ML20217B998
| ML20217B998 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 09/29/1997 |
| From: | NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20217B960 | List: |
| References | |
| REF-QA-99990004-970929 99990004-97-03, 99990004-97-3, NUDOCS 9710010070 | |
| Download: ML20217B998 (5) | |
Text
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ENQLOSURE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION IV J
Docket:
999 90004 License:
Not Applicable l
j Report:
999 90004/97-03 J
Facilities:
Diamond Zorn Rental Center
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Dates:
September 3,1997 l
Inspector:
R. A. Brown, Senior Radiation Specialist l
Approved:
D. B. Spitzberg, Chief Nuclear Materials inspection i
and Fuel Cycle / Decommissioning Branch
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Attachment:
Supplemental Inspection Information i
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9710010070 970929 1
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2-EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
NRC Inspection Report 999 90004/97 03 This reactive inspection was conducted in response to notification of an incident involving a nuclear moisture / density gauge purchased at a flea market in Grand Prairie, Texas, inspection Findings A nuclear moisture / density gauge (gauge) was purchased at a flea market in early l
March 1997 and stored at a rental center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, until September 3,1997. The inspection determined that the gauge was originally owned i
by a state of Texas licensee who reported it stolen in November 1996. Dunng the inspection, interviews were conducted with individuals who might have been in l
proximity to the gauge to estimate potential doses to individual members of the public (Section 2).
Dose Estimates Dose estimates performed by the inspector indicated that potential exposure to any individual member of the public after the gauge was purchased at the flea market in Texas was insignificant and well below the limits specified in 10 CFR 20.1301(a) (Section 3).
4 3-Beoort Details 1
Notification On September 2,1997, the NRC Headquarters Operations Officer received telephonic notification from Troxler Electronics Laboratories, Inc. (Troxler) that a member of the public had called and reported that he had purchased a Troxler Model 3430 I
l moisture / density gauge at a flea market in Grand Prairie, Texas, and had taken it to l
his place of business in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Troxler later advised Region IV l
that the gauge had been sold on October 25,1995, to Rone Engineers of Dallas, Texas Contact with the state of Texas indicated that Rone had reported a gauge stolen on November 7,1996. The serial number of the gauge stolen matched that of the one in Oklahoma City.
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Inspection Findings
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l 2.1 Insoection Scope (IP 87100. 83822. 87103)
The inspector conducted an interview with the individual who purchased the gauge.
In addition, radiation level measurements were taken at different distances from the gat,,e.
i 2.2 Observations and Findireas in early March 1997, the individual purchased some equipment at a flea market in Grand Prairie, Texas. Among the equipment was a device he thought was a "line locator." The device was placed in a pickup truck and driven to the individual's place of business in Oklahoma C;ty, Oklahoma. A closer examination of the device by the purchaser indicated that it was not a line locator. The individual placed the device in a storage building at the rear of his property where it remained until September 2,1997. On September 2,1997, the individual noticed that a customer he was doing business with had a similar looking device in his truck. When the individual queried the customer about the device, he was told that the device was a moisture / density gauge and " paperwork" was required to possess one. At this point, the individual noted the manuf acturer's name and telephone number on the gauge and called Troxler to determine what he needed to do. Believing that the gauge was in the possession of an unlicensed individual, Troxler then contacted the NRC Headquarters Operations Officer.
The NRC Region IV office staff contacted Troxler who had records indicating the gauge had originally been sold to Rone Engineers, a state of Texas licensee, located in Dallas, Texas. Discussions ~ between the Texas Bureau of Radiation Control and NRC Region IV office staff indicated that Rone Engineers had reported a gauge stolen in November 1996 from a company vehicle in Fort Worth, Texas. The serial number of the stolen gauge matched that of the gauge in Oklahoma City; NRC Region IV staff next contacted Rone Engineers to notify representatives that it appeared the stolen gauge had been located. Rone Engineers agreed to have its
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radiation safety officer (RSO) travel to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on September 3, 1997, to recover the gauge. Rone Engineers was advised that an NRC Region IV inspector would be on site also.
On September 3,1997, the inspector met with the individual who purchased the gauge, Rone Engineers' RSO and representatives of the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality. The Rone RSO presented a certificate of ownership, shipping papers, and results of a leak test that had been performed the previous evening by a local NRC licensee who was authorized to perform such tests. Rone Engineers' RSO
. secured the gauge in his truck and departed for Dallas, Texas.
3 Dose Estimates
. 3.1 - Insoection Scope (IP 87100,83822)
An interview was conducted with the individual vwho purchased the gauge to evaluate potential exposures.
3.2 Observations and Findinas The individual who parchased the gauge stated that the gauge had been kept in a storage building from the time of purchase until the day of the inspection. No attempts were made to operate the gauge or expose its sourco rod while in the possession of the individual. The building used for storage of the gauge contained l
old equipment and was rarely entered by employees. The inspector measured radiation levels of 0.2 millirem per hour at 1 meter from the gauge.
i 3.3 Concinignti Based on the dose rates measured and the low occupancy of the building, the inspector concluded that potential doses to any member of the public following the purchase of the gauge at the flea market were insignificant and well below the limits specified in 10 CFR 20.1301(a).
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i ATTACHMENT PARTIAL LIST OF PERSONS CONTACTED State of Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality Gene Smith, Senior Environmental Specialist Pam Bishop, Senior Environmental Specialist i
Diamond Zorn Rental Center David Zorn Rone Engineers Clint Sanderson, Radiation Safety Officer INSPECTION PROCEDURES USED IP 87100i Licensed Materials Program IP 87103:
Inspection of incidents at Nuclear Materials Facilities IP 83822:
Radiation Protection ITEMS OPENED AND CLOSED OPENED NONE CLOSED NONE J