The following information was received from the State of
Tennessee via email:
On June 11, 2013, RbM Services, LLC contacted the [Tennessee] Division of Radiological Health to report that on May 29, 2013, 6 Bracco Diagnostics Inc. Rubidium Generators (Sr-82/Sr-85 Solid Strontium Mixture) were shipped to Los Alamos National Labs in Los Alamos, NM via Common Carrier.
On May 31, 2013, it was discovered that two of the shipments of generators (78.78 mCi of Sr-85 and 49.37 mCi of Sr-85) had not arrived in Los Alamos. The tracking numbers showed the 2 shipments were still in Memphis, TN. On June 3, 2013, [the] Common Carrier's tracking update via phone stated the 2 shipments were enroute to Los Alamo's zip code.
On June 4th, after learning the shipment had not been delivered, RbM contacted [the] Common Carrier and Bracco, the manufacturer of the generators. As of June 5th, [the] Common Carrier informed RbM that an extensive search for the packages was being made and a trace had been placed on the shipment.
On June 6th, RbM contacted [the] Common Carrier and instructed them to contact Los Alamos National Labs to see if the shipment was delivered; Los Alamos confirmed those 2 shipments had not arrived.
On June 10th, [the] Common Carrier did not have any additional information and advised RbM to contact their regulatory authority [Tennessee Division of Radiological Health].
Event Report ID No. TN-13-104
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