PNO-III-87-123, on 870909,Region III Notified by State of Mo That Scrap Dealer in Sikeston,Mo Detected Radioactive Contamination in Two Rail Car Loads of Aluminum Matl Received from United Technology,Inc.Related Info Encl
| ML20151D710 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 09/11/1987 |
| From: | Mallett B, Wiedeman D NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20151B338 | List: |
| References | |
| RTR-NUREG-1310 PNO-III-87-123, NUDOCS 8804140383 | |
| Download: ML20151D710 (21) | |
r- 1
- ELIMIiiARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE--PNO-III-87-123 Date September 11, 1987 its 'areliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety pu>lic interest significance. The information is as initially received without <
erification or evaluation, and is basically all that is known by the Region III
,taff on this date. Mg t acility: United Technology, Inc. Licensee Emergency Classification:
Boonville, Indiana Notification of an Unusual Event Alert Non-Licensee Sit'e Area Emergency General Emergency X Not Applicable uoject: CONTAMINATED ALUMINUM FOUND IN SCRAP YARD n September 9,1987, Region III (Chicago) was notified by the State of Missouri that a
- rap dealer in Sikeston, Missouri, had detected radioactive contamination in two rail car 3ds of aluminum material received at his facility.
3 scrap dealer, Paul's, Inc., had installed a radiation detector as a result of the 1985
- ident in which steel was contaminated when a cobalt-60 medical teletherapy device was
- ted down at a foundry in Mexico.
September 8, the scrap yard received two rail cars filled with aluminum dross from United chnology, Inc. United Technology melts down aluminum products for recycling, and the dress i the impurities which rise to the surface of the melted aluminum. The dross, which still ntains some aluminum, is skimmed off and solidified. This dross is periodically shipped ff-site for further processing to recover additional aluminum. The September 8 shipment msisted of dress collected between July 22 and September 1 when it was shipped.
l .e ultimate customer for the dress was Marnor Aluminum Processors, Sikeston, Missouri.
, tul's, Inc., unloads the material from the rail cars and transfers it by truck to Marnor.
C f one truck load was removed from a rail car. When it was found to be contaminated, the
- loading operation was halted and the truck segregated.
l e State of Missouri Department of Health representatives arrived in Sikeston on the ternoon of September 10, 1987, and determined that the radiation levels at the surface of e truck bed measured up to 0.2 millirems per hour (approximately 20 times natural background vels). Inside the rail car the measured level was as high as 3 nillfrems per hour,'and the tside measure 0.4 millirems.
8804140383 PDR NUREg 880331 )
1310 R PDR ;
l TRIBUTION:
St. EDO NRR E/W Willste Mail: ADM:0MB I sirwan Zech PA IE NMSS DOT:Trans only i vn. Roberts ELD O!A RES
- s. Bernthal AEOD NRCOpsCtr_/'87
Licensee: (Corp. Office - Peactor Lic. Only) j i
Region III j Re". August 1987 >
PRELIMI_ NARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE--PNO-III-87-123 Date September 11, 1.987 ,
2-Region III dispatched a radiation specialist by charter aircraft arriving on the evening of September 10. The NRC inspector detemined that the rail cars and truck containing the dross were adequately secured at the scrap yard and perfonned radiation surveys which confinned the State of Missouri measureinents.
The inspector is collecting samples of the dross to determine the nature of the contamination.
At this point the radioactive material involved and its source have not been detemined.
At the request of Region III, a State of Indiana Board of Health radiation consultant was dispatched to the United Technology facility. The facility and the finished aluminum ingots were surveyed and no evidence of radioactive contamination was found. The ingots on hand include materials processed prior to September 1, when the contaminated dross was collected
.for shipment.
'These survey results at United Technology provide evidence that the purified aluminum produced at the facility was not contaminated and that any contamination was concentrated in the dross.
Region 211 intends to dispatch an inspector to the facility to assure that no contaminated sluminum was shipped from the facility. The recycled aluminum is sold to a variety of
- ustomers. The Region is also seeking the location of previous shipments of, dross from Jnited Technology.
The States of Indiana and Missouri have been actively involved in responding to this situation.
Region 211 received initial infomation on the contamination from the State of Missouri on September 9, 1987. This information is current as of 11 a.m., September 11, 1987.
\ '
- 0NTACT: D. Wie eman FTS 388-5616 B. Fallett FTS388-5J42
[dVsu O
BF ll 4 -
. P q' 7 STATE OF O ,. {k;(NCd : i Ql}N 4 J I
TER RY E. OR ANSTAD, ccs tes:= DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH PA ARY L. ELLIS, CnR[CTOR November 13, 1987 Charles M. Hardir Executive Secretary Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, Inc.
71 Fountain Place Frankfort, KY 40601
Dear Chuck:
Enclosed is a summary of NARM misuse and incidence in Iowa. You will note that the problems have been relatively few. This is probably due to the fact that our program was relatively young when the ag reement was signed--approximately six and one-half years old. I hope this is helpful to you. If I can be of any further assistance, please let me know.
