Information Notice 1990-14, Accidental Disposal of Radioactive Materials

Accidental Disposal of Radioactive Materials

ML031210584
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley, Millstone, Hatch, Monticello, 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, Fort Saint Vrain, Shoreham, Satsop, Trojan, Atlantic Nuclear Power Plant
Issue date:	03/06/1990
From:	Cunningham R NRC/NMSS/IMNS
To:
References
IN-90-014, NUDOCS 9002280081
Download: ML031210584 (3)

UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIALS SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 March 6, 1990

NRC INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 90-14: ACCIDENTAL DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE

MATERIALS

Addressees

All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Byproduct Materials

Licensees.

Purpose

This information notice (IN)alerts licensees to recent cases where unauthor- ized, accidental disposal of radioactive material has occurred, and of the

need to avoid storing radioactive materials in places where the materials

could inadvertently be disposed of in an unauthorized manner (e.g., unauthor- ized land burial, incineration, or removal to unrestricted areas). Licensees

should review this information for applicability to their programs, distribute

it to appropriate personnel and consider actions, as appropriate, to preclude

these events from occurring at their facilities. Information contained in

this notice does not constitute new NRC requirements.

Description of Circumstances

Licensees were previously informed of the importance of assuring that access

to licensed radioactive material is controlled (IN 89-35, "Loss and Theft of

Unsecured Licensed Material," attached.) The following additional cases are

examples of events that have occurred since IN 89-35 was issued.

CASE 1. Accidental Incineration of Iodine-131 A licensee reported that radioactive trash containing approximately 1 millicurie

of iodine-131 (used for a medical procedure) was removed from a hospital patient's

room and incinerated with non-radioactive waste. A follow-up inspection deter- mined that the incinerated material was iodine-131, and that there was a lack of

proper training among licensee personnel.

CASE 2. Incineration of Iodine-125 Brachytherapy Seeds

A licensee's Radiation Safety Officer informed the NRC of the apparent loss

of control of four iodine-125 seeds, approximately one millicurie of activity

each. Twenty seeds had been implanted in a patient in a hospital operating

room during a cancer treatment. The surgical materials, coverings, and waste

materials were not surveyed, but were put in the infectious waste trash.

9002280081

I

IN 90-14 March 6, 1990 Later, x-rays were taken of the patient's implant site, revealing that only

16 of the 20 seeds were in place. The licensee concluded that the four seeds

were incinerated. The manufacturer of the seeds stated that intense heat from

burning would break down the titanium capsule that covered the seeds.

CASE 3. Loss of Two Industrial Gauges Containing Strontium-90 Sources

A licensee reported that two density measurement gauges had been inadvertently

transferred from its facility to a scrap metal processor. Searches at the scrap

dealer failed to locate the devices. The gauges each contained a 13-millicurie

strontium-90 sealed source. One gauge was subsequently located by NRC inspectors.

NRC imposed a civil penalty for the first lost source, and licensee is still

looking for the remaining source.

CASE 4. Loss of a 40-Microcurie Cesium-137 Sealed Source

A licensee reported the loss of a 40 microcurie cesium-137 sealed reference

source (part of a liquid scintillation counter) that had been sent inadver- tently to a scrap-yard for disposal. The source has not been found.

CASE 5. Lost Density Level Gauge

A licensee informed an NRC regional office that it was unable to locate a

generally licensed density gauge, which it previously possessed, despite an

on-going intensive search. The gauge contained 50 millicuries of cesium-137, and has not been found.

CASE 6. Steel Furnace Melts Cesium Source

An Agreement State notified the NRC that a cesium-137 source had been inad- vertently melted by a steel mill. The mill reported to the State that an

outgoing rail shipment of furnace flue dust tripped the plant's radiation

monitors. Surveys by a consultant and by a State inspector found radiation

levels up to 1 mr/hr on the sides of the railcars. Analysis of samples

identified the contaminant as cesium-137.

The NRC is aware of 15 cases, since 1983, of accidental smelting of radioactive

sources. Eleven have occurred in the United States. Cesium-137 and cobalt-60

are the primary sources of contamination. In response, many scrapyards and

dealers have installed radiation detectors to monitor incoming scrap. In 1986, NRC issued a hazardous scrap warning poster that has been distributed to the

ferrous and non-ferrous metal industry.

Discussion:

IN 89-35, "Loss and Theft of Unsecured Licensed Material", issued in March, 1989, reminded licensees of the importance of assuring that access to licensed radio- active material is controlled. This notice cites recent examples of loss of

radioactive materials, and indicates that many licensees did not take suffi- cient actions to address this problem when IN 89-35 was issued.

IN 90-14 March 6, 1990 Licensees should review systems for control of licensed material and routinely

instruct employees in the actions needed to assure control of licensed material.

Particular attention should be paid to instructing workers who may only come in

contact with licensed material on an occasional basis, since several of the

cited losses were due, in part, to the failure of employees to recognize or

appropriately handle licensed material.

Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 19, Section 19.12, "Instructions

to workers" requires that "... all individuals working in or frequenting any

portion of a restricted area shall be kept informed of the storage, transfer, or use of radioactive materials...." Section 20.207 of 10 CFR Part 20,

Storage and control of licensed materials in unrestricted areas," requires

that such material be secured from unauthorized removal, and that materials

not in storage in an unrestricted area be under the constant surveillance and

Immediate control of the licensee.

Licensees are reminded of the importance of ensuring that access to licensed

radioactive material is controlled as required by NRC regulations. The

incineration, burial, or damage of licensed radioactive material has the

potential for causing unnecessary exposures of employees and members of the

public. Severe penalties can be imposed for failure to control access to

licensed material as required by the NRC regulations. It is suggested that

licensees review their programs to assure that all radioactive material is

properly secured against unauthorized removal, and that workers are properly

trained in proper safety procedures.

No written response is required by this information notice. If you have any

questions about this matter, please contact the appropriate regional office

or this office.

I

& E. nningham, ire

Division of Industrial and/I

Medical Nuclear Safety, h0S5

Jack R. Metzger, NMSS

(301) 492-3424 Attachments:

1. IN 89-35, Loss and Theft of

Unsecured Licensed Material

2. List of Recently Issued NMSS Information Notices

3. List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices