ENS Event | |
|---|---|
05:00 May 27, 2015 | |
| Title | Agreement State Report - Leaking Cs-137 Source |
| Event Description | The following was received from the State of Texas via email:
On May 27, 2015, the licensee reported to the Agency [Texas Department of State Health] that while performing a routine survey of its source storage area, it discovered that a Barium-137 generator, originally containing 50 millicuries of Cesium-137, had leaked. The licensee investigated and found small amounts of the Cesium had been tracked into its office area (floor only and it has been remediated) and some of the licensee's work vehicles. Employees' vehicles were surveyed and no contamination was detected. The licensee continues its surveys of tools, tool boxes, and other items in the trucks. The area where the generator was stored is a restricted area (security). Access has been further restricted for greater than 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> due to the contamination. The licensee is working to identify and remediate all contamination outside the storage room before beginning to remediate there. The licensee has placed the generator into a type A drum to contain the material. The licensee was unable to determine the source or cause of the leak prior to placing it in the drum. An investigation into this event is ongoing. More information will be provided as it is obtained in accordance with SA-300. Texas Incident: I-9316 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 | |
|---|---|
| Tracerco Pasadena, Texas (NRC Region 4) | |
| License number: | 03096 |
| Organization: | Texas Dept Of State Health Services |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+61.78 h2.574 days <br />0.368 weeks <br />0.0846 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Karen Blanchard 18:47 May 29, 2015 |
| NRC Officer: | Mark Abramovitz |
| Last Updated: | May 29, 2015 |
| 51102 - NRC Website | |
Tracerco with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 513502015-08-25T05:00:00025 August 2015 05:00:00
[Table view]Agreement State Agreement State Report - Contamination in an Uncontrolled Area ENS 511022015-05-27T05:00:00027 May 2015 05:00:00 Agreement State Agreement State Report - Leaking Cs-137 Source ENS 440752008-03-17T07:00:00017 March 2008 07:00:00 Agreement State Agreement State Report - Shipping Container Arrived Damaged with Source Outside of Pig and Container 2015-08-25T05:00:00 | |