Semantic search

The following information was provided by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (Agency) via phone and email: The Agency was contacted by GE Healthcare to report a CardioGen Rb-82 generator had been lost in transit. Tracking information shows the 65-pound Yellow-II package arrived at the (common carrier) hub in Memphis, TN on December 4, 2025, but shows no movement thereafter. The intended destination was Cardiology Partners in Lake Worth, FL. The carrier's hazardous goods team has been contacted and reports they are unable to locate the package. The Florida recipient has confirmed that the package did not arrive. There is no indication the generator was intentionally diverted or has been separated from its packaging. At the time of reporting, the generator is estimated to contain 89.43 mCi of Sr-82 and 76.55 mCi of Sr-85. IL Event #: IL250049

• * * UPDATE ON 12/11/2025 AT 1503 EST FROM GARY FORSEE TO JORDAN WINGATE * * *

The Agency was notified December 10, 2025, that the package was located and is being returned to the manufacturer. This matter is considered closed. Notified R1DO (Warnek), NMSS Events Notifications (email), ILTAB (email), and R3DO (Nguyen) 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

The following information was provided by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (the Agency) via phone and email: The Agency was contacted the morning of November 26, 2025, by Mistras Group, Inc., to report a radiography overexposure that occurred on 11/24/25. Reportedly, a trainee stood over a collimated, exposed 37 Ci Ir-192 source for an unreported period of time, before also grabbing the collimator (containing the exposed source) in his right hand and positioning it for the next shot. After checking the camera and recognizing the incident, he continued to work for ten additional shots, and the following day, before reporting the incident. Based on the report, the lead radiographer also failed to properly supervise and/or report the matter. The trainee was not wearing his dosimetry/alarming rate meter or referring to his survey meter throughout the incident. The radiographer reports symptoms consistent with an acute exposure to his right hand (sunburn, skin erythema, and tingling in the hand) and is being directed to medical treatment this morning. Oak Ridge Associated Universities (REAC-TS) was contacted by the licensee the evening of November 25, 2025, for direction on appropriate medical treatment. The trainee has been removed from all work for, at a minimum, exceeding his occupational exposure limits. The Agency has requested updates on medical assessment and is coordinating a full re-enactment with involved personnel for an accurate dose assessment at the beginning of next week. Agency staff, using the limited data available at this time, estimate an exposure in excess of 50 R but likely less than 250 R to the right hand. The source was in a 4 half-value layers tungsten collimator which the trainee states was pointed down. Based on the licensee's description, exposures to the groin and feet are estimated to be less than 50 R. Time/motion studies will allow refinement of these estimates. Based on the description of the exposure, this incident likely has a 24-hour reporting requirement, which the licensee failed to meet. Results of the time/motion study and refined dose estimates will be used to determine if the incident meets the criteria for an abnormal occurrence. Updates will be provided as they become available. Illinois item number: IL250048

• * * UPDATE FROM GARY FORSEE TO BRIAN P. SMITH AT 1644 EST ON DECEMBER 2, 2025 * * *

The following is an update received from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (the Agency) via phone and email: Agency inspectors completed a reactive inspection on Dec. 2, 2025. Based on a re-enactment of the incident, statements collected and time-motion studies, Agency staff do not believe the radiographer received a dose in excess of regulatory limits (50 rem). Inspector observations and inspection findings indicate a likely dose of 30 rem to the radiographer's right hand and an additional 1 rem to other portions of the skin. After repeated observations of the trainee's handling and securing of the collimated source, it was determined the guide tube was being held rather than the collimated (shielded) source. As a result, the exposure rate used for dose calculations was changed (increased) to that of an unshielded 37 Ci source at a distance of 1.25 inches. After ten recorded re-enactments, the act of picking up and securing the collimator to the pipe consistently resulted in an exposure to his right hand with a duration of 5-7 seconds. It would take an exposure of approximately twice this duration to result in a 50 rem dose to his extremity (11.7 seconds). Exposures to feet, groin, whole body and eyes were also calculated. In aggregate, the skin dose from this incident is estimated to be equal to or less than 31 rem. Total annual extremity exposure is also estimated to be less than the annual limit. Whole body dose for this incident is estimated to be less than one hundred millirem (15 second exposure, 14 inches away from shielded source at 0.31 R/hour). Prior to this incident, the individual's annual whole-body dose was 131 millirem; however, the trainee admitted to not wearing dosimetry. While lab results are pending, there was no appearance of deterministic effects (skin reddening/erythema). This incident will remain open pending the licensee's written report. If their investigation supports inspector findings, this incident may be retracted. Agency address of noncompliance with administrative rules will proceed concurrently. Notified R3DO (Hills), NMSS (Fisher), IRMOC (Grant) and NMSS _Events via email.

The following is a summary of information that was provided by the licensee via phone: On 11/22/2025 at approximately 1340 EST, a plant worker sustained a leg injury on site at Vermont Yankee and was transported to a local hospital. The injured worker was verified to not be contaminated. Vermont Yankee notified the Department of Homeland Security and local law enforcement to inform them of the situation due to emergency medical response personnel responding on site. Vermont Yankee is making this report to the NRC per 10 CFR 50.72(b)(2)(xi) for offsite notification to other government agencies. The NRC Regional Inspector was notified.

