ML20205A331
| ML20205A331 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 07/08/1986 |
| From: | Axelson W, Jeffery Lynch, Wiedeman D NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20205A271 | List: |
| References | |
| 99990003-86-56, NUDOCS 8608110350 | |
| Download: ML20205A331 (10) | |
Text
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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COWIISSION REGION III Report No. 999-90003/86056(DRSS)
Docket No. 999-90003 General License Licensee:
James River Corporation KVP Group 100 Island Avenue Parchment, MI 49004 Inspection Conducted:
May 27, 1986 Enforcement Conference:
July 1, 1986
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Reviewed By:
b G. Wie eman, Chief Nuclear Materials Safety Date Section 1 W. M'0ZL
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V 2/7/N Approved By:
L. Axelson, Chief Nuclear Materials Safety Date and Safeguards Branch Inspection Summary Inscection on May 27, 1986 (Report No. 999-90003/86056(DR$5)).
Areas Inspected:
Special, announced inspection of generally licensed program relating to a May 8, 1986 notification of a lost nuclear gauge.
The inspection included a review of the following:
organization; materials, facilities, E.nd equipment; licensee recovery efforts; public notification; and corrective actions.
Results:
Of the areas inspected, one violation was identified:
10 CFR 31.5(c)(8)-improper disposal of a generally licensed device containing byproduct material (Section 7).
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DETAILS 1.
Organization
+ John C. Cuthbertson - Director, Environmental Affairs
+*Edmu'nd L. Lynsky - Plant Manager
+* Victor R. Ferguson - Director, Research and Development
- Zig Lebiecki - General Superintendent
+* Elizabeth A. Howard - Radiation Safety Officer
- David Bishop - Instrumentation Engineer Randy Riggs - Project Chemist John Citro - Service Engineer (AccuRay Corporation)
- Michael J. McCarty - Health Physicist (Michigan Department of Public Health) [MDPH]
+Kirit H. Vora - Consultant (Clayton Environmental Consultants, Inc.)
- Attended exit interview on May 27, 1986.
+ Attended enforcement conference on July 1, 1935 2.
Materials. Facilities and Eauipment The general license, issued pursuant to 10 CFR 31.5, allows possession and use of industrial gauging devices.
James River Corporation (JRC) uses a numbe. of generally licensed gauges for paper weight measurement in paper mills located in Parchnent and Kalamazoo, Michigan (11 generally licensed gauges are presently in the licensee's possession).
Parchment Mill No. 2 was the location of use for a nominal 500 millicurie krypton-85, Model U2 gauge manufactured by AccuRay.
The gauge was used on the Yankee 2 production line and later stored in an equipment holding area a short distance away prior to its loss.
The source activity as of March 1986, was approximately 240 millicuries of krypton-85.
3.
Lost Source Incident The licensee (JRC) notified Region III by telephone on April 7, 1986, that a nominal 500 millicurie krypton-85 industrial gauge was presumably missing from the Parchment Mill No. 2.
They indicated that searches of various JRC facilities were continuing and that a written report would be submitted to the NRC when completed.
The report, dated May 8, 1986, confirmed that the gauge was lost and detailed the licensee's recovery efforts.
On May 19, 1986, Mr. John Citro of AccuRay Corporation was interviewed by telephone regarding the incident.
Mr. Citro services AccuRay equipment at JRC under a preventative maintenance contract.
On May 27, 1986, the inspector interviewed Ms. Elizabeth Howard, Radiation Safety Officer and other members of JRC management and technical staff at the Parchment facility.
The following information and chronology was provided during the above interviews:
December 28, 1974 - Gauge purchased from AccuRay.
June 17, 1975 - Installation of gauge on Yankee 2 line.
2
June 1975 to May 1984 - AccuRay audits report normal operation.
May 3, 1984 - AccuRay audit reports normal operation.
May 17, 1984 - Gauge removed from line, shutter wired shut.
July 1984 - Gauge last seen by AccuRay personnel.
February 28, 1386 - Purchase order to AccuRay for gauge disposal.
March 17, 1986 - Discovery by JRC that gauge is missing.
March 17 to June 16, 1986 - JRC conducts search of JRC and metal scrap contractor facilities.
