Information Notice 1985-07, Contaminated Radiography Source Shipments

Contaminated Radiography Source Shipments

ML031180688
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley, Millstone, Hatch, Calvert Cliffs, Dresden, Davis Besse, Peach Bottom, Browns Ferry, Salem, Oconee, Mcguire, Nine Mile Point, Palisades, Palo Verde, Perry, Indian Point, Fermi, Kewaunee, Catawba, Harris, Wolf Creek, Saint Lucie, Point Beach, Oyster Creek, Watts Bar, Hope Creek, Grand Gulf, Cooper, Sequoyah, Byron, Pilgrim, Arkansas Nuclear, Three Mile Island, Braidwood, Susquehanna, Summer, Prairie Island, Columbia, Seabrook, Brunswick, Surry, Limerick, North Anna, Turkey Point, River Bend, Vermont Yankee, Crystal River, Haddam Neck, Ginna, Diablo Canyon, Callaway, Vogtle, Waterford, Duane Arnold, Farley, Robinson, Clinton, South Texas, San Onofre, Cook, Comanche Peak, Yankee Rowe, Maine Yankee, Quad Cities, Humboldt Bay, La Crosse, Big Rock Point, Rancho Seco, Zion, Midland, Bellefonte, Fort Calhoun, FitzPatrick, McGuire, LaSalle, 05000000, 05000262, Zimmer, Fort Saint Vrain, Shoreham, Satsop, Trojan, Atlantic Nuclear Power Plant, Skagit, Marble Hill
Issue date:	01/29/1985
From:	Grace J NRC/OE
To:
References
IN-85-007, NUDOCS 8501250352
Download: ML031180688 (3)

SSINS No.: 6835 IN 85-07 UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 January 29, 1985 IE INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 85-07: CONTAMINATED RADIOGRAPHY SOURCE SHIPMENTS

Addressees

All NRC licensees authorized to possess industrial radiography sources.

Purpose

This information notice is intended to alert receivers of radiography sources

of recent discoveries of removable contamination on shipping containers arriv- ing at licensee sites from a source supplier. It is expected that recipients

will review the information in this notice for applicability to their facili- ties and consider actions, if appropriate, to preclude a similar problem. How- ever, suggestions contained in this information notice do not constitute NRC

requirements; therefore, no specific action or written response is required.

Description of Circumstances

A large east coast shipyard recently received three consecutive iridium-192 radiography source shipments from Gamma Industries, an Agreement State sup- plier, that exhibited significant contamination on the bottom of the source

changers contained within an overpack. Radiation levels on removable contami- nation wipes ranged up to 0.4 milliroentgens/hour. Several shipyard employees

were contaminated, and their vehicles and homes were required to be surveyed

to ensure that no contamination was spread.

Discussion:

Gamma Industries will be sending leak test kits to users of their Model C-10

source changers and will be requesting that the exterior of the changers be

wiped and the wipes returned to Gamma Industries for analysis. However, because source changer models other than the C-10 are loaded in the same way

by Gamma Industries, it is suggested that licensees survey other types of Gamma

Industries shipping containers in their possession by wiping the entire external

surface with a paper towel and then surveying the towel in an area of low back- ground radiation with their most sensitive survey meter set to the lowest scale

range. If contamination is detected, it would be advisable to contact the

container shipper and the appropriate NRC regional office.

Although contamination surveys are not specifically required by 10 CFR 20.205 because the sources are a special form, the NRC suggests that surveys for gross

8501250352

"-I

IN 85-07 January 29, 1985 contamination be made on shipping containers containing radiography sources on

a routine basis, regardless of supplier, to ensure that workers and the public

are not unnecessarily exposed to radiation from surface contamination.

No specific action or written response is required by this information notice.

If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact the Regional

Administrator of the appropriate NRC regional office or thaV office.

J. Nelson Grace, Director

Division of Quality Assurance, Safeguards, and Inspection Programs

Office of Inspection and Enforcement

J. R. Metzger

(301) 492-4947 Attachment:

List of Recently Issued IE Information Notices

Attachment

IN 85-07 January 29, 1985 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED

IE INFORMATION NOTICES

Information Date of

Notice No. Subject Issue Issued to

85-06 Contamination of Breathing 1/23/85 All power reactor

Air Systems facilities holding

an OL or CP

85-05 Pipe Whip Restraints 1/23/85 All power reactor

facilities holding

an OL or CP

85-04 Inadequate Management Of 1/17/85 All power reactor

Security Response Drills facilities holding

an OL or CP, & fuel

fabrication & pro- cessing facilities

85-03 Separation Of Primary Reactor 1/15/85 All pressurized water

Coolant Pump Shaft And power reactor

Impeller facilities holding an

OL or CP

85-02 Improper Installation And 1/15/85 All power reactor

Testing Of Differential facilities holding

Pressure Transmitters- an OL or CP

85-01 Continuous Supervision Of 1/10/85 All material licensees

Irradiators possessing irradiators

that are not self- shielded and contain

more than 10,000

curies of radioactive

material

84-94 Reconcentration Of Radio- 12/21/84 All NRC materials

nuclides Involving Discharges licensees other than

Into Sanitary Sewage Systems licensees that use

Permitted Under 10 CFR 20.303 sealed sources only

84-93 Potential For Loss Of Water 12/17/84 All power reactor

From The Refueling Cavity facilities holding

an OL or CP

84-92 Cracking Of Flywheel On 12/17/84 All power reactor

Cummins Fire Pump Diesel facilities holding

Engines an OL or CP

OL = Operating License

CP = Construction Permit