ML19256C982
| ML19256C982 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 06/08/1979 |
| From: | Higginbotham L, Sniezek J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| FOIA-81-100 PNO-79-143, NUDOCS 7910150812 | |
| Download: ML19256C982 (1) | |
Text
PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION
'" A June 8, 1979 PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE--PNO-79-143 This prelimir.ary notification constitutes EARLY notice of an event of POSSIBLE safety or public interest significance.
The information presented is as initially received without verification or evaluation
_and is basically all that is known by IE staff on this date.
Facility:
E. R. Squibb Company New Brunswick, New Jersey (29-00139-02)
Subject:
RELEASE OF MATERIAL TO THE PUBLIC DOMAIN On June 8,1979, NRC Region I was notified by an attorney of the E. R.
Squibb Company that they had discovered that one of their sales representatives had been violating company policy for the past three years.
The individual had been receiving spent molybdenurgenerators, containing up to 100 millicuries from three hospitals in New York, and transporting them to his home in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
After waiting several half-lives of decay of the the individual disposed of the column to the Bridgeport city dump anmni v:iLa[umsold the lead shielding.
Over the past year, this individual also had been dismantling generators in the hospitals, disposing of the active column in the radioactive waste and taking the lead to his home.
The licensee, upon discovery, halted the practice, and sent the individual to a medical consultant for dose estimation and whole body counting.
The State of Connecticut has been notified and is working with Region I to make surveys at the individual's home and the city dump.
The State of New York has been notified and is conducting investigations at the three hospitals.
Region I is investigating at the licensee's facility in New Jersey and at the individual's home in Connecticut.
Media interest is expected because of the release of radioactive materials to the public domain.
The States of Connecticut and New York has been informed.
A press release is not planned by the licensee or NRC.
NRC, Region I, (Philadelphia) received notification of this occurrence by telephone from licensee at 2:15 p.m. on June 8,1979.
Contact:
L. Higginbotham, IE x28188; J. Sniezek, IE x28098 Distribution:
Transmitted H Stc' 52 Chairman Hendrie Commissioner Bradford S. J. Chilk, SECY Commissioner Kennedy Commissioner Ahearne C. C. Kammerer, CA Comissioner Gilinsky ACRS (For Distribution)
Transmitted:
MNBB2, %
P. Bldg /,..oo J. G. Davis, IE L. V. Gossick, ED0 H. R. De~nton, NRR Region E (n,10 H. L. Ornstein, ED0 R. C. DeYoung, NRR J. J. Fouchard, PA R. J. Mattson, NRR N. M. Haller, MPA V. Stello, NRR (MAIL)
R. G. Ryan, OSP R. S. Boyd., NRR J. J. Cummings, OIA H. K. Shapar, ELD SS Bldg (n o S R. Minogue, SD W. J. Dircks, NMSS S. Levine, RES i /! E D IR2 i'""
PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION D1015 0h J
,