PNO-II-97-047, on 970929,truck Delivering Scrap Steel to Cremer Iron,Parkersburg,West Va,Set Off Plant Radiation Detector.Truck Contained Scrap from Ames,Inc.Cremer Holding Matl,Set Off Alarm.Scrap Resulted from Use of Steel Coils
| ML20216A941 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 09/04/1997 |
| From: | Potter J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| PNO-II-97-047, PNO-II-97-47, NUDOCS 9709050166 | |
| Download: ML20216A941 (1) | |
September 4, 1997
) DEB 4b.M11MBY NOTIEICATION OF_ KYINT OR UNUSUAL OCCITRBEllCE PNO-II-97-04 7 This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety or public interest significance. The information is as initially received without verification or evaluation, and is basically all that is known by Region II staff in Atlanta, Georgia on this date.
Facilit.y Amau, Inc.
Licensee Eagtggncy Classificati2D 3801 Camden Avenue Notification of Unusual Event Alert Parkersburg, West Virginia 26102 Site Area Emergency General Emergency X Not Applicable Suhject: CONTAMINATED MATERIAL IDENTIFIED AT SCRAP YARD On September 3, 1997, the State of West Virginia notified Region II that a truck delivering scrap steel to Cremer Iron, Parkersburg, West Virginia, set off the plant's radiation detector on August 29, 1997. The truck contained scrap from Ames, Inc. Cremer is ho'. ding the material that set off the alarm. The scrap had resulted from use of steel coils to make shovels at Ames. Ames, surveyed steel at their facility and measured radiation levels 100 microRoentgen per hour (uR/hr) above normal background on a stack of steel coils. Ames has stopped using this steel as a result of this event.
The coils originated from Liberty Steel, North Jackson, Ohio, who confirmed that the coils were from the same two heats that had been shipped to True Temper Hardware, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, as reported in PNO RIII-97-029, dated March 27, 1997. (The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania analyzed this steel in March and concluded that the radioactive material wan cobalt-60. Ames, Inc., has 265,000 lbs of the 600,000 from the two heats used for coils received from Liberty Steel, who received them from WC! Steel, Inc., Warren, Ohio.)
A State of West Virginia Radiological Health Program representative responded to the Ames facility on September 3, 1997. The State official measured levels of 5 to 31 uR/hr above background on 52 coils, each weighing about 4,000 lbs. A waist-high stack of finished shovels exhibited about 10 uR/hr above background.
The State of West Virginia and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are working to determine the final disposition of the material.
Region II informed NMSS, Region III, the States of Ohio and West Virginia, and EPA. The NRC continues to communicate on the followup with the EPA and the State.
This information is current as of 11:00 a.m. on September 4, 1997.
Contact:
J. Potter (404)562-4731 , {-l O <
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9709050166 970904 i PDR I&E PNO-II-97-047 PDR kEST
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