The following information was received from the State of
Illinois via email:
The Plant Manager for WINPAK, Inc., in South Chicago Heights, IL, called to report the loss of an ABB Process Automation Model O-2 beta gauge (SN S-1379-T) containing 70 milliCuries of Sr-90. The recent annual general license self inspection revealed some discrepancies in serial numbers and the licensee could not locate this particular device. They believe it to have likely been removed by a local scrap vendor that was on-site. Another possibility is an equipment vendor that was doing some work on site. Both vendors are being contacted as part of the investigation. lEMA [Illinois Emergency Management Agency] staff are at the scrap yard today investigating as well.
The licensee is continuing to pursue possible leads on the location of the source. lEMA has contacted the manufacturer and they have no records of return but have contacted NDC [does service work under contract to ABB] to see if they retrieved it under contract work. This item will remain open for the required time until the source is recovered or declared lost.
Illinois Item Number: IL15022
- * * UPDATE ON 9/15/23 AT 1406 EDT FROM GARY FORSEE TO ADAM KOZIOL * * *
On 9/15/23, the device was located at Gaby Iron and Metal in Chicago Heights, IL. The device was heavily damaged with the source exposed. IEMA-OHS responders fabricated shielding and packaged the device for return to the registrant. The registrant will be responsible for proper disposal through an approved vendor. The Agency verified safe and secure storage and will track this matter until disposal verification paperwork is provided.
Notified R3DO (Szwarc) and NMSS (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