The following information was received by email from the state of
Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (the Department/LDEQ):
On September 7, 2022, at approximately 1456 CDT, [the] Site Environmental Coordinator and Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) for ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Plastics Plant, notified LDEQ of equipment malfunctions. The licensee reported that two level/density gauges located at the ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Plastics Plant have shutters that cannot be closed. The two gauges are Ronan Model SA1-F37, device serial numbers, BDL012X and BDL011BX, respectively, installed on the reactor vessel on May 12, 2008. The gauges are installed in a vertical configuration on low pressure separator vessel, V201B within the B-Line unit. The gauges each contain one sealed source with 500 mCi of Cs-137, source serial numbers, 2577CN and 2555CN, respectively.
The gauges were undergoing routine annual shutter tests when the malfunctions were observed. [The] Lead Instrumentation and Electronics Technician and Assistant RSO for the licensee, notified [the RSO] concerning the stuck gauge shutters at approximately 1000 CDT on September 7, 2022. The gauge shutters remain open, as the gauges are needed to operate process control equipment. The gauges cannot be locked out in their current state. As a result, no vessel entries will be conducted.
The licensee will continue to monitor the gauges' status of repair and will keep the Department updated on the progress of the repairs. No exposures to radiation workers or members of the public above regulatory limits occurred.
The licensee plans to meet with the vendor representative to discuss recommendations and a path forward. After repairs are completed, shutter tests and radiation surveys will be conducted according to regulatory requirements to ensure that the gauges operate according to design. The licensee shall notify the Department when corrective actions are completed.
LA incident no.: LA20220007