PNO-I-98-016A, on 980507,identified Radioactive Contamination on Several Pieces of Machinery & Equipment in Storage at Picatinny Arsenal.Contaminated Areas Were Too Small or Confined for Measurement W/Alpha Detector
| ML20249B719 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 04006377 |
| Issue date: | 06/22/1998 |
| From: | Kinneman J, Ullrich B NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| PNO-I-98-016A, PNO-I-98-16A, NUDOCS 9806240097 | |
| Download: ML20249B719 (1) | |
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June 22. 1998
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PREL'IMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRFX E PN0-I-98-016A This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety or public interest significance. The information is as initially i
received witho0t verification or evaluation, and is basically all that is kncwn by Region I staff in King of Prussia. Pennsylvania on this date.
acility Licensee Emeraency Classification
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Dpt Of The Army Notification of Unusual Event
- Picatinny Arsenal' Alert Dover.New Jersey Site Area Emergency
~ Dockets: 04006377 License No: SUB-348 General Emergency-X Not Applicable
Subject:
UPDATE: IDENTIFICATION OF CONTAMINATED MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT This PN provides additional information regarding efforts to identify contaminated machinery from the former Frankford Arsenal. On Thursday.
May> 7.1998, a representative of the Department of the Army. US Army Armament ~ Research Development, and Engineering Center (ARDEC) notified the Region I office that they had identified radioactive contamination on several' pieces of machinery and equipment in storage at the Picatinny Arsenal. All of the contaminated items had been transferred to Picatinny Arsenal from the Frankford_ Arsenal when it closed about 20 years ago.
ARDEC personnel have confirmed that the contamination is from uranium 238, probably from use of the machinery with depleted uranium at the Frankford Arsenal. ARDEC personnel identified fixed beta contamination levels ranging from 9.800 to 196.000 dpm/100cm2 at six discrete locations on five items at the Picatinny Arsenal. The maximum renovable contamination detected was 170 dpm/100 cm2 beta and 442 dpm/100 cm2 alpha. On May 12, 1998, the Army Materiel Command (AMC) issued a menorandum to its installations notifying them of the contaminated equipment, and asking them to identify and survey any machinery at their facilities which may have come from Frankford Arsenal, and to notify AMC
. if additional contaminated machinery is found.
Three i_tems of machinery from the former Frankford Arsenal were sold by
-the: Army since the items were transferred to ARDEC at the Picatinny Arsenal. A furnace and an electric oven, sold to a laboratory in California, were surveyed by' Army contractors on May 19. 1998, and
,Netermined to be free of fixed and removable contamination. A swaging i macnine. sold to an industrial machinery company in New York, was surveyed by ARDEC personnel on June 2.1998, and determined to have fixed contamination. The maximum fixed beta contamination detected was 12.000 dpm/100cm2. _ Contaminated areas were too small or confined for
" measurement with an alpha detector. The swaging machine was returned to P1catinny. Arsenal on June 4.1998.
Th'e Region I office plans to review the activities of ARDEC in response to the identification of the contaminated equipment at their facility.
- The Region I Public Affairs-office is available to respond to public
. incuiries. The States of New Jersey, New York. and California' have been l: notified. The information in this notification is current as of 8:00
'i a ni :on June 22 1998.
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Betsy Ullrich
- John Kinneman
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(610)337-5040
-(610)337-5275
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