ML20057A286
| ML20057A286 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 09/12/1984 |
| From: | Cunningham R NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | Jennifer Davis NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20057A246 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9309130323 | |
| Download: ML20057A286 (5) | |
Text
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..EF.0FJJiDUM FOR:
John G. Davis, Director Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguarns l
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Richard E. Cunningham, Director l
Division of Fuel Cycle and Material Safety
SUBJECT:
STAT 1JS REPORT ON CONTAMINATION-INCIDENT INYOLYING IMPORTED PIPE FITTINGS CONTAINING SMALL AMOUNTS OF COBALT-60 1
Cn August 31, 1984, we were notified by IE of a report that they had i
- eceived fran Region Y concerning a contaminated plumoing piDe fitting i
found by General Atomics at La Jolla. California. The pipe fitting had not been used and the contamination was detected in a reutine health pnysics survey to clear the material for release from the plant site.
The sequence of events in this incident is as follows:
August 29, 1984 - Contamination in one unused pipe fitting detected by GA (less than 0.2 mrads/hr at surface).
- GA reporten -antamination (identified as canalt 60)
I to State of California (Radiation Control Program) i and Region V.
- State inspectors found no additional contaminated 2
fittings at local hardware store where GA had purenased their fitting.
August 30, 1984 - Inspectors found and embargoed several boxes of contaminated fittings at wholesale supplier:
Western American Manufacturing Valencia. California
- Western American Manufacturing identified 110 purchasers of this type of pipe fittings.
- 40 samples of contaminated fittings were sent by the State to a Laboratory at Berkeley for analysis.
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.e Ahn G. ~, avis Western /cerican Manufacturing identified t.teir supplier as Taiwan Speco Co., Ltd., Taipei, Taiwan.,
(first identified as Taiyang, Ltd.; but Taiyang was the manufacturer, Speco was the exporter).
l Region V reported the -incident to Headquarteas.
Incident not'ed en Region V morning report (es: outer l
print out) for August 31.
l Conference call with Region V. IE, NMSS, SP, FA 1
and IP to ootain latest infonnation.
Lafleur notified the Taiwanese Coordinating Ct.uncil for North American Affairs (Taiwan has no enbassy) wno sent a caole to Taiwan acout the incident.
R. G. Page notified U. S. Customs of the inci:ent.
Duty Officer at Operations Center notified Conurissioners' Assistants, plus DOE, FEMA.
Septamer 4,1984 - IE reported that analyses of 40 samples showed one pipe fitting with a concentration of 0.23 nanocuries per gram; all others were lower.-
Confirmed that the contaminant was cobalt-60.
I Cunningham talked with Scarano (Region V)
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and learned that 23 boxes of fittings had been l
emargoed at Western American Manufacturing and that the fittings were 1-inch taas and locr nuts (pipeunions). One more box of.100 fittings apparently had been sold.
Septamer 5,1984 - Lafleur identified the manufacturer as Taiwan l
Industrial Co., and their exporting subsidiary as Taiwan Speco Company, Ltd.
Only one other snipment to tne U. S. was made to.
Short Line Products, Ltd.
128 Tond Street Sharen, Massachusetts 02067 Shipments took place in February and Maren of 1984.
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- avis Region I located importing c:rapany under r.ew name and address:
SLP Inc.
- 12-B Pond Street Sharon, Massacnusetts Telepnone (617) 7M-;659.
Company is only a sales office. Shipments are made directly to customers. SLP has no warenouse er stsek on hand.
l IE reported that shipnents of contaminateo pipe l
fittings from Taiwan were made in February.-
l March 1983, not 1984 as originally reporten.
i septeacer 5,1984 - IP received telegram fran Taiwan stating tnat contaminated fittings are 1-inch tees and lock nuts manufactured in January and February 1983.
Inspections at the plant and warehouses in Taiwan discovered a few hundred slightly contaminated pieces made in January-February 1983. Stects of products made after January-February 1983 show no trace of contamination.
California Radiation Control Program had aereed to trace purchasers of contaminated fittings imported by Western American Manufacturing, with Region V closely following progress. Upon looking into this matter further, California did not believe the level of contamination justified the effort that would be required to locate purchasers and check every fitting that was purchased. Also, they objected to Region V doing the checking. Discussions l
between Region V and the State continuing.
l Region I tried to trace purchasers of possibly con'.aninated fittings imported frtyn Taiwan by SLP Inc. However, SLP had no records of wno the pipe fittings were to be delivered to. Regien I 1
and the State of Massachusetts believed no further I
action indicated, l
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- IP caintaining close contact with Taiwan to obtain infomation on source of contamination, dates and destinations of contaminated steel shipments, and other infomation wnich may recuire follow-up action.
q septemoer 7,1984 - IP sent a cable to Taiwan requesting additional i
infonnation concerning how the contamination occurred and whether additional products may have been contaminated.
Late in the day a conference call was held involving Region II, III, l
IV and V. HMSS, SP, and IP. which disclosed the following infomation:
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- On further investigation at Western American Manufacturing in Valencia, California, the State l
inspectors found that shipments of pipe tees of l
the type found to be contaminated with cobalt-60 i
had been sent to:
7.' Handyman Haroware stores in four states i
i 14 National Lumoer hardware stores i
i Ace Hardware distribution center, in Oakbrook, Illinois S&P Industries, distributors in Louisville, Kentucky.
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- Region V notified states where hardware stores are located concerning possibility of radioactive i
l contamination in pipe fittings.
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- Region III will visit the Ace Hardware distribution center at 2200 Kensington Court, Oakbrook, Illinois, l
to see whether they have contaminated fittings on hand.
(It was found that this is only a billing office wnich has no stock on hand.)
- Region II will check with the S&P Industries in Louisville.
(S&P reported that they had received no Taiwanese fittings since Decenber 1983, and all fittings from the Decenner 1983 order had been sold to hardware stores.)
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- Regien I will be asked to send inspectors to
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check with the importer in Sharen, Massacnusetts.
(They obtained names and addresses of customers to wnom fittings had been shipped directly from Taiwan.)
- No radioactive fittings have been found other than the'one tee originally found by GA and the 23 boxes enbargoed at Western American Manufacturing.
- Len Cobb IE. prepared another PN which was issued on Monday, Septanber 10.
Original Signed by Richard E. Cunningnam Richard E. Cunningham, Director i
Division of Fuel Cycle and i
Material Safety, INSS DISTRIBUTIDN:
I RECunningnam RGPage GATerry WEThompson /
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