ENS 43730
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
17:15 Oct 18, 2007 | |
| Title | Agreement State Report - Lost Am241/Be Source from Damaged Troxler Gauge Model 3430 |
| Event Description | The State provided the following information via email:
On October 18, 2007, the agency was contacted at 12:49 p.m. by their emergency answering service, reporting that a licensee had lost a gauge in Houston and was requesting Incident Investigation Program (IIP) to call them back to assist them with [the lost gauge]. IIP called the licensee back and talked with [DELETED], Site RSO for their LaPorte, TX location. [RSO] reported that his technician was driving down the highway in Houston and discovered that the gauge had fallen out of his truck around 12:15 -12:30 p.m. on 10/18/07. The RSO stated that the tailgate was up, but the gauge may not have been braced down. The technician immediately called the RSO, who drove down the highway and found pieces of the gauge, the handle, and the Cs-137 source. The RSO stated the Cs-137 source is intact. He remains on location with the agency's investigator. The agency's investigator has surveyed the area and the gauge pieces that were recovered with a NaI detector and was not able to locate the AmBe source. The gauge specifications are: Mfg: Troxler Model 3430, Serial #: 29328, Last Leak test: 10/11/07 Source Information: 1) Cs-137 Serial #: 750-2544; 8 mCi 2) AmBe Serial #: 47-26370; 40 mCi. The source is double-encapsulated in stainless steel, with dimensions of: .4 in.x.3 in. and is less than 1/2 in. long and 1/4 in. in diameter. Mfg states that the chance of the source encapsulation being broken and breached is remote. The agency has notified local law enforcement (LLE) to shut down the 3-lane highway (so that) safe surveying for the AmBe source can be accomplished. The agency has asked LLE to contact and coordinate with the local HAZMAT team. IIP will continue to investigate and assist with locating the lost AmBe source. Additionally, the licensee was given contact information for two consultants to assist with this incident and location of the lost source. Incident Investigations will continue to update this incident as current information is received. Disposition/Action Taken: 1) Report to NRC and NMED, 2) Contacted local law enforcement (LLE) and local HAZMAT. Texas Incident Number: I - 8449, Event Report: TX-07-43606
The state along with DOD personnel performed a search of highway 225 for the missing source. However, the search was unsuccessful. The highway has been reopened, and the state will meet tomorrow to discuss further follow-up actions. Notified R4DO(Proulx), FSME EO(Tschiltz), ILTAB(e-mail), and Mexico(fax). THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "LESS THAN CAT 3" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL 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. |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Professional Services Incorporated Houston, Texas (NRC Region 4) | |
| Organization: | Texas Department Of Health |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+-2.37 h-0.0988 days <br />-0.0141 weeks <br />-0.00325 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Latischa Hanson 14:53 Oct 18, 2007 |
| NRC Officer: | Joe O'Hara |
| Last Updated: | Oct 18, 2007 |
| 43730 - NRC Website | |
Professional Services Incorporated with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 437302007-10-18T17:15:00018 October 2007 17:15:00
[Table view]Agreement State Agreement State Report - Lost Am241/Be Source from Damaged Troxler Gauge Model 3430 2007-10-18T17:15:00 | |