ENS Event | |
|---|---|
05:00 Mar 6, 2025 | |
| Title | Improper Shipment of Byproduct Materials |
| Event Description | The following information was provided by the Texas Department of State Health Services (the Department) via phone and email:
On March 6, 2025, the Department was contacted by Customs and Border Protection regarding a shipment that was passing through their checkpoint in the port of Houston, Texas. The shipment set off their radiation monitors and the radionuclides were identified as americium-241 and radium-226. When the Department contacted the shipper, the shipper stated that part of the shipment was smoke detectors. The shipper made arrangements for the shipment to be returned to the originating location in Farmers Branch, Texas. On March 14, 2025, a Department investigator went to the shipper's location and confirmed that the shipment contained two boxes with smoke detectors. On March 27, 2025, a Department investigator went back to the location to inspect the materials and perform radiological surveys. The investigator verified that the two boxes contained approximately 3,200 smoke detectors. The investigator noted that a large number of the americium-241 sources had been separated from the smoke detectors and were laying free inside the boxes. The investigator found that the dose rates on contact with the outside of the box were around 75 uR/hr. A gamma spectroscopy reading of the box determined the radionuclides to be americium-241 and radium-226. The investigator did not detect any loose surface contamination. The owner (shipper) of the package was directed to secure the packages containing the smoke detectors in a secure location. Based on the radiological surveys performed by the Department, no individual would have received a significant exposure as a result of this event. The owner of the material has agreed to impound all the sources and secure them in an area not easily accessible to an individual. The Department will assist the owner of the smoke detectors in finding a contractor to properly dispose of the material. Texas incident number: 10185 NMED number: TX250020 There was no indication that any foils were separated from the shipping packages. The owner of the shipment does not have a Texas license for the possession of byproduct materials. The Department will continue to investigate this incident. |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Alltron Llc Farmers Branch, Texas (NRC Region 4) | |
| License number: | N/A |
| Organization: | Texas Dept Of State Health Services |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+518.45 h21.602 days <br />3.086 weeks <br />0.71 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Art Tucker 18:27 Mar 27, 2025 |
| NRC Officer: | Jordan Wingate |
| Last Updated: | Mar 27, 2025 |
| 57632 - NRC Website | |
Alltron Llc with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 576322025-03-06T05:00:0006 March 2025 05:00:00
[Table view]Agreement State Improper Shipment of Byproduct Materials 2025-03-06T05:00:00 | |