April 4, 1986 - Lost gauge report sent to AccuRay.
April 7, 1986 - Telephone notification to NRC describing loss.
May 8, 1986 - 30 day written report to NRC.
May 27, 1986 - NRC inspection.
June 1986 - Advertisements in local and company newspapers regarding the lost gauge.
The gauge war remcved from service and the shutter was wired shut by the AccuRay representative (a specific licensee) on May 17, 1984.
When removed, the gauge remained attached to a 14 foot long U-frame (see Attac5 rent A).
The entire assembly was placed en the floor at one cnd of the roor with other unused equipment.
It remained in that location until at least July 1984.
Persons interviewed by the inspector could not remember seeing the assembly after that date.
Mr. Citro of AccuRay assumed that JRC moved the assembly to some other storage location.
AccuRay personnel provide preventive maintanence service on the five remaining AccuRay gauges at the Parchment No. 2 plant.
Included in the service are leak tests (if applicable), shutter tests and inspection.
Semiannual preventive maintenance inspection reports prepared by AccuRay in March and August of 1985 indicated that the gauge was in storage.
However, the AccuRay representative relied on comments by unidentified JRC personnel and not a physical examination of the gauge for his report.
Neither AccuRay nor JRC has any bona fide record of the location of the gauge after July 1984.
On February 28, 1986, JRC issued a purchase order to AccuRay for removal and disposal of the gauge.
Durin~g the week of March 17, 1986, the gauge was going to be prepared for shipment but could not be located.
The gauge was expected to be attached to the U-frame in a storage area.
The licensee conducted an extensive search of Mill No. 2 and other JRC facilities for the U-frame with negative results.
On April 7, 1986, JRC contacted Region III by telephone to report the lost gauge in accordance with 10 CFR 20.402.
On May 8, 1986, the written report (Attachment B) was submitted to Region III.
4.
Public Notification A reward of $500.00 was offered to JRC employees in Parchment and Kalamazoo, Michigan for information pertaining to the lost gauge, with no questions asked (see Attachment C).
Although the notice received some response, no leads as to the whereabouts of the lost gauge were uncovered.
An advertisement in the " lost and found" section of the daily Kalamazoo Gazette newspaper was run from June 4 to June 9, 1986, with no response (Attachment D).
A similar notice will be run in the June issue of the JRC company newspaper.
A press release is also being considered.
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5.
Licensee Recovery Efforts Since the week of March 17, 1986, JRC personnel have conducted numerous unsuccessful searches of storage rooms and equipment yards for the U-frame to which the gauge is presumably still attached.
The investigation was extended to the facility of JRC's metal salvage contractor with similar results.
Although the U-frame should be easily identifiable to searchers due to its physical size, the lack of information as to when the gauge was lost (20 month period) makes the prospects of finding the gauge less likely.
On May 27, 1986, the NRC and Michigan Department of Public Health inspectors conducted a limited survey of the Mill No. 2 facility and surrounding site.
The survey was performed with Ludlum (NRC) and Eberline (MDPH) micro-R-meters.
The survey did rot locate the missing gauge.
Licensee management hired a radiological conseitant to assist in the handling of the incident and possibly to perfe r a more extensive search of JRC facilities.
The consultant was not hired until late June 1986.
6.
Licensee Corrective Actions In the past, JRC has counted on AccuRay and other vendors to maintain inventory control over their generally licensec gauges.
Now, a maintenance and inventory program is coordinated by the R50 to monitor gauge status and location on a weekly basis.
This system involves a physical inventory by maintenance engineers.
A training program for JRC employees, as to the hazards and proper handling procedures for gauges containing radioactive material has been instituted at JRC.
This training along with the new inver. tory procedures is expected to preclude the possibility of a lost gauge situation in the future.
7.
Conclusions JRC management stated that they are astounded that such a large piece of equipment could have been moved out of the area (or out of the plant) without work orders or management's approval.
Work order records did not show any such operation during the time period in question nor did supervisors recall authorizing movement or disposal of the frame.
As previously mentioned, the long time interval in which the gauge was unaccounted for significantly diminishes the chances of recovering the gauge.
