ML19340C425
| ML19340C425 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07000882 |
| Issue date: | 06/27/1980 |
| From: | Lorio P COLUMBIA UNIV., NEW YORK, NY |
| To: | Grier B NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19340C420 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8011170284 | |
| Download: ML19340C425 (2) | |
Text
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O Columbia University in the City of New York New lbrk, N. I'.
10027
-E ATH pH680S CUICE 209 tagiaeering Terrace June 27, 1980 Mr. Boyce H. Grier Director United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region 1 631 Park Avenue King of Prussia, PA 19406
Dear Mr. Grier:
Subject:
Inspection 70882/78-01 Your letter dated June 13, 1980 to Columbia University's President William J. McGill with regard to my letter of May 5, 1980 has been referred to me.
I have already discussed this matter at length with Mr. James H. Joyner of your staff.
I wish to bring to your attention the following regarding the items identified in the enclosure to your letter:
Item #1 In addition to returning the 9 gram Pu-Be source to the designated license location in the Engineering Terrace on December 4, 1978, the storage container was thereafter labeled "FOR USE IN THE ENGINEERING TERRACE ONLY".
In addition to labeling the source as described above the attention of our staff has been particularly drawn to Section II (G) (2) of the Radiation Safety Code of Columbia University, which states "An authorized possessor shall not, without approval by the Health Physics Office, lend or transfer radioactive material to any person within a licensed installation.
Approval for such a loan or transfer shall be sought by sub-mitting Radiation Safety Form #16 Authorization for Intramural Transfer."
Item #2 Attached is a copy of the itemized source material inventory.
I have posted an office procedure including automatic reminders to the staff so that future inventory reports will be submitted on a timely basis.
9011170231I
Subj ect:
Inspection 70882/73-01 Item #3 The U-233 plated foils were used in an experiment at our Nevis Cyclotron laboratory.
These foils were mounted in a chamber for this experiment.
Similar chambers were used during this experiment containing similar foils but not plated with U-233.
At the conclusion of the experiment in 1971, the chamber and foils were packaged by the researcher at Nevis and returned to the University's Morningside Campus for storage.
At the time of the NRC inspection in 1978 the stored chamberr vere opened to assay for the U-233 foils.
The foils were determined to be non-radioactive.
We believe that after the termination of the experiment, the dummy chamber was assumed to contain the U-233 foils and returned for storage.
Immediately following the NRC inspection in 1978 I conducted an extensive search and investigation at both Nevis and Morningside Campus in an attempt to locate the missing U-233 foils or ascertain what occurred to them. As part of that investigation, I contacted the researcher who had used the foils at Nevis, Dr. John Felvinci (who had since left the University), but he was unable to shed any light on this matter.
He had believed that the foils with U-233 had been returned for storage.
I am now making a renewed effort to find the missing foils.
In order to prevent this problem in the future, a representative of the Health Physics Office will be in attendance at any location when materials under this license are being prepared for shipment.
Since my staff is directly involved in operations dealing with material under this license, it is recommended that all correspondence be directed to me, with copies sent to Mr. Paul Carter, the University's Executive Vice President for Admini-stration at 313 Low Library and Mr. John Mason Harding, the University's General Counsel at 110 Low Library.
incerel yoursy 1r l/-
Philip M. Lorio Health Physics Officer cc:
Mr. Paul D. Carter Mr. John Mason Harding Enclosure i