ML20003H464
| ML20003H464 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07001342 |
| Issue date: | 04/16/1981 |
| From: | Kinneman J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | Purdy D BIOCONTROL TECHNOLOGY, INC. (FORMERLY CORATOMIC |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8105060056 | |
| Download: ML20003H464 (5) | |
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UNITED STATES E } g' NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION g
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631 PARK AVENUE
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KING OF PRUSSIA, PENNSYLVANIA 19406 g
Docket No. 70-01342 16 APR 1981 i
ett9'9h'~g Caratomic, Inc.
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-i ATTN: Mr. David Purdy 4D
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70 Indiana, Pennsylvania 15701
\\ @, 6 Gentlemen:
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Subject:
Loss of Source Thank you for your letter which forwarded a final report pursuant to 10 CFR 20.402 regarding the subject matter.
This matter was reviewed by our inspector during an inspection conducted on January 28, 1981.
Your cooperation with us is appreciated.
Sincerely, jDj ohn D. Kinneman, Chief, Materials s
- adiological Protection Section, Technical Inspection Branch a
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8105060056
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Coratomice P.O. BOX 434, INDIANA, PENNSYLVANIA 15701 PHONE 14121349-1811 TELEX 86-6658 LOSS OF PLU' IONIUM-238 License No. SNM-1319 On June 27, IS78, a Coratomic, Inc. C-100 nuclear pacemaker, serial number 23, was noted as missing from inventory.
Loss occurred during the relocation of Coratomic into its new facility.
The following is a detailed report of the nuclear material burial.
1.
Description of the nuclear material:
Material - Pu-238 (See Attachment I)
Amount - <0.250 grams Fuel Capsule - Serial Number 24 Encapsulation (pacer form) - 5 separate encapsulations all leak checked to <lx10-8 std. cc sec-1 Leak Check - March 18, 1974
<lx10-8 std. cc sec-1 Wipe Test - June 2, 1978
<.0005pci 2.
Description of the circumstance which which the burial occurred (as documented from interviews with certain Caratomic personnel on June 30, 1978).
INTERVIEW - JIM CUPP (Chemistry Dept. Supervisor)
Jim Cupp received the nuclear pacer on June 7th or 8th with instructions to remove the epoxy head using an epoxy stripper. Jim labelled the beaker with a tri-foil radiation sysbol and the words " Dog I= plant" using a black marking pen.
j On June 16th, the Friday before the move, Jim removed the nuclear and j
and a few other lithium pacers frem their respective beakers.
Upon examination he found that the nuclear pacer had not dissolved and he replaced it back into the stripper solution.
l On June 19th, which was moving day, Bob Schickler asked Jim Cupp what should be done with the pacer. Jim instructed him to leave it on the shelf explaining that they would pick it up after the material had all been moved to the new building.
On Wednesday, June 28, while locating a pacer Quality Assurance had i
requested, Jim remembered that the " dog pacer" had been left in the old l
building.
When he looked for it, the old chemistry room had been stripped l
bare and cleaned out, j
Jim indicated that they finished packing the room before lunch on i
Monday, June 17.
INTERVIEW - RCBERT SCHIC'ER (Precision Assembler - Chemistry Dept.)
The last time Schickler handled the
'.cer was Wednesday, June 14th.
On that day he put it back into the strgper because the head was dissolving
- LOSS OF PLUTCNIUM-238 (C:nt'd) slowly. The last place Schickler recalls seeing the pacer was on the shelf soaking in stripper solution.
Schickler recalls leaving the old building about 1:30 on Monday, June 19th at about 1:00 or 1:30 p.m.
INTERVIEW - CLIFF HENDERSON (Maintenance Tradesman)
Cliff indicated he cleaned the old chemistry room on Wednesday, June 21.
There was a log of old papers and paper towels and scrap. Using a 3' x 2' box about 2' high, Cliff gathered all this trash and discarded it in the trash bin in back of the old building. He specifically remembers o
discarding the beaker and two others which were sitting above the sink at that time. When asked if he had checked any of the beakers, he responded that he thought everything left in the room was trash to be discarded.
(The stripper solution turns a yellow-brown as it dissolves the epoxy and the contents are not visible.)
Cliff said he placed the alum.inum foil covered beaker upright in the trash so the liquid would not spill.
The garbage bin was full Thursday, June U at 3:30 and had been emptied by the following afternoon.
(Pellegrene Sanitation Service indicated this trash was picked up late in the afternoon on Thursday.)
3.
Actions taken to recover the nuclear material:
A thorough search of all Coratomic facilities, both new and old plant, including garbage of both facilities was con, ducted on June 28, 1978.
On June 29, 1978, the Pelligrene land fill facility was completely searched by J. Cupp and K. Munz using a Varian Survey Meter, Model No. 490, Serial No. 2341. Assistance in moving refuse material was provided by two Pelligrene operators at the land fill.
Material was moved five times by the operators and a complete search of the area was conducted after each movement of material. Material was dug out approximately 18 inches each time. No radiation was detected by the survey meter at any time when sweeping the area.
4.
Statement of disposition and radiation exposure to individuals:
Pellegrene Sanitary Service subsequenty buried the nuclear pacemaker at a depth of six to eight feet in their sanitary land fill.
Due to the loca-tion and depth of the pacer and the multiple hermeticity of its design, there could be no personal injury or ecologiced damage from this source.
5.
Subsequent report:
Mr. Larry Lesnak, Manager of Quality Assurance and Control, reported the burial to the regional office of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Philadelphia within 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> of the burial.
He was told that the verbal reporting was sufficient since the location of the burial source was known, and it had been disposed of in a safe manner with no threat to the biosphere. He was told that no for=al written report was necessary.
o LOSS OF PLUTONIUM-238 (Cont'd) 6.
Procedures and measures adopted to prevent a recurrence of loss of licensed material:
Coratomic, Inc. will continue the current accountability system with an additional safeguard to keep company personnel cognizant of regulatory requirements. An audit of each department will be frequently and randomly conducted to assure proper accounting of nuclear material. The Coratomic accountability chart will be improved.
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