Sinc rely, Jgin A. Eure, Chief Bureau of Environmental Health 515/281-4928 JAE/bf cc: Donald A. Flater i Bruce W. Hokel l
l 1
l l
1 LUC AS ST ATE OFFICE DUILDING / DES MOINES, IOWA 50319-0075 / 515-281-5707
Report of NARM Incidents in Iowa By Bruce W. Hokel Control of sources of naturally occurring and accelerator produced radioactive materials (NARM) is currently not adequate or uniform in the United States. In non-agreement states and non-licensing states, incidents involving NARM may often go unreported and those that are reported are usually the result of "grapevine" information or by some source other than the possessor of the NARM. It is imper-ative that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulate NARM in those states which are not agreement states. Licensing of all NARM possessors would impose a greater responsibility on them and assure accountability of all RAM sources for the first time. This regulation by NRC is long overdue, since sources like radium-226 pose as much or a greater hazard than most byproduct materials.
The following are brief descriptions of incidents involving NARM which occurred prior to our agreement state status on January 1, 1986,
- 1. On August 6, 1985, we were contacted by a firm in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and informed they had lost a portable gauge containing a radium-226 source. The source was found the next day, but since we had no specific licensing author-ity for these devices at that time, we were fortunate that the owner of the gauge was conscientious enough to call us. The firm is now a licensee and l now receives our periodic inspections. The licensee has made definite l commitments in writing as to the security of the gauge when in transit or storage, and has a definite requirement under our rules to report loss of gauges immedi ately.
- 2. The following example demonstrates how the total lack of proper control of NARM sources can lead to definite public health and safety problems. On December 28, 1983, we were advised by a county civil defense (CD) director that a container labeled "radium paste" had been lef t at a fire station.
Staff of the Radiological Health Section met with the CD director and, using radiation detection equipment, determined existence of radioactive material in the container. It was determined that the container belonged to a watch-maker who had died in 1981. Further investigation revealed that there was contamination at the home and on furniture which had been sold to another ,
jeweler. A health pnysicist was hired by the jeweler and the family of the deceased watchmaker to decontaminate the home and the watchmaker's cabinet.
This action was taken in response to our instructions.
- 3. In another case in 1980, it was determined that a nasal pharyngeal applicator containing rad iuni-226 was being used for non-malignant conditions. The physician voluntarily agreed to dispose of the source after being contacted by this office. There was no report filed on this incident.
Since Iowa became an agreement state and now licenses and inspects all sources of radiation, that incidents such as those listed above will be minimized. Radium-226 is especially hazardous and I am personally very glad we now regulate and require licensing of any quantity which is not under a general license. I feel NRC has a definite responsibility to the citizens of this country to license NARM where it currently is not licensed.
CABINET FOR HUMAN RESOURCES jb]I I 2-g/g - e,c,'5
. ' CO*.NONWE ALT H OF KENT UCKY f . "*
s - .' k.
FR ANKFORT 0621
.; .. g' g1 <L Q h-}
b V
j.,. r y C
DEPARTMENT FOR HE ALTH SERVICES November 19, 1987 Charles Hardin, Executive Secretary CRCPD, Inc.
71 Fountain Place Frankfort, KY 40601
Dear Mr. Hardin:
In response to October 22, 1987 memorandum concerning incidents involving NARM, the following is provided.
7/18/84 - portable gauge containing Ra-226 sealed source (4.5 mg) ran over by construction equipment.
Breach of source did not occur.
11/3/83 - same as above.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact this office.
Sincerely, k' N blb 3 Mark L. Mays, Supervisor Radioactive Material & Environ-mental Monitoring Section Radiaticn Control Branch MLM/ns
" An Eaual Opportunity Employer M. F,H
Op /3
- STATE OF MAINE
(* DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES gj e 74}Y,7# ? AUGUSTA, MAINE 04333 . [.m . _ . ,,,,
s
- ss ' ,
hh(N MICHAEL R. PETIT COMMISSION E R JOSEPH E. BRENN AN GOVERNOR NARM Incidents
- 1. Le ad 210 on May 29, 1964 a radiation incident occurred in Portland, Maine. The fire department called the State Bureau of Health to report a fire in a build ing which housed a small research group. The workers indicated to the fire fighters that there was a Pb-210 source on the premises. It turned out that the source was not stored in a vault or other secure loc at ion, consequently it was vaporized. This vaporization, coupled with the lack of information on the source (e.g., activity, etc.), and who to contact for timely information, resulted in considerable man-hours being expended to monitor the excessive debris and to dispose of same.
- 2. Radium 226 In the summer of 1984 the Bureau of Health was contacted by a teacher at Gould Academy, a local school in Bethel, Maine. A physics professor from the Univeristy of Maine was visiting as a guest lecturer and while there he was asked to monitor a locked metal U.S. Army ammunition box. It turned out that there was approximately 70 microcuries of radium contained inside. No one had any idea who may have been inadvertantly exposed, as there was no single individual responsible for this source.
l I
1 s
1 i
l l
STltE OF MICHIGAN hf $
- wA6N1 RECEIVED H0Y 2 3 W he, -h.,
J A h,' E S J BLANCH ARD, Governor DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH M00 N Lo3AN P o 60130CH LANSINO MICHIGAN 4SX9 GLORI A A SMITH Ph D . M P H . F A A N , Osector November 20, 1987 Hr. Charles M. llardin Executive Secretary Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, Inc.
