident. We will also notify the NRC project manager for our master material license. This is a supplement to the original report in that, similar to the initial report, the Amarillo facility staff did not notify the RSO and the required NRC notifications were not made at the time of occurrence. R3DO(Passehl), R4DO(Smith), and NMSS EO (Pierson) have been notified. |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Us Department Of Veterans Affairs Amarillo, Texas (NRC Region 4) | |
| License number: | 03-23853-01VA |
| Organization: | Us Department Of Veterans Affairs |
| Reporting | |
| 10 CFR 20.1906(d)(1) | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+1348.88 h56.203 days <br />8.029 weeks <br />1.848 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Edwin Leidholdt 20:03 Apr 11, 2007 |
| NRC Officer: | Jeff Rotton |
| Last Updated: | Apr 25, 2007 |
| 43299 - NRC Website | |
Us Department Of Veterans Affairs with 10 CFR 20.1906(d)(1) | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 432992007-02-14T16:10:00014 February 2007 16:10:00
[Table view]10 CFR 20.1906(d)(1) Transportation Package Surface Exceeding Surface Contamination Limits 2007-02-14T16:10:00 | |