The Defense Distribution Center Defense Depot in Anniston,
AL reported a shortage of 7 aiming post lights, each containing 9 Ci of
tritium. The shortage was discovered during a shipment pick denial process. A physical inventory conducted at the time of denial confirmed that the lights were not at the designated storage location. The lights were last accounted for during a September, 2007 inventory. It was noted, however, that 88 Material Release Orders were processed for the lights on the same date that the inventory was conducted. No reported overages by receiving agencies were identified.
The Defense Depot will contact each recent recipient to determine quantities received in an attempt to reclaim the devices.
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.
- * * RETRACTION FROM DAVE MACK TO JOE O'HARA AT 1404 ON 1/17/08 * * *
The depot determined that they did not have a loss of 7 aiming post lights. A database error recorded 50 lights being received at the facility. However, after reviewing shipping documentation and packaging, the depot determined that they only received 43 lights, which resulted in a 7 light discrepancy.
The depot notified Region 2 (Parker).
Notified R1DO(Cobey) and
FSME(McConnell)