71 Fountain Place Frankfort, Kentu y 40601 twb
Dear Mr fardin:
Pursuant to your recent request, we are enclosing brief summaries ot' our radium and other NARM incidents since 1982. These incidents are categorized as "LS" for lost sources and "CL" for contamination or leakage of radioactive material. Within each category, the year we became aware of the incident is specified, followed by its chronological ranking.
If you would like additional details about any of the incidents or related matters, please let me know.
Sincerely, BUREAU OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND OCCUPATI ' HEALTH
/?
G ~
Georg W. Bruchmann, Chief l Di[sionofRadiologicalHealth l GWB /J C/1pc Enclosure l
I I
1 l
l Y
O PRNT t D ON M raria
11-20-87 Michigan Department of Public Health Division of Radiological Health NARM Radiation Incidents Lost Sources I LS-87-10. A Flint hospital reported the loss of a 29 microcurie cobalt-57
~
anatomical marker from their nuclear medicine department. The staff at f0 the hospital su;veyed the department with no results. They assume the
() source was swept in to the trash and taken to a landfill.
a LS-87-9. A Grand Rapids hospital reported the loss of a 10 microcurie cobalt-57 anatomical marker from their nuclear medicine department. Based on the hospital's report, staff neglected to remove the marker following a procedure on an out-patient from a nearby hospital. When the patient was
{p'() returned to that hospital, staff there found the source and threw it out with regular hospital trash. Considering the low amount of radioactivity, the source does not present an environmental or public health hazard.
LS-87-8. The director of a Kalamazoo County emergency management office reported that an old, unused school building now owned by a hospital in Kalamazoo had been broken into the previous night. While investigating the break in, police discovered a number of barrels labeled as containing radioactive waste. After learning of this, we contacted hospital personnel who stated that they had forgotten the old barrels were still in the building. Now that the waste has been rediscovered, the hospital indicated that the material will be properly disposed of.
LS-87-7. The U.S. Department of Energy reported that a Battle Creek post office had a parcel being mailed from the Navy to the Army which contained some radium dial compasses with a nonstandard radioactive material warning label. Ve contacted the post office directly and provided advice regarding handling the package and preparing it for further shipment.
1 LS-87-6. A teacher in southeastern Michigan reported through the Office of Low-Level Radioactive Waste Manag: ment in the Department of Management and Budget that she found some radioactive materials and would like our assistance in properly disposing of them. Our subsequent contact with her indicated that the materials were in a high school science department laboratory. An on-site inspection revealed small sources of uranium nitrate, and t horittm nit rat e . The materials were brought to Lansing for disposal with other radioactive waste generated by the Department of the Public Health.
$,rev6[ i LS-87-1. A Detroit hospital reported the loss of a _15.5 microcurie l
- )( cobalt-57 source used as an anatomical marker in nuclear medicine p- procedures. After searching for the source without success, the hospital
{p has concluded that it probably was inadvertently disposed of with regular trash. Due to the low activity, the source does not pose a public health hazard.
MARM Radiation Incidents LS-86-14. A Grand Rapids hospital reported the loss of a cobalt-57 s anatomical marker used in nuclear medicine imaging procedures.
Considering the small quantity of radioactive material involved, l_e s s than
, jf f O
50 microcuries, the source would not pose a radiation safety hazard.
LS-86-ll. An ophthalmologist moved into an office in Iron Mountain and found a locked lead pig labeled "Radium Chemical Company" in a closet.
The container was moved to the nuclear medicine department cf a local nospital, and the Division was then notified. Following several phone calls, a retired doctor who had previously occupied the office was located. He stated that he had once stored a radium plaque in the container, but this radioactive source had been returnad en onolum Chemien) rc~n,r" nhnut 10-50 ven-- snn in another, larger lead pig. The 6octor continued to keep the empty pig in his office, and he never got around to returning it to the uupplier or removing the labels and lock.
After receiving this information, the container was opened by hospital staff and monitored. No radioactivity was found, and the pig can now be handled as nonradioactive.
LS-86-9. When a Muskegon hospital was recently loading their many radium sources into 5 casks for shipment to a burial site, they miscounted and as a result thought that they lost one source listed on their inventory records. A subsequent recheck of the casks revealed that the correct number of sources had been loaded, and they were then able to properly account for and then dispose of all their radium.
LS-86-7. A Washtenaw County citizen obtained some salvaged lead at an Ann i.rbor junkyard and later noticed that it was stamped "Low Level Radioactivity Lead". Research disclosed that lead stamped in thic manner contains less than the normal background amounts of radioactive material and is fabricated to shield sensitive counting equipment.
