ENS 51519
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
20:30 Nov 4, 2015 | |
| Title | Agreement State Report - Hairline Crack Found in Housing of a Berthold Level Density Gauge |
| Event Description | The following report was received from the State of Louisiana via email:
On 11/04/2015, the ARSO [Assistant Radiation Safety Officer] for [the licensee] called the LA DEQ [Louisiana Department of Environment Quality] about a hairline crack on the housing of a Berthold level density gauge. The crack was noticed when the annual operational inspections were being performed. The level gauges are required to be inspected by Condition Number 6 of the licensee's radioactive material license. The [gauge is located] in Geismar, LA within the secure boundary the licensee's chemical plant. The fixed gauge is installed on a hopper/drum, but the gauge has not been used as a qc/qa [quality control/quality assurance] device since March 21, 2003, when the device was locked-out. The crack or hairline crack was not detected or documented before the November 2015 annual inspections. The notification to LA DEQ is required by Condition Number 6 of the license. The gauge remained installed on the hopper since 2003, but was not functioning as a gauge during that time. LA DEQ was notified on November 4, 2015, at approximately 1430 CST, that during [the licensee's] annual operational inspections, they detected a hairline crack in the housing of an installed locked-out density measuring device (gauge). The device was a Berthold gauge Model LB 7440D loaded with approximately 60 mCi of Cs-137. On 11/04/2015, the licensee's ARSO called LA DEQ to make a preliminary report about a hairline crack found in a gauge housing/source holder. The crack was at the union of the gauge shielding and the mounting plate of the device. [A contract company] has been contacted to provide services at [the licensee' facility], for packaging the source to be shipped and for the source disposal. This will be the 'corrective action' and it was speculated the crack possibly happened due to the vibration of the hopper. The source or device is not leaking. The source is not exposed or removed from the shielded position. This appears to be reportable under 10 CFR 31.5(c)(5). The source was not being used/operational when the crack was detected. There is no possible exposure to the plant workers because the gauge is still installed on an elevated process. Surveys were taken of the source/gauge housing and they were in the same range as before noticing the crack. The exposure level is approximately 150 mR/hr. The gauge has been locked-out since March 20, 2003. The shutter remains closed and the gauge does not cause a safety hazard to the plant personnel. The gauge operated in the open direction without a problem. [The ARSO] called and reported the incident to comply with Condition Number 6 of [licensee's] Radioactive Material License. The gauge is a Berthold, model #LB-7440D [originally] loaded with approximately 100 mCi of Cs-137 and received and installed in 1992. The SN for the source is 3029-9-90. The corrective action will be disposal by [the contractor]. The Department [LA DEQ] considers this item OPEN until the disposal. The records will be reviewed during a site visit and the next inspection. Louisiana Event Report ID No.: LA 15-0020, T167164 |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Basf Corporation Geismar, Louisiana (NRC Region 4) | |
| License number: | LA-2304-L01, |
| Organization: | Louisiana Radiation Protection Div |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+44.73 h1.864 days <br />0.266 weeks <br />0.0613 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Joe Noble 17:14 Nov 6, 2015 |
| NRC Officer: | John Shoemaker |
| Last Updated: | Nov 6, 2015 |
| 51519 - NRC Website | |
Basf Corporation with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 573232024-09-15T05:00:00015 September 2024 05:00:00
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