ENS 45381
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
06:00 Aug 31, 2009 | |
| Title | Agreement State Report - Missing Radioactive Material |
| Event Description | The following report was received from the state via facsimile:
On September 21, 2009 the Radiation Safety Officer for a Colorado Licensee - Colorado State University (CSU), provided verbal notification of a past error in its inventory of unsealed radioactive materials used in one of its laboratories on campus. The specific laboratory had been using unsealed radioactive materials since the 1980's and accumulated numerous containers of improperly characterized and labeled waste materials. The licensee followed up the verbal report with a written report dated September 18, 2009 that was received via fax by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on September 22, 2009. Colorado State University is a broad scope non-human use research licensee and has approximately 150 labs using unsealed radioactive materials. The reported inventory discrepancy applies to only one of these labs. In accordance with Section 4.51.1.2 (equivalent to 10 CFR 20.2201) of the Colorado Rules and Regulations Pertaining to Radiation Control, within 30 days the licensee is required to report to the Colorado Department of Public and Health and Environment (CDPHE) any lost, stolen, or missing radioactive materials exceeding 10 times the Appendix 4C (equivalent to 10 CFR Part 20 Appendix C) quantities. Following completion of an in-depth, multi-year radioactive materials inventory review that was first initiated in 1997, re-established in 2004, and ultimately concluded in August 2009, CSU reported an inventory discrepancy of radioactive materials in one of its laboratories. The inventory review consisted of evaluation of thousands of records, and collection and analysis of greater than 1000 samples from greater than 700 vials, test tubes, and bottles of unknown substances potentially containing radioactive materials that had accumulated over many years in the specific laboratory. Upon completion of the data and inventory review in August 2009, the licensee reported that it could not account for approximately 24 milliCi of H3 (tritium), based upon an accounting evaluation of incoming radioactive materials and outgoing radioactive materials (disposal records). The licensee however, believes that the radioactive material was in fact disposed of properly with other waste materials, but cannot necessarily provide the records to demonstrate this. The licensee has stated that they do not believe the radioactive materials have been stolen, but rather the discrepancy is attributed to poor inventory and waste disposal records by the laboratory personnel over many years and personnel changes. 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. This source is not amongst those sources or devices identified by the IAEA Code of Conduct for the Safety & Security of Radioactive Sources to be of concern from a radiological standpoint. Therefore is it being categorized as a less than Category 3 source |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado (NRC Region 4) | |
| License number: | 002-19 |
| Organization: | Colorado Dept Of Health |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+587.77 h24.49 days <br />3.499 weeks <br />0.805 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | James Jarvis 17:46 Sep 24, 2009 |
| NRC Officer: | Mark Abramovitz |
| Last Updated: | Sep 24, 2009 |
| 45381 - NRC Website | |
Colorado State University with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 559492022-06-16T06:00:00016 June 2022 06:00:00
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