At 1515 on 10/28/08, the Agency was notified by the licensee of an event involving a Thermo Measure Tech Model 5191 level measurement
gauge. The licensee had noted that the
gauge was no longer reading properly and sent a maintenance crew to the area to perform repairs. While conducting repairs, an individual from the safety group came by to perform radiation surveys. The survey indicated elevated levels of radiation so the safety representative had the area evacuated and roped off. The licensee contacted the manufacturer who sent technicians to the facility to investigate. They found that radiation levels were in fact elevated and determined that the source had separated from the operating rod. The source is still located in the
gauge housing, but is not currently shielded. The source is a 260 milliCurie (calculated based on decay)
Cesium (Cs) -137 source. The licensee has started their investigation including time and distance studies with workers who were in the area. The
gauge is located in an area of the plant not frequented by workers. The manufacturer is scheduled to remove the
gauge from the vessel and send it to their facilities for further inspection on 10/29/08.
- * * UPDATE FROM ART TUCKER TO PETE SNYDER ON 10/30/08 AT 0833 EDT * * *
The Agreement State of Texas provided the following information via e-mail:
The licensee contacted the [Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS)] on October 29, 2008, and informed them that the gauge had been removed from the tank it was mounted on by the manufacturer. The Cs-137 source was found in the gauge housing. The gauge and source were packaged for transportation back to the manufacturer's facility for inspection and repair. The [TDSHS] will be provided the results of the inspection when it is completed.
Texas Event Number: I - 8576.
Notified R4DO (Spitzberg),
FSME (Burgess).