ML20101T030

Advises That on 920715,shipment of 6.69 Ci Ir-192 to R/A Svcs in Odessa,Tx in Excess of License Authorization. Requests That Each Order for Irradiation Svc Include License Authority,License Number & Upper Limit for Shipment

ML20101T030
Person / Time
Site:	University of Missouri-Columbia
Issue date:	07/16/1992
From:	Reilly W MISSOURI, UNIV. OF, COLUMBIA, MO
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
NUDOCS 9207200212
Download: ML20101T030 (3)

Text

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.s' Rosearch Reactor Facility.

Research Park Cobmtna, fAssoun 6S?11 (UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURl-COLUMBIA I*QQgj2 July 16,1992 Director of Nuclear Reactor Rcgulation

. US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mail Section PI 137 Washington, DC 20555

REFERENCE:

liud ? M 186 University et au.a : Research Reactor License R 103 ,

SUBJECT:

Shipment in Excess of License Authorization Due to License Change not Reported to Shipper EventDescription On June 15,1992, to fulfill an order, the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR) shipped 6.69 curies of Ir 102 to R/A Services in Odessa, Texas. In accordance with MURR shipping procedures, verification of receiver's license authorization was made. The shipment

- was 0.5 grams of target material contained in 5 quartz vials. It was shipped in an authorized MURR type A package which was correctly labeled with the isotope and activity, and arrived at WA Services on June 16,1992.

On June 18,1992, Ms. Mac Carter-Tritschler of the MURR Shipping Department received a call from Mr. Fred Calaway, WA Services, stating that the material had been delivered, but that they could not receiro the shiprnent because the activity exceeded their license limit for Ir-192.

MURR maintains a file of Customers' licenses, furnished by the Customers, and Ms. Carter-

. Tritschler immediately verified that WA Services'1icense limit had been checked prior to release of this shipment as is required by procedure. She responded to Mr. Calaway that Amendment No.

26 of their license (Texas License LO3010) on file at MURR, stated a limit of 10 curies for Ir-192.

Mr. Calaway then informed her that WA Services was operating under Amendment No. 28 which limited Ir-192 to :1 curies. Ms; Carter Tritschler requested that WA Services fax a copy of -

Amendment No. 28 to her and WA Services was asked to return the shipment to MURR. MURR received the returned shipment on June 19,1992. It was opened in the MURR hot cell and the activity was measured to total 6.23 curies in all 5 vials at 4:18 pm on June 19,1992.

. Background Information R% Services has ordered Ir-192 produced r.t MURR since February 1990. In Amendment No. 26 cf WA Services' license on file at MURR, the limit for Ir-192 is 10 curies. Expiration of this l

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l Texas license is listed as May 31,1991. MURR contacted WA Servima prior to the expiration date and requested documentation of renewal or acknowledgement of timely submittal of the license rener:al request.

When WA Services placed an order for Ir-102 after May 31,1991, MURR personnel stated that no shipments of any radioactive material would be made until we received their documentation for renewal or acknowledgement of timely submittal. On November 22,1991 WA Services sent MURR a July 11,1991 letter from the Texas Department ofllealth which stated that the Department had received WA Services' request for renewal, but that a new application must be submitted before action on the license could be taken. Since this letter did not indicate timely renewal status, MURR ugain requested such a letter from both WA Services and from the Texas Department of IIealth.

On December G,1991, MURR received directly from the Texas Department of Health a copy of an October 9,1991 letter acknowledging WA Services' timely renewal request. This letter stated that WA Services was authorized to continue to operate under the provisions of their present license, but it did not state cr include indication of more current amendments that would change license limits. Despite the previous efTorts of MURR personnel to ensure that we had the most up-to-date copy of R/A Services' license through telephone conversations vith their personnel and with the Texas authorities, MURR was provided no indication that amendments to the license beyond Amendment No. 26 had been issued.

Shipmnnts then resumed from MURR to WA Services based on our file copy of Amendment No. 26 to License LO3010 which authorized possession of 10 curies ofIr.192 and the Texas authorities' letter acknowledging the timely renewal request. The following Ir-192 shipments were made from MURR to R/A Services since the shipments resumed:

SIIIPMENT DATE SIIIPMENT ACTIVITY (Ci) ~

1 December 10,1991 2.96 2 December 18,1991 3.G5 3 February 24,1992 2.74 4 March 30,1992 4.4C 5 June 15,1992 6.69 Shipment activity was based on readings from MURR's hot cell dose calibrator, which is not specifically calibrated for Ir-192 but provides conservative measu%ments. WA Services provided instructions to limit the amount of activity when ordering shipments 1 through 3, nut did not indicate to MURR personnel that there was any change to their license. No specii. instructions to limit the activity below 10 Ci were given by WA Services to MURR when shipments 4 and 5 were ordered. Shipment 4, which was conservatively measured by MURR as 4.4 Ci, was accepted by WA Service without an indication of any license authorization problem.

MURR was first informed of WA Services' amended licenne on June 18,1992, as described above. The fa.x of Amendment No. 28 showed the amendment had been issued on October 9,1991, the same date as the timely renewalletter which the Texas Department ofIIealth had faxed to l

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MURR on December 6,1991. On June 25,1992, Ms. Maggie Rios, Texas Department of IIealth, verified that Amendment No. 28 is the current amendment to License LO3010. The license is still under timely renewal, which was reiterated by a March 23,1992 letter from the Texas Department of Health.

After being informed that Amendment 28 is the current license amendment, a copy of Amendment 27, issued July 3,1990, was obtained but it did not change the authorited limit of Ir-192 from the 10.0 curies authorized by Amendment 26. A complete search of other radioisotope shipnients to R/A Services from MURR (Sc-146 and Sb-124 as well as Ir-192) showed that no other shipments exceeded their license authorizations.

Corwetive Actions In transferring radioactive materials, MURR is dependent on licensees providing current copies of their licenses to receive such materials in accordance with 10 CFR 30.41. MURR maintains excellent contact with customers and insists on being notified of any changes to customers' authorized possession limits for byproduct materials. We are now requesting that each order for irradiation service or supply of radioactive materials include the license issuing authority, license number, latest license amendment, and their upper acceptable limit for principal isotope (s) activity for the shipment. This information is then used to verify that our copy of their license is up to date.

Sincerely, p ~) ./ - hs h txA

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Vh_k/ edw vc/ ' 8( 'j/ , mrm, mg g m um William F. Reilly B004 c0UNTf

• CNS"# # N Assistant Director, Technical Applications L

Reviewed and Approved:

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/ J. Charles McKibben l Nffs~

Associate Director xc: NRC Region 111 Reactor Advisory Committee Reactor barety Subcommittee Isotope Use Subcommittee R/A Services

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