NUREG-1331, Requests State Assistance in Radiation Area Surveys & Location of Cast Iron Table Bases Made from Co-60 Contaminated Steel
| ML20151K282 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 02/07/1984 |
| From: | James Keppler NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20151K287 | List:
|
| References | |
| RTR-NUREG-1311, RTR-NUREG-1331 NUDOCS 8407020176 | |
| Download: ML20151K282 (6) | |
Text
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, UNITED STATES
[j>8 e88egk NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION AE010N lil
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' sLsN sLLYN, ILLl'eols 60137 February 7, 1984
SUBJECT:
NOTIFICATION OF AND REQUEST TO SURVEY FOR POTENTIAL RADI0 ACTIVE CONTAMINATION IN TABLE BASES Between November 9,1983 and January 29, 1984, approximately 4,000 customers throughout the United States received cast iron table bases and parts which nu.
be contaminated with cobalt-60. The contaminated parts were cast at a Mexicai.
facility (Falcone de Juares) and subsequently- distributed by Falcon Products.
Inc. of St. Louis, Missouri to recipients in the United States.
The table bases were cast using scrap metal apparently contaminated with cobalt-60 from a medical therapy device. The cobalt-60 is non-uniformly distributed throughout the castings, with reported radiation levels of 25 micro-R per hour to a maximum of 300 milli-R per hour on contact.
By way of this letter, appropriate State agencies are requested to assist in the performance of radiation area surveys and in arrangement for isolation of contaminated table parts distributed to customers in their re:pective St ates.
(An updated listing of customers receiving potentially contaminated parts is enclosed.)
You will note that the list contains names of the companies which the u.aterial was sold to and sent to. In many cases, distributors are involved in the sal, process. In such cases you will need to check and followup any redistributtoo or subsequent sales. y Upon identifying contaminated parts, the states are requested to contact Falc.
prodects (314/991-9200) for instructions on the return of the material to thei.
facility in St. Louis, Missouri. It is also requested that the appropriate bl.
Regional Office be informed of survey results.
Enclosed is survey criteria and techniques to assist your staff. Further information may be obtained by contacting your respective NRC Regional Office The NRC does not presently plan to generally release the identity of the customers on the Falcon list and is disseminating the list only to those with need-to-know. Since we expect that most of these customers will turn out not to have contaminated table legs, we request that fou also restrict disarmina-tion of the customer li.st to those with a need-to-know.
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We appreciate your support in the performance of these surveys. If you ere unable to perform these surveys please notify the appropriate NRC Regional Ottice.
Sincerely, kh &
(< James G. Keppler Regional Administrator
Enclosures:
Preliminary Notification No. RIII-84-11B Proposed Press Release Survey criteria and Techniques i
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I SUHVEY CRITERIA AND TECHNIQUES FOR I FALCON PRODUCTS TABLE BASES i
The following procedure is recommended when conducting surveys of potentially contaminated table bases:
- 1. Contact the customer by telephone and schedule a survey. Customers way 1
or may not be aware of the potential problem and survey schedule tinma l should be flexible a.nd agreed upon with the customer.
- 2. Some customers may be dealers and as such may have sold the product to others. If possible, try to contact these customers and schedule a survey.
- 3. Perform contact surveys with a properly calibrated micro-R meter. Open boxes if necessary and ensure entire surface of table bases are surveyed.
Consider the material contaminated if readings are above background.
Measurements should be made by persons sufficiently familiar with the use of micro-R meters so that proper interpretations can be made between materials that are likely to be contaminated and normal variations in background and variations due to instrument instability.
- 4. Falcon Products believes the most critical time interval of December 22, 1983, to January 25, 1984, should be surveyed first. It is unlikely that contaminated table bases will be found from shipments made in November (1983) and late January (1984). However, it is recommended to survey these customers after completion of the critical time interval.
- 5. Contamination is assumed for radiation levels which are greater than background. Recent contact surveys have shown that the cobalt-60 is non-uniformly distributed, with radiation levels ranging from 25 pR/hr (greater than background) to 300 mR/hr.
- 6. Possessors of contaminated table bases should be instructed to isolate and secure such bases pending pickup and to notify Falcon Products of St. Louis, Missouri at 314/991-9200. Falcon Products has agreed to pick up the contaminated material and replace it. A special waiver of Department of Transportation regulations has been granted to Falcon Products to allow them to pick up and transport this material back to the St. Louis, Missouri warehouse.
- 7. According to Falcon Products, the table bases consist of three parts--
a cross-shaped or circular base, a tubular post, and a fingered connector which attaches the base to a table top. The bases come in various sizes--
the weight of the bottom piece ranges from 15 to 40 pounds. All the segments are grsy cast iron. Host have been painted black, but other colors have been used as well.
