ENS 46651
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
06:00 Mar 1, 2011 | |
| Title | Lost Chemical Detection Equipment Containing Ni-63 Sources |
| Event Description | As part of a mass turn in of Chemical Detection Equipment (CDE) containing radioactive sources, an Air Force (AF) unit located in Fort Leonard Wood, MO. reported that it had shipped 52 CDE systems, each containing Ni-63 with 20 milli Curie sources, to the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Distribution Center at Red River Texas. The CDE systems were shipped in 7 separate packages and confirmation of 7 separate packages was provided which showed the receipt by DLA on 21 May 2010. An inventory, conducted on 2 February 2011, of the 7 packages at the DLA Distribution Center could only account for 40 of the 52 CDE systems. The AF Radiation Safety Office contacted the DLA Radiation Safety Office indicating that there was a discrepancy in the number of items receipted compared to the number of items identified as shipped by the unit. The AF Radiation Safety Office provided the list of serial numbers for the 52 items reportedly shipped which were compared to the current inventory on hand. It was confirmed that there were 12 serial numbers identified on the shipping list that were not in the current inventory. An initial search of the designated Radioactive Material Storage area did not locate the items.
It has been identified that a major issue with the turn-in process was the lack of prior notification of transfer of the CDE from the AF units to the DLA Distribution Site at Red River. A global instruction was provided by the AF PM to ship the material, without the PM providing the turn-in documents. Had the AF PM directed all of the shipment, a document would have been generated and the number of items to be shipped would have been provided to the depot. In the current process, the depot could only act reactively based on available material and paperwork. The transfer of CDE systems to the DLA Distribution Centers has been suspended until a more accountable process can be determined. Additionally the AF will, in the future, direct all shipments directly to Wright Patterson AFB for demilitarization and disposal. A continued effort to search the hazardous material warehouses for these items will continue.
DLA Distribution is retracting the initial report of potential loss (Event # 46651) as the 12 Chemical Agent Detectors have been accounted for at Pine Bluff Arsenal, another Department of Defense facility and the ultimate destruction site. The materiel was shipped from DLA Distribution Red River to Pine Bluff Arsenal on October 8, 2010, under a different NSN [National Stock Number] than the one originally sent to DLA. The Chemical Agent Detection (CDE) Equipment can be in multiple configurations, each with their own NSN. In this case they shipped from the AF unit under one NSN (entire detection system) and we subsequently shipped under a corrected NSN (detector component only). Notified R1DO(Hansell), R4DO(Farnholtz), FSME(Reis), Mexico, and ILTAB via e-mail. 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. For additional information go to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf 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 | |
|---|---|
| Defense Logistics Agency Red River, Texas (NRC Region 4) | |
| License number: | 37-30062-01 |
| Organization: | Defense Logistics Agency |
| Reporting | |
| 10 CFR 20.2201(a)(1)(ii) | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+33.33 h1.389 days <br />0.198 weeks <br />0.0457 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | David Collins 15:20 Mar 2, 2011 |
| NRC Officer: | Joe O'Hara |
| Last Updated: | Mar 7, 2011 |
| 46651 - NRC Website | |
Defense Logistics Agency with 10 CFR 20.2201(a)(1)(ii) | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 466512011-03-01T06:00:0001 March 2011 06:00:00
[Table view]10 CFR 20.2201(a)(1)(ii) Lost Chemical Detection Equipment Containing Ni-63 Sources 2011-03-01T06:00:00 | |