ENS 51365
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
07:00 Sep 2, 2015 | |
| Title | Agreement State Report - Two Radioactive Zirconium Metal Cylinders Discovered at Metal Recyling Center |
| Event Description | The following report was received from the California Department of Public Health Radiologic Health Branch via email:
On November 11, 2014, an individual associated with the Orange County Science Education Center obtained two small metal cylinders that had caught his eye that were on a shelf at a metal recycling center (DBW Metals Recycling, Anaheim, CA). The metal recycler's analysis of a cylinder showed 96.76% Zirconium with 2% Nb and some Mo, Cr, Pd, Mn, BI, FE, Ni, & Cd. On August 14, 2015, the member of the public donated one of the Zirconium metal cylinders to the Geology Department at the California Institute of Technology. The location of the second Zirconium metal cylinder is unknown at this time. On August 21, 2015, the California Institute of Technology determined the zirconium metal cylinder was radioactive. The cylindrical metal item measured 3.3 cm D x 5 cm L and weighed 290 gm. The [State of California] Radiation Safety Office subsequently analyzed the item using a Germanium detector and determined it contained approximately 20 gm of U-238 and 8 gm of U-235 (28.6% enrichment). No fission products were detected, and only minor surface contamination was found (removable surface contamination <30 DPM over entire item. GM [Geiger Muller] meter survey results are as follows: 48,000 cpm on contact (mostly beta); 1 mrem/hr on contact; and 0.03 mR/hr at 1 foot (background of 0.02 mR/h). The Radiation Safety office believes the item is a portion of an unirradiated uranium fuel element. The Brea Office [State of California Radiation Health Branch] will follow-up under this 5010 to investigate the current location of the 2nd similar item and to ensure it is properly possessed, and will also investigate from whom the metal recycler received the two SNM [special nuclear material] items (what licensee apparently lost control of these SNM items). LA County also has a 5010 (090215) associated with this event to ensure that CalTech properly possesses the SNM and makes required reports. California 5010 Number: 090315
The following information was provided by the State of California via email: After a discussion with the private party who received the SNM item from the local metal recycling facility, it appears that there is no second similar item. Rather the second item had significantly different visual characteristics. The individual indicated he no longer has the second item. [State of California] will attempt to verify the metal composition of the 2nd item with the metal recycling facility. The private party who received the SNM item from the recycling facility is associated with the Science Education Center of California, not the Orange County Science Education Center. The SNM item is not clad in zirconium or anything else, rather the SNM item is a mixture of zirconium and enriched uranium, with some other metals in significantly smaller amounts, and perhaps additional non-metals. The Caltech RSO indicated that he had not performed as good of an analysis as he would have liked to have done, and emphasized that the values he provided for the U-238 and U-235 weights were both approximate values, leaving the U-235 enrichment better represented as between 21-28 percent. Notified the R4DO (Warnick), ILTAB (English) and NMSS Events Notification group via email.
The following information was provided by the State of California via email: Personnel from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) were contacted to assist in evaluation of the apparent SNM item recovered from a metal recycler. The LANL personnel determined that the item did not contain SNM. Rather the item contained approximately 30-35 grams of unenriched processed uranium. Notified the R4DO (Drake), ILTAB (English), CNSNS (Mexico) and NMSS Events Notification group via 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 | |
|---|---|
| California Institute Of Technology Pasadena, California (NRC Region 4) | |
| License number: | 0314-19 |
| Organization: | California Radiation Control Prgm |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+25.08 h1.045 days <br />0.149 weeks <br />0.0344 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | L. Robert Greger 08:05 Sep 3, 2015 |
| NRC Officer: | Jeff Herrera |
| Last Updated: | Sep 9, 2015 |
| 51365 - NRC Website | |
California Institute Of Technology with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 513652015-09-02T07:00:0002 September 2015 07:00:00
[Table view]Agreement State Agreement State Report - Two Radioactive Zirconium Metal Cylinders Discovered at Metal Recyling Center ENS 448732009-02-23T08:00:00023 February 2009 08:00:00 Agreement State Agreement State Report - Partially Lost Am-241 Source 2015-09-02T07:00:00 | |