ENS 54294
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
19:20 Sep 23, 2019 | |
| Title | Lost Portable Density Gauge |
| Event Description | The following was received from the Maryland Radiological Health Program via phone and email:
On September 23, 2019 at 1520 EDT, the Maryland Department of the Environment Radiological Health Program (MDE/RHP) was contacted via telephone by the Assistant Radiation Safety Officer (ARSO) of Geo-Technology Associates, Inc. that a portable density gauge was missing. The gauge was identified as a CPN model MC-1DR, serial number MD50707960 with nominal activities of 10 mCi of Cs-137 and 50 mCi of Am-241:Be. The last leak test was performed on April 11, 2019. On September 23, 2019 at approximately 1300 EDT, the density gauge was placed in the bed of a pick-up truck by the gauge operator after making measurements starting earlier in the morning for a residential development project known as Fields at Worthington. The area is located near the intersection of Baublitz Road and Worthington Ridge Road, Reisterstown, MD. Work was suspended due to equipment failure on the job site not related to the density gauge. The gauge operator proceeded to drive back to the licensee's office. After driving approximately 1.5 miles from the jobsite, the gauge operator realized that the gauge was not placed in its transportation case and pulled over near Knox Avenue. The gauge was missing from the bed of the pick-up truck. The tailgate was in the down position. The gauge operator called the ARSO at approximately 1330 EDT to report the missing gauge. The ARSO and the construction site manager looked for the gauge in the surrounding neighborhood with no success. The event has been reported to Baltimore County Police. The Case Number is: 192661514. MDE/RHP will conduct a reactive investigation.
The following was received from the Maryland Radiological Health Program via email: On November 2, 2020 at 1040 EST the Maryland Department of the Environment, Radiological Health Program (MDE/RHP) was contacted via telephone by the Assistant Radiation Safety Officer (ARSO) of Geo-Technology Associates, Inc. that the portable density gauge that was missing on September 23, 2019, at the area located near the intersection of Baublitz Road and Worthington Ridge Road, Reisterstown, Maryland was found, dropped at the Baltimore County Waste Central Acceptance Facility (BCWCAF) located at Cockeysville, in Maryland (10275 Beaver Dam Road, Cockeysville, Maryland 21030). The gauge was identified as a CPN model MC-1DR, serial number MD50707960 with nominal activities of 10 mCi of Cs-137 and 50 mCi of Am-241/Be. The rod above the gauge scale was bent and damaged but the source shutter at bottom was found closed and a leak test performed on the same day, November 2, 2020, reported no leakage. The gauge was transferred to an authorized service provider for disposal on November 2, 2020. Notified R1DO (Greives) and NMSS Event Notifications (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 | |
|---|---|
| Geo-Technology Associates, Inc Reisterstown, Maryland (NRC Region 1) | |
| License number: | MD-25-038-01 |
| Organization: | Maryland Dept Of The Environment |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+44.82 h1.868 days <br />0.267 weeks <br />0.0614 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Alan Goldey 16:09 Sep 25, 2019 |
| NRC Officer: | Ossy Font |
| Last Updated: | Nov 17, 2020 |
| 54294 - NRC Website | |
Geo-Technology Associates, Inc with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 542942019-09-23T19:20:00023 September 2019 19:20:00
[Table view]Agreement State Lost Portable Density Gauge 2019-09-23T19:20:00 | |