PNO-I-86-041, on 860521,NMSS Received Ltr from Consumer Product Safety Commission Re Distribution of Watches Containing Tritium W/O NRC License.On 860612,Region I Issued Confirmatory Action Ltr
| ML20211G018 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 06/12/1986 |
| From: | Friedman L, Glenn J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| PNO-I-86-041, PNO-I-86-41, NUDOCS 8606190245 | |
| Download: ML20211G018 (1) | |
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DCS: 99990001860612 Date: June 12, 1986 PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR-UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE--PNO-I-86-41 This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety.or public interest significance. The information is as initially received without verifi-cation or evaluation, and is basically all that is known by the Region I staff on this date.
Facility: Swatch Watch, USA, Inc. Licensee Emergency Classification:
=New York, New York
.(Non-Licensee) Notification of Unusual Event Alert .
Site Area Emergency General Emergency X Not Applicable
SUBJECT:
DISTRIBUTION OF WATCHES CONTAINING TRITIUM WITHOUT AN NRC LICENSE On May 21, 1986, the Consumer Product Safety Commission forwarded to the NRC Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) a letter from a constituent to Congress-man Les Au Coin of the. lst Congre:,sional'01 strict, Oregon, stating that the constituent has a Swatch Watch which glowed in the dark, and inquiring whether the watch contained radium. On June 6,1986, NMSS contacted Swatch Watch, and inquired whether any of their watches glowed in the dark and contained radioactive material. Swatch Watch referred NMSS to Swatch-AG, Switzerland, the manufacturer of the watches. On June 11, 1986, Swatch-AG informed NMSS that the watches contained tritium. NMSS also determined
.that Swatch Watch, USA, Inc. , the U. S. distributor, did not have an NRC license to distribute the watches to persons exempt from licensing, as required by regulation.
On June 12, 1986, NRC Region I issued a Confirmatory Action Letter, documenting Swatch Watch's commitment to cease all distribution of watches containing radioactive material
.immediately. Swatch Watch also agreed to furnish Region I with a list of the model
.numbars of watches containing radioact ve material, the quantity of radioactive materi-al in e'ach watch, and the number of such watches already distributed. Swatch Watch
~
will also furnish Region I with a sample watch for examination.
Based on the information furnished to the NRC, it appears to the NRC that small quan-tities of tritium are involved, and that no hazard to the public resulted from the distribution of these watches, but the matter is still under investigation.
.The State of New York has been notified.
CONTACT: L. Friedman J. Glenn 488-1276 488-1260 OISTRIBUTION:
H. St. MNBB Phillips EN Willste Mail: ADM:DMB CFairman Palladino E00 NRR IE NMSS DOT:Trans cnly Comm..Zech PA OIA RES Comm. Bernthal ELO AE00 Comm. Roberts Comm. Asselstine ACRS Air Rights MPO---- SECY . ,$P -
NSAC---- CA PDR Regional Offices .* TMI Resident Section M *
.. yses RI R'esident Office Licensee:
l (Reactor Licensees) 8606190245 860612 ,
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