LS-86-5. At the request of the Flat Rock Michigan State Police Post, we took possession of an old radioactive check source turned in to them by a citizen who had initially been licensed by the AEC in 1953 to transport this source into Canada with a Geiger counter used for uranium prospecting. Subsequent analysis in the Nuclear Counting Facility disclosed that the source was natural uranium, perhaps enriched somewhat in the uranium-235 isotope.
LS-86-3. A flint automotive company reported that 2 of 3 production (AI gauges containing cobalt-57 had been removed from an assembly line within the last 12 months and were either sent to a metal scrap company in Saginaw or buried in a landfill in Lennon. Based on the relatively low I l level of radioactivity remaining in the gauges at the time of loss, there are no public health concerns.
LS-86-1. A Detroit hospital reported the loss of a 25 microcurie cobalt-57 anatomical marker used in nuclear medicine imaging procedures. (bO'g[
It is believed that the Jource was probably sent to a laundry wrapped in a sheet used to cover their scanning table and that it was ultimately taken for trash and discarded. Considering the small quantity of radioactive material involved, the source would not be likely to pose a radiation safety hazard.
i NARM Radiation Incidents i LS-85-10. A large autemobile manufacturer surprised the Division, -
officials in Canada, and itself when it improperly disposed of a device containing 400 microcuries of radium by shipping it to a Canadian scrap l yard as part of a scrap metal shipment. The scrap metal yard employees l fortunately discovered the device, an Alphatron Model 520 gauge, before ,
l the scrap had been processed. Section contacts with the automobile l l manufacturer indicate that company representatives were dispatched l immediately to Canada when the radioactive ~ gauge was found. The !
investigation as to how the device was included as part of the scrap shipment has just been initiated. The Section will also be evaluating the results of the company's investigation into possible corporate-wide procedural changes and enforcement to reduce the likelihood of a repeat incident.
LS-85-8. A Detroit high school requested our assistance in disposing of 2 small sources of uranium oxide and uranium acetate which they had acquired. The sources were picked up by a Section physicist and delivered j to the Division's Nuclear Counting Facility for analysis and proper disposal as radioactive waste.
LS-85-6. During a routine inspection, a Section physicist discovered that '
a 50 microcurie cobalt-57 anatomical marker source could not be located in the nuclear medicine department of a Hancock hospital. Staff at the '
hospital has conducted a search, but the source still has not been located and probably was disposed of as hospital trash.
LS-85-5. A Warren citizen complained to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) about illegal dumping in two vacant parcels of land between an industrial park and the citizen's residence. The DNR investigated last April and found that both parcels were wooded and -
contained heavy undergrowth, pockets of ponded water, and evidence of active use by children (paths and tree houses). In one area, they founc 2 radioactive / oxidizer placards and at least I drum labeled as containing isopropyl alcohol. Elsewhere at the site, 3 other drums were found, all '
of which were subsequently removed. In late June, the DNR contacted the .
Division for a radiation survey of the area, which we promptly conducted. )
The parcel of land where the placards were found had since been cleared of !
original vegetation, and our survey disclosed only normal, background i radiation levels.
{
l LS-85-1. The Department of Energy and Nuclear Regulatory Commission informed us that a Grosse Ile engineering firm reported finding a radioactive source behind a drawer in an oscilloscope stand which they had recently purchased from a salvage dealer. A Section physicist responded, surveyed the source and surrounding area for contamination, and took possession of the unwanted source. It was later identified by the j Division's Nuclear Count.ng Facility as uranium ore. Attempts to trace l
the source back to its original owner proved unsuccessful.
LS-84-11. A moisture / density gauge containing 2.3 mil 11 curies of radium in a radium-beryllium neutron source was reported stolen from a construction trailer at a microwave tower site in Dearborn. Despite a subsequent Departmental press release and medic coverage, the gauge still has not been recovered.
- . - -~ - - - - __
1 NARM Radiation Incidents l
, LS-84-4. A Detroit hospital reported that a 19 microcurie cobalt-57
- source used as an anatomical marker in nuclear medicine imaging procedures 1 was lost. Corrective action to prevent future losses includes attaching i
marker sources to imaging cameras with small chains, monitoring the 2
presence of the markers throughout the work day, and promptly notifying hospital authorities if a marker is damaged or missing.
- LS-84-2. A package containing 9 millicuries of gal'i_um-67 was delivered I
to the nuclear pharmacy of an Ann Arbor hospital, and pharmacy staff then ,
improperly placed the unopened package among empty boxes awaiting disposal. The package was subsequently 91 aced in a dumpster by janitorial staff and then taken to a landfill and buried. With a half-life of only
,about 3 days, the source will not pose a significant environmental hazard in tne landffil. ,
LS-83-13. A 9.5 microcurie cobalt-57 source used as an anatomical marker
{ in nuclear medicine imaging procedures was reported lost by a Hancock hospital. The source was not found.
- LS-83-11. A sealed cobalt-57 source used as an anatomical marker in nuclear medicine imaging procedures was reported lost by a Saginaw hospital. Hospi'c al staf f searched portions of the f acility, but as of -
this date, it appears that the 0.87 microcurie source will not be found.
~
Considering its very low activity, the loss is not considered to present a public health hazard.
