ML20134G749

Insp Rept 99990002/96-10 for Pinkerton Chevrolet Geo on 961219.Noncited Violations Identified.Major Areas Inspected: Evaluation of Circumstances Surrounding Loss of Two Generally Licensed Devices

ML20134G749
Person / Time
Issue date:	01/17/1997
From:	NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II)
To:
Shared Package
ML20134G706	List: ML20134G704 ML20134G749
References
REF-QA-99990002-970117 99990002-96-10, NUDOCS 9702110024
Download: ML20134G749 (5)

Text

1 U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION II Docket No.: 999-90002 License No.: General License (10 CFR 31.5)

Report No.: 999-90002/96-10 Licensee: Pinkerton Chevrolet Geo Location: 9225 North Electric Road Salem. Virginia Date: December 19. 1996 Inspectors: John M. Pelchat. Health Physicist Approved by: Charles M. Hosey, Chief Materials Licensing / Inspection Branch 1 Division of Nuclear Materials Safety 9702110024 970117 REG 2 GA999 EMV*****

99990002 PDR

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EXECUTIVE

SUMMARY

4 Pinkerton Chevrolet Geo l

NRC Inspection Report No. 999-90002/96-10 f

This reactive, announced inspection was conducted to evaluate the i l circumstances surrounding the loss of two generally licensed devices. This ,

l included discussions with cognizant licensee representatives and reviews of.  !

documents associated with the general licensee's efforts to identify, locate and dispose of the two generally licensed devices containing 0.3 and 1.6 -

millicuries of polonium 210, respectively. ,

The inspector found the general licensee had discontinued the use of generally  !

licensed materials. The general licensee contacted the device manufacturer to obtain a description of the missing devices and contacted former body shop employees in attempt to determine the whereabouts of the devices. As a result of one these contacts, the general licensee discovered that a former employee .

was in possession of one of the missing devices and initiated efforts to  !

recover the device. The general licensee was unable to develop any additional 1 information concerning the second unaccounted-for device. One non-cited '

violation regarding the loss of licensed radioactive materials was identified.  :

LIST OF PERSONS CONTACTED l

Licensee

• S. Lilly Service Manager M. Thomas. Controller In addition, various service department personnel were interviewed during a facility tour.

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1 REPORT DETAILS

01. Scope of Program Pinkerton Chevrolet Geo was an automobile dealership. The Service Manager was responsible for the management of the body shop prior to its closing. Interview of the Service Manager revealed that generally licensed static eliminators had been used to remove dust from automobiles prior to painting. The Service Manager stated that the body shop was closed in September 1996 and that the paint booth was no longer in use at the time of the inspection. No individuals who previously worked in the body shop were employed at the facility.

02. Review of Circumstances of Loss of Generally Licensed Materials (87100)

Interview by the inspector of the Service Manager and the Controller, and review of records revealed that two static elimination devices were  ;

leased from NRD, Inc. One device was leased in December 1994 and the  !

second was leased in December 1995. The loss of the sources was discovered in late October 1996 as the result of discussions between the i Controller and NRD regarding the upcoming renewal of the~ lease in i December 1996. The general licensee's staff were unable to locate  ;

either of the sources and NRD advised the general licensee that the loss '

had to be reported to the NRC. Pinkerton Chevrolet Geo notified the NRC  ;

Region II office in writing of the missing devices on November 6,1996.  ;

The missing devices were NRD Model P-2051 "Nuclecel Ion Air Gun" nuclear j static eliminator. The devices consisted of a foil source contained in -

an open-ended stainless steel cylinder measuring 6.89 inches by 0.5 inch. The cylinders were hand-held air guns provided by NRD. The j devices were manufactured on December 1994 (serial no. 72338) and l December 1995 (serial no. 79584). Each device had an original activity  ;

of 10 millicuries of polonium 210 (half-life - 138 days). As of the date of the inspection, the activity had decayed to 0.3 millicuries and 1.6 millicuries, respectively.

Discussions with general licensee personnel revealed that they were not familiar with the ap)earance of the missing devices. The service manager telephoned t1e Radiation Safety Officer at NRD and requested that NRD fax a descri) tion of the devices. Using the description, the service manager and tie inspector searched the paint booth and the area previously used as the body shop. In addition, service department personnel were asked if they had seen the devices. The search was not successful. The service manager then began contacting former body shop employees who still lived in the Salem - Roanoke, Virginia area by telephone. One of these conversations indicated one individual was the sole user of the devices and that they were regularly stored in his tool box. That individual was employed at the time of inspection by Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet in Newton, North Carolina.

On December 31, 1996, the service manager contacted his counterpart at Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet by telephone and requested that he attempt to locate the missing devices. The Dale Earnhardt service manager later

2 advised the Pinkerton service manager that one of the devices was found i in the former general licensee em)loyee's tool box. Arrangements were l made to ship the device back to t1e general licensee. Pinkerton .

Chevrolet Geo personnel were unable to develop any additional  !

information regarding the other missing device. The service manager  !

advised the inspector of this information on December 31, 1996 and '

stated that upon receipt of the device, he would ship it to NRD for' I proper disposal. The service manager agreed to contact and advise the l l inspector of the recovered device's upon receipt. i l

l- 03. General-Licensee Corrective Actions l

2 Pinkerton Chevrolet Geo shut down the body shop in late September - I early October, 1996 and out-sources automotive body repairs. The I service manager indicated that he did not anticipate any future use of the static air guns or other devices containing licensed materials.

04. Regulatory Issues i 10 CFR 31.5(c)(1) requires, in part, that persons possessing devices generally licensed pursuant to 10 CFR 31.5(a) comply with all instructions and precautions provided by the label on the device. The label affixed to the NRD model P-2051 static elimination device prohibited abandonment or improper transfer of the device. The inspector concluded that the cause of one of the source's loss was the apparent unauthorized removal of the device my a former employee. The inspector was not able to determine the whereabouts or specific circumstances surrounding the loss of the other missing device.

Pinkerton Ch3vrolet Geo identified the loss of the generally licensed device and promptly reported the loss to the NRC. The licensee did implement efforts to locate the devices, and succeeded in recovering one of the two missing devices. Pinkerton Chevrolet Geo does not anticipate any future use of licensed materials. from implemented comprehensive corrective actions that are likely to prevent future unapproved accuisition of generally licensed materials. This licensee identified anc corrected violation is being treated as a Non-Cited Violation, consistent with Section VII.B.1 of the NRC Enforcement Manual.

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3 EXIT MEETING

SUMMARY

l The inspector presented the inspection results to licensee representatives by on December 19. 1996. The inspector discussed the non-cited violation regarding the loss of generally licensed radioactive materials with the licensee representative present. Licensee representatives did not identify any documents or processes as proprietary in nature, and no dissenting comments were received from the licensee.

INSPECTION PROCEDURES USED IP 87100: Licensed Materials Program l

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