ENS 48329
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
23:00 Sep 20, 2012 | |
| Title | |
| Event Description | The following information was provided by the State of Arkansas via email:
While conducting an investigation of a citizen's allegation on September 20, 2012, the Department [Arkansas Department of Health] recovered a generally licensed device in a scrap yard in Dermott, Arkansas. The device is: Ohmart Beta Gauge: Model BAL Gauge Serial Number: 3780BC Isotope: SR-90 Activity: 25 millicuries This device was retrieved and transported to the Department's [Arkansas Department of Health] storage location in Little Rock at approximately 1800 CDT on September 20, 2012. Ohmart provided information concerning the shipment date (12/1994) and the location. The device was shipped to Burlington House Mill in Monticello, Arkansas. Ohmart also informed the Department [Arkansas Department of Health] that a second device had also been shipped with this source. The source holder serial number for this device is 3779BC. Health Physicists visited the old Burlington site after finding the device in the scrap yard in Dermott, Arkansas. Health Physicists returned on September 21, 2012 to the Monticello and Dermott areas to search in locations where the second device may have been disposed. At the time of this notification, the Department [Arkansas Department of Health] considers the second device to be missing. The Department [Arkansas Department of Health] has notified the Mississippi Department of Health. The Department [Arkansas Department of Health] is still investigating and searching for the missing device. An investigation is on-going to identify the possible owner of the devices. The Department [Arkansas Department of Health] considers this event open at this time pending the completion of the investigation. Arkansas Incident Number AR-2012-009.
The following update was received from the State of Arkansas via email: On October 1, 2012, while conducting a follow-up investigation of allegation ARK-2012-009, the Department recovered the second generally licensed device originally shipped to the Burlington House Mill in Monticello, Arkansas. The device is described as follows: Manufacturer: Ohmart S.O. : AR940603068A Source Holder: BAL Source Serial Number: 3779BC Isotope: Sr-90 Activity: 25 mCi Date 12/94 The device was retrieved from property on East Calhoun Street, Monticello, Arkansas and transported to the Department's storage vault in Little Rock. The device housing was not damaged and preliminary wipes of the device showed no removable contamination. An investigation is on-going to identify the possible owner of the devices. The Department considers this event open at this time pending the completion of the investigation. Notified R4DO (Powers), FSME RESOURCE and ILTAB via email.
On November 9, 2012, both recovered sources were picked up for disposal from the Department's storage vault in Little Rock Arkansas. Neither source has been found to be leaking. The Department has completed its investigation and considers this event closed. Notified R4DO (Farnholtz) and FSME Resources email. 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 |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Burlington House Mill Monticello, Arkansas (NRC Region 4) | |
| License number: | GENERAL |
| Organization: | Arkansas Department Of Health |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+17.15 h0.715 days <br />0.102 weeks <br />0.0235 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Jared Thompson 16:09 Sep 21, 2012 |
| NRC Officer: | John Knoke |
| Last Updated: | Nov 9, 2012 |
| 48329 - NRC Website | |
Burlington House Mill with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 483292012-09-20T23:00:00020 September 2012 23:00:00
[Table view]Agreement State Agreement State Report - Missing Ohmart Beta Gauge 2012-09-20T23:00:00 | |