- LS-83-8. A Roscommon general physician was cleaning the desk of a deceased dermatologist with whom he had practiced and found some old, unregistered radium needles. We promptly picked up the radioactive material and brought it to Lansing for analysis and proper disposal. Our ,
- analysis disclosed 4 needles with an activity of 5 millicuries each. We also found that one of his desk drawers was slightly contaminated with
, radium, requiring it to be disposed of, too.
LS-82-10. A Section physicist responded to a call from a citizen who was liquidating the estate of an elderly physicist, who at one time was a
, consultant for many hospital radiation departments. The liquidator had found some items marked "Radioactive - Radium" and was concerned that they i might be hazardous. Upon checking the sourcea, we found radium in a l liquid form, necessitating careful handling so that the containers would not be broken, and confiscated the material for disposal by the i Department. Two days later, the liquidator called to report they had i found another envelope marked "Radium". Again, the Section physicist responded and retrieved what appeared to be an old watch hand containing
I j LS-82-8. Division staf f responded to a call f rom a citizen who informed j us that she had radioactive material in her garage. She stated that her j former husband had, at one time, been employed by a radiopharmaceutical company and had picked up and stored unused radioactive material from
! business clients. We investigated and confiscated about 9 cubic feet of radioactive materials. Some of the sources were NARM and some were NRC-
) controlled, but all were old and had already decayed to background levels by that date. The NRC was also notified.
4 4
NARM Radiation Incidents -$-
LS-82-7. A hospital in Troy reported the loss of a 23 microcurie cobalt-57 localization source from their nuclear medicine department.
Searches by hospital staff of the imaging room, hot lab, stress lab, and ,
lost and found areas of the hospitel as well as a Royal Oak laundry facility were unsuccessful. Service personnel who were working in the department during the approximate time of the loss were also contacted, but none of them had the source. It is believed the radioactive device ,
j was accidentally discarded with trash and buried in a landfill. !
l Corrective action to prevent a recurrence included the establishment of I better inventory records and tighter control over the use of similar I
sources.
i LS-82-5. A routine compliance investigation of an Alpena hospital >
revealed that a 16 microcurie cobalt-57 source used as a film marker in j nuclear medicine studies had been lost several months earlier. The j hospital determined that the source is in the city dump, and they will not use this type of source in the future.
Contamination or Leakage r
- CL-87-4. A Pontiac hospital notified us that a person euspected of being a
contaminated with radioactive material was on his way to their emergency room. We arrived at the hospital a short time after the supposedly contaminated person and learned that this individual was an employee of a local parcel delivery service and had sought medical attention after he ;
, had handled a leaking package labeled as containing radioactive material. i Surveys of his hands and clothing disclosed no radiation levels above !
- normal background. We later met with the supervisor at the depot where
! the incident allegedly occurred. It was claimed that some boxes had been
! damaged earlier that day, but none of those contained radioactive a material. The only radioactive shipment had been in an undamaged, dry box !
! which had already been delivered to a nearby automotive manufacturing
] plant. Emergency procedures and training given to employees of the !
i delivery service were reviewed and appeared satisfactory. We then met with she safety director of the manufacturing plant which received the ;
- shipment. Our inspection confirmed that the shipment had been received i intact and was not leaking. l i
! CL-87-2. An Ann Arbor citizen requested our assistance in monitoring a l j ar of white sand which her husband had collected as a souvenir in Nevada f
- about 25 years ago. The husband had been a physicist working on a special government project at the Nevada Test Site at that time, and she was concerned that the sand might be radioactive. Der monitoring of the
- material will be scheduled in the near future-.
l j' CL-86-13. A metal processing company in Hamburg shipped 56 drums containing slag and scrap metal to a firm in Pennsylvania. The drums were surveyed upon arrival, and they found various radiation levels up to about 100 microR/h. The entire shipment was rejected, and it was returned to
, Michigan. The company is currently attempting to quantify the radioactive
! material contamination, which is thought to be thorium and certain other radionuclides found naturally in refractory materials that line their furnaces used in the production of high-purity metals. During processing, some of the refractory material is eroded and appears in the slag.
l
. - - - - - _ . _ . ~ - - _ . , _ - . _ _ , _ _ _ _,_ . _ _ , _ _ _ _ _ . _ . - - .._. -- _
NARM Radiation Incidents CL-86-2. The Environmental Protection Agency's analysis of groundwater samples taken from the property of a Lansing chemical company revealed elevated levels of radium. Additional sampling and radiological surveys of the site are planned.
CL-86-1. At the request of the NRC, which alo.'g with the EPA had been contacted by a concerned citizen in Northville, we performed a radiation survey in that citizen's apartment. She had persistently ecmplained that radioactivity had been added to some of her food and to dust in her apartment and this was causing severe medical problems. Our survey included some old, malodorous milk she had been saving, other refrigerator and freezer contents, a frying pan, rubber gloves, bed, and color television set. No radiation above normal background levels was found.
