Information Notice 1998-18, Recent Contamination Incidences Resulting from Failure to Perform Adequate Surveys

Recent Contamination Incidences Resulting from Failure to Perform Adequate Surveys

ML031050160
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, 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, Fort Saint Vrain, Shoreham, Satsop, Trojan, Atlantic Nuclear Power Plant, Crane
Issue date:	05/13/1998
From:	Cool D NRC/NMSS/IMNS
To:
References
IN-98-018, NUDOCS 9805070130
Download: ML031050160 (4)

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UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555

May 13, 1998

NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 98-18:

RECENT CONTAMINATION INCIDENCES

RESULTING FROM FAILURE TO PERFORM

Purpose

NRC is issuing this information notice to alert addressees to recent contamination incidents

resulting from inadequate surveys. It is expected that recipients will review the information for

applicability to their facilities and consider actions, as appropriate, to avoid problems. However, suggestions contained in this information notice are not new NRC requirements; therefore, no

specific action nor written response is required.

Description of Circumstances

During the past months, there have been two instances of radiopharmacies receiving

contaminated packages from client facilities. The contamination in these cases was limited to

the exterior of the package. In both cases, the packages were initially surveyed before leaving

the originating facility and no contamination was found. However, a spill at each client's facility

contaminated the packages resulting in removable contamination in excess of DOT's limit of

2200 dpm/100 cm2 (132,000 Bq/100 cmn). The packages were not resurveyed and were

released with contamination. The two cases described below involve the contamination of

packages with technetium-99m (Tc-99m). An explanation of the root causes of these incidents

is provided.

Case 1:

A delivery driver from a radiopharmacy picked up a transport box from a client

radiopharmacy to return to the licensee's facility. The package was surveyed upon

receipt at its destination and found to have removable contamination of 1,400,000

dpm (84 MBq) on its exterior. The radioactive contamination was determined to be

Tc-99m. The delivery driver, delivery truck, and some areas in the licensee's facility

were determined, to be contaminated. Discussions among the NRC, the client

radiopharmacy, and the licensee determined that a syringe containing Tc-99m had

been dropped near the package, causing the contamination. Apparent root causes for

the contamination were: 1) failure of the licensee to identify the dropped syringe as a

spill of radioactive material; and 2) failure of the licensee to perform a radiation area

survey around the dropped syringe to identify the contamination on the cases.

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IN 98-18 May 13, 1998 This information notice requires no specific action nor written response. If you have any

questions about the information in this notice, please contact the technical contact listed below, or the appropriate regional office.

Donald A. Cool, Director

Division of Industrial and

Medical Nuclear Safety

Office of Nuclear Material Safety

and Safeguards

Technical contact:

Torre Taylor, NMSS

(301) 415-7900

Intemet:tmtenrc.gov

Attachments:

1. List of Recently Issued NMSS Information Notices

2. List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices

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Attachment I

IN 98-18

May 13, 1998 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED

NMSS INFORMATION NOTICES

Information

Date of

Notice No.

Subject

Issuance

Issued to

98-17 Federal Bureau of Investigations

5/7/98

All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

(FBI) Awareness of National

Security Issues and Responses

(ANSIR) Program

Commission fuel cycle and power

and non-power reactor licensees

98-16

98-12

98-10

98-09

Inadequate Operational Checks

of Alarm Ratemeters

Licensees' Responsibilities

Regarding Reporting and

Follow-up Requirements for

Nuclear-Powered Pacemakers

Probable Misadministrations

Occurring During Intravascular

Brachytherapy With The

Novoste Beta-Cath System

Collapse of an Isocam II, Dual-

Headed Nuclear Medicine Gamma

Camera

Information Likely to be Requested

if an, Emergency is Declared

Unauthorized use of License

to Obtain Radioactive Materials, and its Implications Under The

Expanded Title 18 of the U.S. Cod

1997 Enforcement Sanctions for

Deliberate Violations of NRC

Employee Protection

Requirements

4/30198

4/3/1998

4/3/98

3/5/98

3/3/98

2/19/98

2/9/98

All Industrial Radiography

Licensees

All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission nuclear pacemaker

licensees

All Medical Licensees

All medical licensees

All parts 30, 40, 70, 72 and 76

licensees and certificate holders

required to have a Nuclear

Regulatory Commission approved

Emergency plan.

All NRC Licensees authorized

to Possess Licensed Materials

All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission licensees.

98-08

98-06

98-04

98-01

Thefts of Portable Gauges

1/15/98

Attachment 2

IN 98-18

May 13,1998 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED

NRC INFORMATION NOTICES

Information

Date of

Notice No.

Subject

Issuance

Issued to

98-17 Federal Bureau of Investigations

517198

All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

(FBI) Awareness of National

Security Issues and Responses

(ANSIR) Program

Commission fuel cycle and power

and non-power reactor licensees

98-16

98-15

98-14

98-13

98-12

Inadequate Operational Checks

of Alarm Ratemeters

Intergrity of Operator Licensing

Examinations

Undocumented Changes to

Non-Power Reactor Safety

System Wiring

Post-Refueling Outage Reactor

Pressure Vessel Leak Testing

Before Core Criticality

4/30/98

4/20/98

4/20/98

4/20/98

All Industrial Radiography

Licensees

All holder of operating licenses

for nuclear power reactors except

those that have permanently

ceased operations and have

certified that fuel has been

permanently removed from the

reactor vessel

All holders of operating licenses

or construction permits for test

research reactors

All holders of operating licenses

for nuclear power reactors except

those that have permanently

ceased operations and have

certified that fuel has been

permanently removed from the

reactor vessel

Licensees' Responsibilities

4/3/98

All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Regarding Reporting and Follow-up Commission nuclear pacemaker

Requirements for Nuclear-Powered

licensees

Pacemakers

OL = Operating License

CP = Construction Permit