Each base has a series of numbers and letters on its unders2de. All,of the number-letter sequences used by Falcon Products include the letter "F" There is no other marking identifying the table bases, although the shipping containers are marked "Falcon Products, Inc."
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Records of survey results should be maintained and include as a minimum:
a.
Name, address and telephone number of the customer (facility, restaurant, warehouse, etc.).
- b. Name of person or agency performing the survey.
- c. Type (s) of survey instrument used. '
- d. Results of survey.
- e. Survey comments (e.g. , specific area of high contamination, location of table base within facility, length of time customer possessed table base, etc.).
9.
Inspection results should be provided to the appropriate NkC representative:
indicated below:
Region I John Xinnesan Region II 215/337-1252 John Potter 404/.'21-5571 Region III Darrel Wiedeman 312/790-5616 Region IV Robert J. Everett Region V 817/f60-8187 Robert Thomas 415/943-3763 l
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THE FOLLOWING NEWS ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NRC ABOUT THE TIME THAT THE LISTS ARE RECEIVED BY THE STATE AGENCIES:
NRC STAFF REQUESTING STATE ASSISTANCE IN CHECKING POTENTIALLY RADIOACTIVE TABLE BASES The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff is requesting the ccsistance of state health departments and other agencies in checking potentially radioactive metal table bases which were manufactured in.a M2xican foundry and distributed by a St. Louis, Missouri, firm.
The cast iron table bases were distributed by Falcon Products.
Inc., St. Louis, Missouri, between about December 10, 1983, and Januar f 25, 1984, when the potential contamination problem was discovered.
Falcon Products indicated the bases were manufactured beginning December 10, 1983, by Falcone de Juarer of Juarez, Mexico, and some at the scrap metal used in the castings has been found to have radioactive contamination. The source of the radioactive contamination is believed to be a medical radiation therapy device (with a cobalt 60 radiation cource) which was among scrap metal obtained from a Mexican scrap dealer's yard. Some of the contaminated scrap iron was also used by another Mexican foundry to produce reinforcing steel bars used in construction.
The radioactive cobalt contamination is fixed in the metal and cannot be spread beyond the table base.
Falcon Products has determined that about 4,000 bustomers received its table bases during the time period from November 9, 1983, through January 25, 1984 -- an expanded time period selected to assure that all possible customers have been included. The listing of these customers is being provided by the NRC to state agencies with the request that state personnel check the table bases f or possible contaminat t on.
Customers receiving the table bases are located throughout the country. According to Falcon Products, all of its products are sold tu commercial, industrial, and institution customers and are not sent to retail outlets f or residenti al use.
Falcon Products has been responsive and cooperathve with the NRC throughout the inquiry into the contamination problem. The company hoe retained a radiation consultant to identify and isolate all contaminated castings remaining at the Falcon facility in Missourt.
The company has also established controls to assure that no additional contaminated material is shipped from its Mexican foundry or trom its St. Louis facility.
Most of the contaminated bases have been located at the Mistours facility, but some additional ones may have been among those shipped to customers. To date, contaminated bases have been located in stor age at customers' facilities in Nevada, California, Ohio, Iowa, and Nebraskal in a truck stopped en route by Illinois State Police; and at Falcon warehouses in California and Tennessee. More than 100 surveys by the NRC and several state agencies have not identified any additional contaminated bases.
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According to Falcon Products, the table bases consist of three. i parts -- a cross-shaped or circular base, a tubular post, and a fingered connector which attachus the base to a table top. The bases come in various sizes -- the weight of the bottom piece ranges from 15 to 40 pounds. All the segments are gray cast iron. Most have been painted black, but other colors have been used as well.
Each base han a series of numbers and letters on its underside.
All of the number-letter sequences used by Falcon Products include the letter 'F'. There is no other marking identifying the table bases, although the shipping containers are marked "Falcon Products, Inc."
Surveys of bases at the Falcon plant have shown that bases manufactured during the time period in question range from having no detectable radiation to a maximum of 300 millirem per hour for a few castings. Most of the castings had radiation measurements of less than 10 millirems per hour. (A millirem is a standard measure of radiation exposure. For comparison, the annual radiation exposure from natural cources ranges from 100 to 200 millirem per year, while a chest ,:-ray involves an exposure of 20 to 50 millirems.)
It is the NRC's view that the use of any of the contaminated table bases constitutes unnecessary radiation exposure and therefore thould be avoided. As a result, the NRC is advising that table bases with detectable radiation (above natural background levels) not be used. Falcon Products has indicated it will replace any of its products which are found to be radioactively contaminated.
Customers who received the Falcon bases during the December -
January period will likely be contacted by appropriat e state agenctec,.
They may also request surveys from their state agency or from one at the NRC's regional offices. NRC offices are located in King of Prussia, pal Atlanta, GA; Glen Ellyn, ILI Arlington. TXI and Walnut Creek, CA.
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