ENS 45117
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
20:30 Jun 5, 2009 | |
| Title | Illinois Agreement State Report - Damaged Moisture Density Gauge |
| Event Description | On Friday June 5, the licensee's Radiation Safety Officer, called the Agency [Illinois Emergency Management Agency] to report a traffic accident involving their portable moisture density gauge that afternoon around 15:30. Apparently, a drunk driver entered the north bound construction zone on IL Rt. 49 at a speed in excess of 70 miles per hour and struck the gauge. The gauge was drug [approximately] 350 to 500 feet from the site of the impact. The car backed up to dislodge the gauge from under the vehicle and sped off. The license plate and identity of the vehicle was noted by a member of the road crew. The driver later crashed his vehicle and was apprehended by local law enforcement.
The gauge source rod was in a shallow test position at the time of impact which separated the handle with indexing rod and source rod from the base of the gauge. The licensee attempted to recover all the pieces but some fragments of the source rod appeared to be missing. Radiation measurements taken at the scene by the RSO using a hand held instrument suggested both the Cs-137 and Am-241 sources were present. Digital pictures forwarded from the site to the Agency seemed to corroborate that finding however, after the gauge was returned to the storage location approximately one hour later, readings from the source rod definitely showed the source was no longer attached to the bottom of the rod. The Agency immediately dispatched an individual to investigate the matter. [The investigator, using] direct measurements and observation confirmed that although the Am-241:Be source was intact and in the shielded base of the destroyed gauge, the Cs-137 was no longer present with the other remaining pieces of the gauge and that the source rod tip had been cleanly severed from the source rod. Arrangements were made with the RSO and QA/QC Manager for the licensee to acquire additional safety equipment and begin a search of the section of pavement where the accident occurred. The nighttime scanning of the 1 mile section of roadway from the point of impact with a rate meter and scintillation probe produced elevated readings along the roadside off of the shoulder of the new asphalt. The readings were used to pinpoint the area where the source was located. Additional lighting eventually lead to the discovery of the source capsule within a grassy area of the shoulder some 5 feet from the road bed. The source was subsequently collected by the Agency investigator and placed into a shielded transport container. Gross monitoring of wipe tests collected at the scene showed no signs of contamination from the source or any equipment used to handle the source. The source was subsequently secured and isolated at the licensee's storage facility pending transfer to the manufacturer. Interviews with staff and assessment of radiation readings from the source indicated that no individual received a notable exposure from the actual event nor did any one handle a piece of the gauge that would result in an extremity exposure. Pocket dosimeter readings from those involved in the recovery showed no measured exposures. This item remains open pending transfer of the source and submission of the required report from the licensee. The gauge contained a 8 mCi Cs-137 source and a 40 mCi Am/Be-241 source. Illinois Event No. IL0900046 |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Iroquois Paving Corp. Watseka, Illinois (NRC Region 3) | |
| License number: | IL-01909-01 |
| Organization: | Illinois Emergency Mgmt. Agency |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+63.78 h2.658 days <br />0.38 weeks <br />0.0874 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Daren Perrero 12:17 Jun 8, 2009 |
| NRC Officer: | Bill Huffman |
| Last Updated: | Jun 8, 2009 |
| 45117 - NRC Website | |
Iroquois Paving Corp. with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 451172009-06-05T20:30:0005 June 2009 20:30:00
[Table view]Agreement State Illinois Agreement State Report - Damaged Moisture Density Gauge 2009-06-05T20:30:00 | |