ML20151X486
| ML20151X486 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 08/22/1977 |
| From: | Flack E, Metzger J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| PNO-77-147, NUDOCS 9809170114 | |
| Download: ML20151X486 (2) | |
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2 PRELIMINARY GOTIFICATION
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l August 22, 1977 PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE--PNO-77-147 This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of an event of POSSIBLE safety or public interest significance. The information presented is as initially received without verification or evaluation and is basically all that is known by IE staff on this date.
l Facility:
Philadelphia International Airport Philadelphia, Pa.
l
Subject:
DAMAGED PACKAGE CONTAINING RADI0 ACTIVE MATERIAL During the evening of August 20, 1977, a Northwest Airlines cargo handler at Philadelphia International Airport noticed a damaged package labelled radioactive material and a pair of gloves sitting on the ground near cargo that had recently been offloaded from a plane.
Northwest management l
roped off the area, instructed all personnel who had been near the area
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to remain until released, and at 10:05 p.m. called the Philadelphia Bomb Squad and'the Brookhaven National Laboratory RAP Team. At 10:30 p.m., the RAP Team informed Region I. _ Region I personnel responded, confiscated the package and determined that it contained 3 mil 11 curies of ytterbium-169 DTPA, a radiopharmaceutical manufactured by 3M Co., St. Paul, Minnesota.
Surveys of the packing materials and the area where the package was a
._N found showed that there had been no leakage of radioactive material from the inner container and that radiation levels from the inner container agreed with those on the D0T labels affixed to the package. A representa-tive of a local hospital also responded, surveyed all airline personnel and found them free of contamination.
l Although no contamination resulted from this package, the plane from which the damaged package was taken had left Philadelphia before a l e survey for contamination could be made.
Upon the arrival of the plane at Newark International Airport, the Port Authority police surveyed and as a precautionary measure washed down the plane.
Region I will return the package and its contents to the manufacturer.
Media interest is expected because of general public interest in shipments of radioactive materials.
The Comonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey have been informed. A press release is not planned l
by the licensee and/or NRC.
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CONTINUED l
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PNO-77-147 i
NRC, Region I, (Philadelphia) received notification of this occurrence by telephone from Brookhaven National Laboratory RAP Team at 10:30 PM, August 20, 1977.
Contact:
EDFlack, IE x28188 JRMetzger, IE x27551 l
Distribution:
Transmitted H St ); 3 Y; Chairman Hendrie Commissioner Bradford Commissioner Kennedy S. J. Chilk, SECY C. C. Kammerer, CA Commissioner Gilinsky (For Distribution)
Transmitted: MNBB 3 !) (,
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E. Volgenau, IE L. V. Gossick, EDO E. G. Case, NRR Region-;((_ ?! fi/
S. H. Hanauer, EDO J. J. Fouchard, PA SS Bldg 3' 9//
(MAIL)
W. G. Mcdonald, MIPC C. V. Smith, NMSS R. J. McTiernan, 0IA R. G. Ryan, OSP R. Minogue, SD H. K. Shapar, ELD PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION i
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