• * * RETRACTION ON 11/24/2025 AT 1037 FROM TOM SILKO TO JOSUE RAMIREZ * * *

The following is a summary of information that was provided by the licensee via phone and email: After further review, Vermont Yankee (VY) has determined that the event was not reportable. Therefore, VY is retracting the report. The basis for the retraction is: Notification to the NRC was made based on reporting to another government agency (The Vermont Department of Homeland Security), however, the reporting to the Vermont Department of Homeland security was not required per VY implementing procedures. Notified R1DO (Bickett) and NMSS Events Notifications (Email).

The following information was provided by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (Agency) via phone and email: The Agency was contacted on November 17, 2025, to advise of four missing I-125 brachytherapy seeds with an activity of approximately 0.23 millicuries each. Three seeds remain missing with the most likely disposition being lost in transit from the Georgia shipper to the Illinois (common carrier) hub. The root cause appears to be poor packaging by the shipping licensee. On November 17, 2025, Bard Brachytherapy, Inc. received a package from Northside Hospital - Gwinnett (Lawrenceville, GA) with return shipping information indicating that there were twenty-four seeds being returned. Upon examination, ten were sealed inside their original packaging, nine were found loose inside the box, and one was found in the parking lot outside of the delivery door. Four sources remained unaccounted for when the Agency was contacted. (The common carrier) was called to return to the Bard facility, but surveys failed to identify any additional seeds within the delivery vehicle. Additional surveys were conducted at the local (common carrier) hub and on the truck that transported the package from O'Hare airport. The licensee was able to locate one additional seed at the (common carrier) hub, underneath a receiving conveyor belt, leaving three (3) seeds unaccounted for. The package is reported as having left Lawrenceville, GA on November 12, 2025. The package had no indication of damage from transit. The Georgia program will be notified. A similar incident was reported on May 13, 2024, as a result of inadequate packaging of seeds for transport by the same Georgia licensee. Agency outreach to O'Hare is still pending for additional surveys. A detailed listing of stops prior to delivery is also being sought. The brachytherapy seeds are classified as a Category 5 source, described by the IAEA as the least likely to be dangerous to a person. At the estimated activity, the exposure rate at one foot would be just under 0.5 mR/hour. Due to the small size as well as the proximity and duration of exposure required; it is highly unlikely any public exposures would exceed regulatory limits. The Illinois licensee followed reporting timelines, package receipt procedures, and performed all reasonable search efforts. Agency staff are pursuing additional avenues to attempt recovery of the sources. This report will be updated with any information available. IL incident number: IL250045

• * * UPDATE ON NOVEMBER 19, 2025, AT 1653 EST FROM GARY FORSEE TO JORDAN WINGATE * * *

The following information was provided by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (Agency) via email: Agency inspectors performed a reactive inspection at O'Hare airport on November 19, 2025. Search efforts located one of the three missing seeds, which will be returned to the Illinois licensee for disposal. Two I-125 brachytherapy seeds, containing approximately 0.23 mCi each, remain missing. A detailed listing of stops was obtained from the carrier but proved logistically impractical to fully survey (approximately 63 locations). Given the very low likelihood of public exposures exceeding any regulatory limit, the Category 5 classification of the sources, and high likelihood the remaining sources are out of state; the Agency is considering this matter closed. Notified R3DO (Orlikowski) (email), NMSS Events Notification (email), and ILTAB (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

The following information was provided by the licensee via phone: On November 14, 2025, at 1351 CST, while in a system outage window, for the reserve auxiliary transformer 'B' bus work inspections, the emergency reserve auxiliary transformer tripped. This resulted in the loss of offsite power to all vital busses. At 1402 CST, a notice of unusual event was declared (MU.1) due to the loss of all offsite power to vital busses. All three emergency diesel generators actuated and energized the vital busses. Notified DHS SWO, DOE Ops Center, FEMA Operations Center, FEMA NWC, CWMD Watch Desk, HHS Ops Center, CISA Central Watch Officer, USDA Ops Center, EPA EOC, FDA EOC (email), DHS Nuclear SSA (email), DHS NRCC THD Desk (email), FEMA NRCC SASC (email), and FERC Reliability Monitoring Center (email).

• * * UPDATE ON 11/16/2025 AT 0647 EST FROM JASON VINCENT TO KERBY SCALES * * *

The following update is a summary of information provided by the licensee via phone and email: On November 16, 2025, at 0500 CST, the Unusual Event was terminated. All offsite electrical power has been restored, and the plant is in a normal electrical lineup. The NRC Resident Inspector was notified. Notified R3RA (Geissner), NRR (Groom), NSIR (Williams), R3DO (Ziolkowski), NRR EO (Mckenna), IR MOC (Grant), R3PAO (Mitlyng), R3DRSS (Heck). Notified DHS SWO, DOE Ops Center, FEMA Operations Center, FEMA NWC, CWMD Watch Desk, HHS Ops Center, CISA Central Watch Officer, USDA Ops Center, EPA EOC, FDA EOC (email), DHS Nuclear SSA (email), DHS NRCC THD Desk (email), FEMA NRCC SASC (email), and FERC Reliability Monitoring Center (email).