CL-85-9. A container thought to contain a radioactive liquid was found by firemen in a house which had burned down near Ann Arbor. Two firemen also became nauseous after the container tipped over. The liquid turned out to be a nonradioactive chemical, based on subsequent radiation monitoring with a Geiger counter by fire department personnel and information from the home owner, who was a professor at a :.earby university, i
CL-85-8. A citizen in Flint noticed trailers saying "Hazardous Wasta
~
Removal" bringing barrels labeled "Radioactive Material" to a pit near his home. Investigation by Division staff indicated that no radioactive material was involved.
CL-85-1. The Michigan State Police informed us of a fire at a Marquette warehouse in which was stored a 4.5 millicurie radium source in a moisture / density gauge. Fortunately, the gauge was not severely damaged, and it was then moved to a local sheriff's office for secure storage pending results of radioactivity leakage tests and also to prevent further damage from a potentially collapsing building. Upon subsequent receipt of leak test results confirr.ing that the source was intact, we authorized the release of the gauge for shipment to the manufacturer for repair or disposal.
CL-84-8. The Michigan State Police informed the Division that a 1.9 millicurie radium-beryllium moisture / density gauge was run over by heavy equipment at a Bay City landfill. Response by Division physicists indicated that the radioactive material was still intact within the device.
CL-84-3. A real estate agent reported that a building in Cht-lotte was up for sale to a restaurant entrepreneur and that the current leasee informed the building owner that radioactive material was on the premises and there may be contamination. An inspection was conducted of the building which was being used by an instrument service compa y involved with dismantling and refurbishing industrial devices used to measure dew point. The j 'f devices also contain radium, and our fear of improper source handling was f confirmed when we datected gross radium contamination in several work l areas. This particular operation was inspected about 3 years ago at a g previous address with several corrective actions required at that time.
The operation had moved shortly after that inspection, however, and was
t NARM Radiation Incidants '
not registered at the present location. The new facility was in need of a multitude of corrections to control radiation hazards. To complicate the problem, we have learned that several other repair f acilities in Michigan and a facility in Florida may also have operated in a similar manner with <
potential radium contaminacion problems. Subsequent monitoring at the 4 other former Michigan repair facilities was performed, and no significant ;
d contamination was found. Florida representatives also stated that no !
contamination was found in the home in that state. !
CL-83-3. A radium-beryllium moisture / density gauge, which was bolted to ;
an asphalt roller machine, was being used near Benton Harbor when the roller hit a bridge and the gauge was torn off. The gauge was already on its way to the manufacturer for leakage testing when we were notified of i this incident. The manufacturer found no leakage from or damage to the I
source.
CL-83-2. A physics professor at a Flint facility reported that a vial containing a small amount of radium-226 was found to be leaking and had contaminated his hands. Wipe test results of the source storage shelf indicated no contamination. Decontamination of the professor's hands was performed, and the facility disposed of the radium. .
CL-82-5. Initial notification was received from the NRC in Washington of i I a fire at a metal company in Detroit which reportedly destroyed a machine ;
containing cadmium-109. We then promptly called the company and were f informed that a titanium fire 2 days earlier had destroyed about 2/3 of t' their plant and severely damaged the machine in question. A Division physicist was immediately sent to the plant to determine if the l radioactive material was still shielded and intact. He found that, in addition to fire damage, a portion of the roof and an I-beam had fallen >
onto the machine. He performed a radiation survey of the area, including I wipe tests to detect possible contamination, a,nd found nothing above normal background radiation levels. Subsequent contact with t
] representatives of the equipment manufacturer cos. firmed that the machine I
contained 2 cadmium-109 sources of 10 mil 11 curies each. Arrangements were ,
made for the company to inform us prior to source removal so that we could be present during that operation. However, our follow-up contact a few j weeks later disclosed a commercial radioactive material disposal firm had already removed and shipped the entire source assembly, not just the ,
sources, and no advance notice had been given.
i 1
l f
1 I
i r
! l i i I I I
I
,_., - -,--m._ , - . .- - , , y.
1
/[
t
+
h r Mississippi State Department of IIcalth
' P.O.Isox 1700 - 2423 North State Street Jackwn. Misst=airpt 39205
[4 601/354-6612 Alton 11 b . lg. M.I'.ll.
4 January 2, 1987 Mr. Virgil Autry, Director Division of Radioactive Material Licensing and Compliance Bureau of Radiological Health South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control 2600 Bull Street Columbia, SC 29201
Dear Mr. Autry:
Your letter of December 23, 1986 solicited input regarding NARM issues in our state. I have two issues regarding NARM I would like to bring to your attention.
The first area concerns scale that collects in production tubing (pipe) from the oil and gas industry. The material seems to be found in certain geologic fomations and only in certain areas of the state.
This scale plafos out inside the tubing in a similiar fashion to mineral plate out in water pipes, Af ter a period of time, several years seems to be normal, the level of this barium sulf ate scale (as industry calls it),
has reduced the effective inside diameter of the pipe so much as to restrict the economical f1w of product, be it oil or gas. The tubing string is pulled and sent in sections to a contractor for scale removal, This barium sulfate scale i: rich in radium and thorium, Current practice had been to bore out the pipe with some type of augering system.
