ML20042F560
| ML20042F560 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 04/18/1990 |
| From: | Gibbons D, Mallett B, Mccann G NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20042F556 | List: |
| References | |
| REF-QA-99990003-900420 99990003-90-04, 99990003-90-4, NUDOCS 9005090067 | |
| Download: ML20042F560 (4) | |
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c U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION 111 Report No. 99990003/90004(DRSS)
Docket No. 99990003
'F License No. Non-Licensee Non-Licensee:
US AIR Port Columbus International Airport Columbus, OH 43219 Inspection at: Port Columbus International Airport US Air Freight Terminal Columbus, OH 43219 Inspection Conducted: March 14, 1990 Purpose'of Inspection: This was-an announced, special safety inspection conducted to review circumstances pertaining to a damaged container of radioactive material (RAM) received at the Port Columbus International Airport during the evening of March 13, 1990, i
A.R. &
Inspector:
D. R. Gibbons
@ /4, /#5 Radiation Specialist D#te-yb-Reviewed By:
-G. M. McCann, Acting Chief M /I /W t
Nuclear Materials Safety Date L
Section 1 M ft.
Approved By:. Bruce S. Mallett, Ph.D., Chief M O 880
/
Nuclear Materials Safety Branch Da~te q
s inspection Summary d
h Inspection on March 14, 1990 (Report No. 99990003/90004(DRSS))'
'l Areas-Inspected:
This was an announced, special safety inspection conducted i
at the US Air Freight Terminal in Columbus, Ohio. The inspection was
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conducted in response to Region Ill's notification of a damaged container of-f radioactive material (RAM) received at the US Air Freight Terminal. The i
inspection included a review of the circumstances surrounding the incident, a
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review and inspection of the shipping papers and the container, and interviews
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with personnel, j
Results: Of the areas inspected (i.e., US Air's response to event, labeling
.y of package), no apparent violations of NRC requirements wece identified.
9005090067 900420 l
REG 3 QA999 EECUSAIR 99990003 PDC l
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k DETAILS _
- 1.
Persons Contacted i
- J. Richard Fondriest, Customer Service Manager
- Steve Frecker, Customer Service Agent Mark Kibble,- Customer. Agent
- T. : A.' Walker, Supervisor Health Physics, Ohio Radiological Program
- K. L. Driesbach, Health Physicist II, Ohio Radiological Program
- Charles Burk, Hazardous Materials Inspector, Federal Aviation Administration
- Robert Purcell, Distribution Supervisor, Cintichem Corporation j
- Denotes those present at-the exit interview.
- Denotes those contacted by telephone.
===2.
Background===
The package was shipped from-LaGuardia Airport inside the back bay of a DC-9-30: passenger carrying aircraft No. 991.
It was the only package in that bay and was positioned on its side upon arrival at the Port Columbus-Airport. The bay is approximately eight (8) feet long with no apparent 4
method for' blocking or bracing a single package. The package was moved from the back bay to the front bay, unloaded cnto a transportation cart, and transported to the US AIR Cargo Office. The agent who unloaded the
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i package and positioned-it upright onto the freight cart noticed that his
-pant leg was moist. The supervisor was notified because the two agents l
were. concerned about the yellow III labels attached to the package _The.
supervisor called the Chemtrac emergency number listed on the shipping paper-(1-800-424-9300). He explained to personnel _at Chemtrac that the package appeared to be intact, except for a small puncture in-the side of.
the package, and it appeared that liouid had leaked from the package-containing 2 curies of Mo-99 with a transport index of 2 listed on the yellow III labels.
Chemtrac personnel notified the Department of Energy -
(D0E) Duty Officer in the Chicago office, q
1 The DOE Duty Officer called the Ohio Emergency. Management Agency and j
the NRC Operations Center. The NRC Operations Center in turn notified the Region III Duty Officer.
Personnel at that agency called the.0hio-Department of Health Radiological Program. Teams from both Ohio departments responded to the incident. The State personnel inspected the i
package, surveyed personnel, and released the package to US Air early on
-l the morning of March 14, 1990.- Region 111 monitored the event along with staff from the NRC Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards, and coordinated' State of Ohio response with State personnel and US Air.
State personnel notified an airport safety officer at the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, airport that the aircraft's next stop was scheduled at that airport. Regions I and III also instructed US Air and airport authorities i
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to restrict access to the plane until. surveys could be performed of any areas that may have come in contact with the. package. Two personne1~from.
the State of_ Pennsylvania Department of Radiological Protection along
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with an inspector from Region I surveyed selected pieces-of baggage, some passengers, and the back bay of the aircraft.
No radioactive contamination was detected during those. surveys and the plane was released for l
unrestricted use.
i 3.
March 14, 1990 Findings
-The purpose of this inspection was to determine the_cause of package leakage,from the generator and note adequacy of new package for containing further leakage prior to releasing for shipment to Cintichem in New York, h Prgion III inspector arrived at the US Air Cargo Office on March 14, 1990, along with personnel from the Ohio State Radiological Program r
-Office. The inspector contacted Bob Purcell, a Cintichem representative (914-351-2131) prior to examination of the Mo-99 generator to receive e
instructions on safe methods to use. Mr. Purcell gave permission for the inspector to open the_ box and to examine the generator, and stated he 3
would be available to answer questions and would provide any assistance required.
The package was removed from a locked safe and appeared to be intact, except for'a small puncture in one side of the cardboard box. The box was an approved 00T-7A container, properly-labelled with two yellow-Ill shipping labels _ and properly marked with " Radioactive Material, NOS UN 2982" and arrows stating ~"this side up."
t The box was surveyed with a Ludlum Model 14-C survey instrument coupled to an HP 190 probe last calibrated on January 9, 1990. The box read r
30 Mr/HR.at contact and 1.8 Mr/HR at one meter.
Those readings were in agreement with survey instruments used by State of Ohio personnel and was in close agreement with the transport index (2). Wipe tests were taken from various areas around the box and from the generator. No radioactive contamination was detected on any of the wipes. The wipe tests were evaluated using a Ludlum Model 3 survey instrument coupled'to a' thin window Sodium Iodide Crystal last calibrated on February 20, 1990. That survey instrument is sensitive enough to detect contamination below the limits set for removable contamination in the NRC guidelines.
The survey and wipe tests and visual examination indicated that the generator did not inadvertently elute radioactive material, but that the 500 milliliter f
bottle of saline solution attached to the unit leaked out onto the box and the clothing of the transport workers.
4 The container was released to US Air Agents after contacting a Federal Aviation Agent at the Cleveland, Ohio, office. That agent had reviewed the shipping. documents, and after discussing the events with the Region III inspector, released the package for return to the original i
consignor (Cintichem in Tuxedo, NY).
Cintichem planned to evaluate the cause of-the leaking saline and provide the results to the NRC.
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?the 'US AIR Agents that the package would be, picked.up.by-a 'contt'act'
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