The Parchment facility also has a large number of unorganized equipment storage areas which made the search for the gauge difficult.
Telephone and written reports were submitted to Region III in accordance with 10 CFR 20.402.
One violation was identified during the inspection.
10 CFR 31.5(c)(8) states that a generally licensed device containing 4
byproduct material shall not be disposed of except to a specific licensee.
Contrary to this requirement, the licensee inadvertently disposed of an AccuRay industrial gauge containing approximately 240 millicuries of krypton-85, between July 1984 and March 1986.
The disposal transfer was not made to a specific licensee.
Since the radioactive material in the sealed source is gaseous krypton-85, only a short lived local radiological hazard could result from source rupture as the gas would quickly be dispersed.
According to the manufac-turer, the surface radiation levels from this gauge model are about 1.0 mR/hr if the gauge remains attached to the U-frame and about 50 mR/hr if removed.
AccuRay representatives stated that a considerable amount of effort would need to be expended to remove the gauge from the frame.
8.
Exit Interview On May 27, 1986, an exit meeting was held at the JRC offices in Parchment, Michiga-The individuals present at that meeting are denoted in Section 1.
The lost source int ient, apparent viciation and NRC enforcement options were riiscussec at tne meeting.
9.
Enforcement Conference On July 1,1986, representatives of licensee management, identified in Section 1 of this report, met with the Region III staff in the Region III office to discuss the loss of a gauge obtained under a general license.
During the meeting licensee personnel described corrective action already taken and additional corrective action to be taken in the future.
They stated these corrective actions have been expanded to include all facilities which possess gauges containing licensed radioactive material.
The corrective actions already taken include issuing bulletins to all licensee facilities throughout the United States, requiring a periodic physical inventory of all devices containing radioactive material, and appointing a local radiation protection officer at each facility.
Additional corrective actions to be taken in the future include issuing a comprehensive radiation protection manual throughout the corporation and
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considering the benefit of obtaining a specific license for possession and use of nuclear gauges.
Attachments:
A.
U-frame Description.
B.
James River Corporation Loss Report to NRC C.
Company Reward Notice D.
Newspaper Advertisement 5
ATTACHMENT A
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.Ser-4C Provides precision single point positioning or Single ral!(Vodel 3102) across shee's:anning of measurement sensers. Ava !atte in dual or single rail For sheets up to 3683 mm (145 in.) wide
, conticurations with varied drives for application matched measurement heads.
Throat depths: 609 mm to 3653 mm Fabe.cated 1or mill envaronments with (24 to 145 in.)
minimum number of movable parts, heavy.
duty components, and a heavy protective Sheet passline: An;les up to 12' from coating of ali exposec parts.
borizonta' are stancard. Angfes 12' to 18' are optiona' Rail lengthiUp to E.9 m (350 in.)
FFATURES Wei hI E k0 (12 IDS-)
C Single ratt mode! avaitable where on-machine Dual ralt (Modet 3103) spa:e is tim!:ed For sheets up to 4572 mm (183 art) wide Dual rail rrodei available for wade web processes Throat depths: 2540 mm to 4572 mm Scan speed adjustable up to 11.4 rrvmin.
(4 50 inJmin.)
Sheet paEsfine. Angles up to 12' from horizontal are stancard. Angfes 12' to 18*
Scan or aangle point measurement provided by are optional reversible, variable speed d.c. motor drave and sprocketed chain Rail length: Up to 10E m (425 in.)
Frame moves completely of f web in of f sheet Weight: 1224.7 kg (2700 lbs.)
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ATTACHMENT B JAMES RIVER CORPORATION KVP GROUP 100 tstand Ave. Parchment. WI 49004 1394 1616)363-5000 May 8, 1986 Mr. James Lynch Nuclear Regulatot9f Camission 799 Roosevelt Road Glen Ellyn, Illinois 60137
Dear Mr. Lynch:
This letter is to supply you with inforfration reoardino the radioactive murce we discussed during our April 4,1986 telephone conversation.
Discription of the Unit The murce is an AccuRay sealed murce, nodel S-11.
- Device Model Nunt>ar U2
- Device Serial Nuaner 474162730
- Source Serial Number K-3919-X
- Isatope Kr 85
- MCI (at date of measure Nov. 1974) 500 M^I
- Ohier-isJsec6 Ray W.
Attached, Amndix A, is a picture of the unit. Re radioactive murce is located in the tox located at the lower right of the unit. Underneath the top plate is the lead container holding the murce. % e shutter on the unit was tied shut try the AccuRay representative.
Steos Taken to Recover the Source Week of March 17, 1986 Arrangements were made to return the morce to AccuRay. The AccuRay representative was to remove the source from the unit, conduct a wipe test and properly prepare and package the murce for its return to Acc; Ray.
BecauY2 the unit with the source could not be found at that time a mill wide search was initiated by James River. De search was conducted by the Manager of Maintenance, Engineering and Utilities, the Maintenance Superintendent, the Electrical Superintendent Electrical Foreman, the Environmental Engineer and a Project Chemist. At this time AccuRay was notified of the loss. Our Maintenance Superintendent conducted a search for the unit at the company that collects metal waste from our plant (metal salvage company.)
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.s Week of Mars 24, 1986 Because the metal salvage ocupany is very large, the Manager of Maintenance, Engineering and Utilities, the Environmetal Engineer and the Project Chemist returned to continue the search and talk to the metal salvage company's management. 'Ihe salvage campany agreed to wat6 for the unit. The salvage company agreed to watch for the unit contacting and searching the salvage conpany as a long shot, because it is not our practice to dispose of this type of equipment.
In fact we still have the units (without the murces) frcn other installations on site. Because of the belief that the unit is still on site the same people continued the mill search. At this point we met with our maintenance crew and offered a reward for information leading to the finding of the murce and asked them to join the search, which they did.
During the last part of March and early April the same group of people contined the mill search and offered a $500, no questions asked reward to all our eployees (approxirately 1200) for infornation. We alsa contacted the Ja~es River Division located in Kalamazoo and the part of our division alsa located in Kalanazoa (Kalamazoo is located about 5 miles from Parchrent ). A crpy of the reward notice is located in Appendix B.
This notice was given to all supervimrs and posted on the bulletin boards througboat the mill. A notice will alsa be placed in the local newspaper offering the came S500 no goestions asked reward for infornation.
Since that time we have continued the mill search and fo]Iowed leads supplied by our personnel.
Efforts to find the murce have not stopped, for exanple we will be placing the sa e notice of reward in ou-local carpany paper.
If you have any questions or need further information call ne at (616) 384-6514.
& a/c/f h Abit h Elizabeth A. Howard Environrental Engineer EAH/mj cc: John Citro - AccuRay John Cuthbertmn - James River Frank So crs - James River
'TACHMENT C 3102 /3103 f
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/ mfdr's r.a GENERs L DESCRIPTION S P E CIFIC A.TIO N S Provi' Jet precision single point cositioning or Single rail (M.odel 3102) neross sheet scannin;: of measurement sensors. Available in csal or single rail For sheets up to 36S3 mm (145 in.) wide
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sN O T I"C E IHE ACCURAY SCANNER FRAME PICTURED ABOVE WAS REMOVED FROM YANKEE #1 AND STORED AT THE NORTH END OF THE YANKEE l
BEATER ROOM.
IT IS NO LONGER THERE AND A SEARCH OF THE l
COMPANY PROPERTY HAS NOT LOCATED IT.
THE COMPANY WILL PAY A' $500.00 REWARD FOR THE RETURN OF THE HEAD (IDENTIFIED ABOVE AS THE IMPORTANT PART) -
WITH NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION REGARDING THE ACCURAY SCANNER i
FRAME, PLEASE NOTIFY ED LYNSKY - 6416.
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ATTACHMENT D
.a RFAARD - S500 For the return or information leading to the return of a piece of masuring equipmnt missing from the Jams River Company. Tne device is pictured above aM is 14 feet long and grey in color. The equipent is made of mtal and has an AccuRay label on it.
The metal box (located at the lower lef t end) contains a low level radioactive murce. Any one with information atout this equipmnt should call No questions will be asked aM we will cme and pick the eqJipnt up.
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