Water was used as a boring coolant but it is not known if an even flow was maintained, how much water was recovered and reused, and if dust was controlled, The scale was allowed to collect on the ground or run off, depending on site topography. The Division of Radiological Health has identified two sites in Mississippi where scale removal has occurred.
We suspect there may be others, as this may have been coninon practice in this area since petroleum was discovered in the late 30's and early 40's. EPA - Montgomery has helped in initial assessment of both sites, Both identified sites are contaminated with radium, thorium and their 1 progeny at undesirable levels. A large oil company, who subcontracted a portion of work at both sites, has agreed to underwrite costs of 1 cleanup and disposal, The first site is moving towards a "start clean- !
up" phase and the second site, at present, is stalled in litigation, j Our concerns at this point range from health effects to environmental ;
damage, if any, l l
1 l'. qual oppor t unin in t u.pl' n nu nt u na cm
I Mr. Virgil Autry January 2, 1987 4l page two l The other area which concerns us at present is the use of zirconium-containing sand in our steel industry. The sole steel mill in our state is what is considered a "mini-mill" and basically.
remelts and re bars scrap steel. A refractory material, containing zirconium sand, is used as a mill vessel lining and as a pathway for molten steel out of the vessel, It is easy for workers to mold 4
the sand in a cold vessel and apparently is popular in mini-mills.
The refractory material is not used to produce the steel itself, but to hold heat in the vessel About a ton of this material is used per day at the Mississippi mill It is sold by Martin-Marietta '
Magnesia Specialties Division as "Mar-Patch" We were alerted to its use when the mill called this office because a load of incoming material had set off a weigh station radiation alarm at the mill, ,
As you well know, zirconium sand contains radium and its progeny, ,
1 This material is imported from Australia and is bagged in Michigan, j
Some of the material mixes with the steel as it is melted or poured.
Perhaps most of the refractory material is disposed as slag. This slag material is crushed and used primarily as railroad bed gravel and fill The slag residue is of relatively low radioactivity. We are still investigating this issue and have sought assistance from EPA and NRC in defining a potential health concern.
If you have any questions, please contact me at (601) 354-6657.
I look forward to receiving a draf t copy of the E-5 Committee report, Sincerely.
A Av. Q -
9 Gregg Dempsey, Branch Director
! Environmental Monitoring and
. Emergency Response Branch
] Division of Radiological Health d C: Mr. Bill Dorsife /
] Mr. Chuck Hardin i
9 l
i l
2 .
i 4
j
f NN i ,a w
~y
- COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA l 1 - DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES PE NN5YLVANI A Post Office Box 20G3 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120 November 4, 1987
- Bureau of Radiation Protection (717) 783-5919 i
.__3 .
, %\! UN
- , c v_. i - -
5 J
4 i
- l Charles M. liardin Executive Secretary Conference of Radiation Control Program
- Directors, Inc.
- i 71 Fountain Place l Frank fort , KY 40601 4
I
Dear Mr. Hardin:
i Please find enclosed Pennsylvania's summary sheet of NARN incidents for the last five years.
The lack of radium incidents during the last five years is a result of a Pennsylvania's robust licensing and inspection program.
, If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. )
i Sincerely,
- k. 0%
Stuart R. Levin, Chief i
Division of Licensing 6 Registration I
! Enclosure i
SRL:b1h 1
1 4
4 i
1 I
1 1
NAAM INCIDENT
SUMMARY
t On S?ptember 17, 1280, a tocibex belongiig tc a siemens Corpsrstion re; airman wa5 sto1an from the Hahnemann Hospitai !
parking lot in Phi'adelphas, PA. The L( s contained 2 mci of Am-241, 27 LCi cf Cc-57, and 0: 0 LCi cf Oc-S7 AlI three were staled catibratloo scurces They were never found.
I
- On August 3 r ,c d 9 !?00 ten ampt/ lead pigs labeled l "Radioactive f/ t t e r t a l 1-10'" 6ers found by a citiren of Mars, PA near hls here The cntaiaers weco not contaminated and only b s <; k g r o u n J teselt sf r e :' c t .n were detectable from i h e rr 2 S c ra i i m e arcunc Auguct ?, 10?C, five Co-57 spoi markers were found nissing from Temple Univer5ity Hospital Each source wes tetween 15 tCi and 2? wCi 4t the time of loss The t o u r e :: *cre n e v e .- found F
4 On Ocicber 20, t??? a P r i n c e t o n -G a rema Tech XK-3 Leac in-Pain? A r. t ! ) : dr :. : n t a i n i n g 10 mci of Co-57 was stolen f - r ei the FSiiadeIphi: Hea1ih Depar(ment The device was found unopened the next day in a PhiladeIphia neighborhood.
- 5. On May 15, 1985, the Herthey Medica! Center, Hershey, pA rep;rted c 1 0 VCi Co-57 was missing. The source was never l foune ;
O On August 29, 19??, a moistureIdensity gauge was run over at a pa.ing site in WiiIow Grove, PA The device contained 2 3 mC6 of Ra-026 No damage io source and no contamination.
