ML20212G646
| ML20212G646 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 10/29/1997 |
| From: | Costello F NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | Diggan E AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20212G648 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9711070027 | |
| Download: ML20212G646 (3) | |
Text
,
\ c OCf 2 9 1997 t
Eric C. Diggan, Associate Law Offices David S. Sobotka 152 North Sixth Street,2nd Floor Reading, PA 19601
Dear Mr. Diggan:
This is in reference to your letter dated tieptember 25,1997, requesting information regarding the americium 241 contamination at Royal Green Meta; Recyclers, Temple, PA. Your letter asked questions regarding (1) the health concerns to the neighbors of Royal Green, (2) a copy of our survey results, (3) the plans of Royal Green to prevent these incidents by putting in additional detection equipme7t, and (4) the source of the scrap material that caused the contamination at Royal Green.
- 1) The radioactive materialinvolved does not produce radiation levels that can be measured rnore than several yards from the sources. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the lead government agency at the Royal Green site, requested the U.S. Department of Energy to send a survey team to the site. A team was dispatt.hed from Brookhaven Natior sl Laboratory. There is no evidence, based on measurements made by the survey team from Brookhaven during September 4 and 5,1997, that radiation or radioactive contamination from the Royal Green property poses a threat to neighbors of Poyal Grc,en. In addition, NRC personnel performed u survey on August 28,1997 and no radloactive contaminatLn was identified other than the damaged source itself and some contaminated material covered by a tarpaulin. Royal Green is currently investigating disposal options for the remaining contamination.
- 2) We do not have a written report documenting the Brookhaven survey A memorandum describing the NRC survey is enclosed.
- 3) While Royal Green is not regulated by the NRC, and is therefore not required by the NRC to have any detection equipment, Royal Green personnel have informed us that they are in the process of ordering and installing a new radiation detectlen system that willimprove their ability to detect radioactive materialin future shipments.
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- 4) On October 6,1997, Region I obtained information that DOE had identitled the activity and the s..ial number of the americium source located at the Royal Green Metal Recyclets facility. The source was traced back to PECO Controls Corporation in Milpitas, California PECO Controls records indicated that the source had been distributed in a generally licensed Gamma Model 101 filllevel gauge to The Stroh Brewing Com,.uny in Fogelsville (Lehigh Valley),
Pennsylvania in 1981. The source contained 100 millicuries of americium 241.
If you have any questions regarding the information discussed in this letter, please call me at (610) 337 5275.
Sincerely, O!EG!!!tM,Oh M U DY:
A. RANUCLPH DLGl]G!! .
Francis M. Costello Chief, Nuclear Materials Safety Branch 3 Division of Nuclear Materials Safety
Enclosure:
Region i Survey of Royal Green Metal Recyclers cc:
Bill Belanger US EPA Region lll 3AT32 841 Chestnut Building Philadelphia, PA 19107 i
Steve Centore US DOE 53 Bell Avenue Upton, NY 11973 James Kopenhaver PA DEP 1 Ararat Blvd.
Harrisburg, PA 17110 William Kirk PA BRP-P.O. Box 8469 Harrisburg, PA 17105 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
Distribullam
- PUBLIC Nuclear Safety Ir. formation Centu (NSIC)
Region i Docket Room (w/ concurrences)
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