PNO-IV-96-070, on 961219,licensee Inadvertently Sold Compacted & Baled Scrap Metal Containing magnesium-thorium Alloy to Autojumble Salvage Yard in Mansfield,Oh.Scrap Yard Owner Made Aware of Radioactive Matl in Scrap Metal

PNO-IV-96-070:on 961219,licensee Inadvertently Sold Compacted & Baled Scrap Metal Containing magnesium-thorium Alloy to Autojumble Salvage Yard in Mansfield,Oh.Scrap Yard Owner Made Aware of Radioactive Matl in Scrap Metal

ML20132E156
Person / Time
Site:	03028641
Issue date:	12/20/1996
From:	Linda Howell, Mclean M NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV)
To:
References
PNO-IV-96-070, PNO-IV-96-70, NUDOCS 9612230076
Download: ML20132E156 (1)

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, 1- December 20,1996 i

PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE

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PNO-IV-96-070 i

This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE  !

safety or public interest significance. The information is as initially )

i received without verification or evaluation, and is basically all that is )

, known by Region IV staff in Arlington, Texas on this date.

. t j Facility ).icensee Emeroency Classification l i Department Of The Air Force Notification of Unusual Event '

Newark Air Force Base Alert

8901 18th Streat Site Area Emergency

. San Antonio, Texas 78235 General Emergency

Dockets

03028641 License No: 42-23539-01af X Not Applicable f

Subject:

MAGNESIUM-THORIUM ALLOY INADVERTENTLY SOLD TO SCRAP YARD i On December 19,1996, the licensee notified the Region IV office, Arlington, Texas, that the Defense f' Logistic Agency (DLA) located in Columbus, Ohio, inadvertently sold compacted and baled scrap metal containing magnesium-thorium alloy to Autojumble Salvage Yard in Mansfield, Ohio. Approximately j 3,000 pounds of scrap metal was sold to the scrap yard owner in February 1994.

) The scrap yard owner was made aware of the radioactive materialin the scrap metal when he recently attempted to sell the material to another dealer Radiation monitors at the second dealer's scrap yard detected the magnesium-thorium. At the time of this report, the USAF did not know what the magnesium-thorium had been contained in since the material was compacted and baled. The USAF and the DLA are trying to determine whether this material came from the USAF or from other military activities. This materialis regulated under the provisions of 10 CFR 40.13. 1 The USAF will provide Region IV with additional information on the event when available.

Region IV received notification of this occurrence by telephone from the Department of the Air Force, j Radioisotope Committee at 1:00 p.m. CST December 19,1996. Updated information was provided to l Region IV at approximately 5:00 p.m. l This information is complete as of 5:00 p.m. CST on December 19,1996. Region IV has informed j Regions ll and Ill.

This information has been confirmed with a representative USAF.

Contact:

M. Linda McLean Linda Howell (817)860-8116 (817)860-8213 9612230076 961220 PDR I4E PNO-IV-96-070 PDR QM oh