The source was returned to the manufacturer for disposal '
7 On November 25, 19??, a 77 VC6 Cc-57 spot marker was reported !
misting from a Piitsburgh, PA hospital The marker was never ,
found.
8 On or about D e c e rn b e r 2, 1982, a 1.75 pCi Co-57 spot marker I was lost at a hospial in Johnstown, PA Marker never found. '
l l
I i
l
/h d COMMONWEALTH OF PU E RT O RICO DEP ARTMENT OF HE ALTH S AN JUAN. PUERTO RICO 00908
':oved e r 3, 10:7
,..s ,
'!t. C.',
- t I C S M.t lO!,
[ U.Cfh'iU 2 00 0't C tc. *r
/ 1 r 0!ti t t? t n i T (Ic t'.
T
- 0.n? fI ' t t, VC61(LLC':'
' c. - ~ > , ::~ t.ti;,:
T ' O , 'I * '? " ' t ctttt c n c .' ' * , * - ( !' ' ' l ' ', , ' [./V C 'C"*$, , i'. ! t *-C
.?O ! t C ;' lCu t 1 '.*r'y , :$EC 2.t Ce r: b'. irAD; %. ~ ." U h : 10?!.
\s L:t e.: 'c . . cc ,
ox .C~ico., :c tc cx .>o sc ' an : ec cent,r.in1.ic., ?
.* e stt? te
- l t a": t! C incilCnt, 1
l
. o s o !
,. , EC Coll .C Oj, a!! .
, ll* v i. ! *, a f, ! ( $ ,. fJ1 C C , , 0.13 0 C 1'.
, i
'/,;c tr.?.E
.~g
. ) - - 7
/,- ,b*)
w
,- , "J t n aVLs *n. 4 .,A v,r al \
'i' C C (? 't
^?'50ECOit'( .*:1t! ' A O p *,jD*,
l I
1 f
1 I
i I I 1
1 I
i l
i
s
/ DEP AH T MF.NT OF HE ALTH AND HUM AN SERVICES i ,
PUBLIC HE ALTH SERVICE FCOO AND DPUG ADMINISTRATION N
' ~ L[
v r ca or mr we c.cmt o.wic,cm r oa c .. i a w m ,, oxmas hl @ A 14 N[g g gpp g y gg g O pp p 4 g v..-*t (718)965-5052 == me= ~ aaa:-~~"'o*=**"a December 28, 1984 Daniel Torres. H.S.
Pedical Physicist Hospital Oncologico Andres Grillasca te La Asociacion Para La Lucha Contra El Cancer Centro Medico De Ponce Apartado 1324 ,
Fonce, P.R. 00733-1324
Dear Hr. Torres:
This is in response to your letter dated December 20, 1984 regarding four lost 10 mg. tablets containing Radium - 226.
I s111 try to ant.wer the specific questions that you outlined in your letter,
- a. As long as you are certain that the pati e r.t did not 1 cave the hospital with the sour:es and that they are still not in the hospital, I feel that you have done all you can,
- b. The meters that you used to conduct the surveys are perfectly a c c e pt a bl e ,
- c. Considering that the cources are not that large and that they have probably b e an di spesed of in the sewage system or a landfill you ay not wish to bring it to the attention of the news media or the public. It could generate unnecessary fear. If, however, facts arise which make this necessary, you may wish to compare the cources to the total w.ount of hospital waste disposed of in a year. The Health Dept. nay also have some useful statistics for cenparison p urpanes,
- d. Based on your letter, I feel all r ea sonabl e actions have been taken.
In the future, however, your hospital should nore closely nonitor patients who receive radiation therapy so that incidents of this kind are not repeated.
Pleasc do not hesitate to contact my of fice if you have any further questions.
Sincerely, i
0 j\ >.w L 4
v.?,...a Ronald E. Pernacki R.sgional Radiological Health Fepre sent itive FDA, Region II
h.L //
.n g . S "3D- /
vu~ ,, ,
Ncrman H Bangerter e, Y ,e Lzanne Dandoy, M D , M P H
'6o n ns*
October 30, 1987 MEMORANDUM 10: Charles Hardin '-
i h~ b '
FROM: Larry F. Anderson, Director i Utah Bureau of Radiation Control
SUBJECT:
NARM Incidents
- 1. A salvage company found that an estimated, 4000 to 5000 radium dial instruments was stored in its warehouse. The dose rate in some areas exceeded 3 millireds/hr.
Instruments and airplane parts had been incinerated to recover metal parts. The ash from this operation had been scattered around the warehouse and adjoining property, resulting in radium contamination. Over 200 Mc yards of contaminated soil had to be removed.
- 2. Prior to the licensing of NARM material by the State, several companies were sold density gauges contaMg radium sources. The training given the users of these gauges was in the operation of the instrument and in most cases was lacking in emphasis on safety procedures. We do not know of this resulting in any over exposure because there was no monitoring during this period of time.
I 1
/
acer: 4,. ,:s, , : , ,. s 't, % .-
. > . .