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 Start dateReporting criterionTitleEvent descriptionSystemLER
ENS 4975520 January 2014 05:00:00Agreement StateAgreement State Report - Lost General Licensed Device

The following information was received from the Commonwealth of Virginia by email: Event description: On January 20th the Radioactive Materials Program (RMP) received a call from Simms Metal Recycling in Petersburg, that a load of scrap metal being received set off the radiation monitoring detector. A DOT exemption form was completed and the scrap load returned C&C Cullet, Inc. in Ashland, where it originated from. They dumped the scrap load and found the item using a survey meter, which indicated 87 microrem/hr. Pictures were sent to the RMP and upon review concluded that the device was a liquid scintillation analyzer. The RMP contacted the manufacturer, Perkin Elmer, and began a conversation regarding the analyzer. The analyzer is secured at C&C Cullet, Inc. as an investigation is ongoing to determine the serial number and owner of the analyzer. It is believed to contain an 18 mCi source of either Ba-133 or Ni-63. There are no health or safety impacts as the source is secured in the analyzer. Virginia Event: VA-14-01

  • * * UPDATE FROM MIKE WELLING TO CHARLES TEAL ON 1/28/14 AT 1541 EST * * *

The following was received from the Commonwealth of Virginia via email: On Tuesday January 28th, the source was removed by the manufacturer for disposal. The company will try to ascertain a serial number from the source to determine the General Licensee whom the device was provided to. Notified R1DO (Burritt) and FSME Event Resource via email.

  • * * UPDATE FROM MIKE WELLING TO CHARLES TEAL ON 3/21/14 AT 1036 EDT * * *

The following was received from the Commonwealth of Virginia via email: On Tuesday January 28th, the source was removed by the manufacturer for disposal. The source serial number (432228) was ascertained by the manufacturer which allowed for tracking to Virginia State University (VSU) as the recipient of the device. The source activity was incorrectly stated at 18 mCi in the initial report, the actual activity is 18 microcuries (uCi) of Ba-133. An investigation was performed by VSU in regards to when and how the device was disposed of. VSU stated the device was given to the Department of General Services (DGS) as surplus equipment in 2012 and was then subsequently sold as scrap metal. The RMP will contact DGS and discuss the proper disposal methods of radioactive material. Notified R1DO (Welling) and FSME Event Resource via email. THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "LESS THAN CAT 3" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL Sources that are "Less than IAEA Category 3 sources," are either sources that are very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury. Some of these sources, such as moisture density gauges or thickness gauges that are Category 4, the amount of unshielded radioactive material, if not safely managed or securely protected, could possibly - although it is unlikely - temporarily injure someone who handled it or were otherwise in contact with it, or who were close to it for a period of many weeks. For additional information go to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf