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| Entered date | Event description | |
|---|---|---|
| ENS 57226 | 15 July 2024 10:33:00 | The following information was provided by the Maryland Department of the Environment Radiological Health Program (MDE/RHP) via email: On July 15, 2024, at about 0859 (EDT), the MDE/RHP was contacted by the Maryland Emergency Response Division (ERD) that a bolted container (marked with) Russian (text) and red paint (located on) the middle part of the container with a trefoil symbol that was suspected of containing (radioactive material) was found dropped off at (a salvage) site in Joppatowne, MD. The scrap yard does not know the source(s) of these items and who (deposited) them. (Personnel at the scrap yard) did not detect radiation with available instruments. MDE/RHP will follow up and investigate the case today. The following additional information was obtained from the licensee in accordance with Headquarters Operations Officers Report Guidance: Two MDE/RHP inspectors were enroute to the scrap yard to investigate at the time the notification of this event to the NRC was made.
The following information was provided by the Maryland Department of the Environment Radiological Health Program (MDE/RHP) via email: RHP inspectors responded to the site on the same day (7/15/2024) and investigated the case. RHP inspectors surveyed the area and took wipe samples of the outside of the containers. The survey results and wipe analysis report indicated no elevated radiation other than natural background. On July 17, 2024, the containers were rejected by Joppa Salvage as suspect of containing hazardous material (RAM), and returned back to Aberdeen Proving Ground, a federal site, by the hauler that dropped them. There are no health or safety concerns related to this event. MDE/RHP closed this event. Maryland Event ID Number: 56594. Notified R1DO (Lilliendahl), NMSS Events (email), ILTAB (email), NMSS Day (Brenneman) |
| ENS 56751 | 20 September 2023 17:38:00 | The following information was provided by the Maryland Department of the Environment via email: On July 12, 2023, the Maryland Department of the Environment Radiological Health Program (MDE/RHP) was contacted via email from a Tesla employee who reported the loss of a device with NRD model number P-2021 Z705 from a Tesla Body and Paint facility located in Maryland. The lost device is manufactured by NRD, LLC with model number P-2021-Z705, serial number A2MF439. The device contains 10 mCi of Polonium-210. No reference date is associated with it, but the device was shipped to Tesla, Inc. on March 16, 2021. These devices are generally-licensed and sold to Tesla by NRD, LLC. Tesla, Inc. Maryland Site, NA-US-MD-Owings Mills-Body is located at 9430 Reisterstown Road, Owings Mills, Maryland 21117. On July 14, 2023, the Maryland Department of the Environment Radiological Health Program (MDE/RHP) investigation showed that the Po-210 radioactive material is used for alpha ionizer applications at the Tesla paint and body shop to stop dust from clinging to the body panels prior to painting. As per the company's procedure, when the device is no longer in use, the radioactive 'barrel' cartridges will be returned to NRD (or suitable disposer). The device had the 'gun' separated from the 'barrel' cartridge. The 'barrel' cartridge was returned to NRD as per procedure and the non-radioactive 'gun' part was lost or misplaced. In this process, the Po-210 source was not accounted for by NRD, LLC and reported as lost. This information is not conclusive as a lost source and needs to be further confirmed. Information on the current activity is required. MDE/RHP will finalize a reactive investigation. 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 |
| ENS 56072 | 26 August 2022 17:52:00 | The following information was provided by the Maryland Department of Environment via email: On August 24, 2022, at about 1840 EDT the Maryland Department of the Environment Radiological Health Program (MDE/RHP) was contacted via telephone from the Emergency Response Department (ERD) staff that the ECS Mid-Atlantic, LLC, Troxler nuclear moisture/density gauge was run over and damaged by an excavator in the project jobsite at the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro Station project. MDE/RHP inspector immediately called and contacted the RSO of the licensee and preliminary information about the accident and measures taken. The MDE/RHP inspection team responded on August 25, 2022 and August 26, 2022 went to the licensee office and conducted investigations. On the day of the accident, at about 1503 EDT the Technician moved the gauge to the side, on the curb beside the trench, and the excavator operator that moved the arm (bucket) down the trench hit the gauge. The source rod of the gauge was in its safe (parking) position and the top of the gauge was damaged. The Troxler gauge is Model 3440, with device serial number 31969 which contain Cesium - 137 sealed source with estimated nominal activities of 8 milliCuries, and Am-241:Be with estimated nominal activities of 44 milliCuries. The gauge was later locked and put into the transportation case and the technician took it to the ECS Mid-Atlantic. Surveys conducted at the surfaces of the gauge are normal; and leak test results are expected. The case has been reported to the Nuclear Material Events Database (NMED) on 8/26/2022. |
| ENS 56004 | 18 July 2022 20:41:00 | The following information was provided by the licensee via email: On 7/11/2022, at about 1215 EDT, the Maryland Department of the Environment / Radiological Health Program (MDE/RHP) was contacted via telephone by the Field Services Supervisor and Laboratory Manager of BOTA Consulting Engineering, Inc. stating that a Troxler density gauge was over-run and damaged by a dump truck at the project jobsite. The MDE/RHP inspectors spoke to the RSO (Radiation Safety Officer) and Lab Manager and responded the same day to the accident site located near Laurel, Maryland. On the day of the accident, the project contractor was working excavation, pipes installation, backfilling and compaction works. Approximately at about 1130 EDT, after compaction jobs were completed, the gauge technician was preparing to take in-place density testing on the material. The technician placed the gauge on the side of the road near to the trench and went down to the ditch for setup. A dump truck working at the excavation area drove over the gauge by the front left side rubber tire. The source rod of the gauge was in its safe (parking) position and the top cover of the gauge was damaged. The Troxler gauge is a Model 3430, with device serial number 32015 which contains a Cesium-137 sealed source with estimated nominal activity of 8 millicuries, and Am-241/Be with estimated nominal activity of 40 millicuries. The gauge was later locked and put into a transportation case and taken to BOTA Consulting Engineering, Inc. office located in Lanham, Maryland. Results of the leak test conducted on 7/13/2022 shows no leakage. The case has been reported to the Nuclear Material Events Database (NMED) on 7/12/2022. MDE/RHP will finalize a reactive investigation. |
| ENS 55429 | 24 August 2021 12:33:00 | The following was received from the Maryland Department of Environment Radiological Health Program via email: On August 17, 2021, at about 1215 EDT, the Maryland Department of the Environment Radiological Health Program (MDE/RHP) was contacted via telephone by the Operations Manager of the Montgomery County Shady Grove Transfer Station and Recycling Center located at 16101 Frederick Rd, Derwood, Maryland 20855 that a "B17 Bomber", radioactive material was thrown into a scrap metal bin. The MDE/RHP responded the same day and investigated the "B17 Bomber", which was later identified as Sextant Bubble Type (with Altitude Averaging Device) AN-5851-1, Part number 3014-1-B and Serial Number AF-42-0676, Contract number AC-26968 and manufactured by Bendix Aviation Corporation navigation instrument which contain Radium - 226 source with estimated nominal activities of 2 microcuries. The Sextant Bubble Type navigation device was dropped by unidentified person(s) at an unknown date and time and was discovered by the Montgomery County Shady Grove Transfer Station and Recycling Center staff when screened for radiation on August 17, 2021. The device was isolated and stored at the temporary hazardous materials storage in the facility by the Operations Manager. The device was later transferred to the local radioactive waste management company, the RSO, Inc. for disposal on August 20, 2021. MDE/RHP will finalize a reactive investigation. |
| ENS 55408 | 16 August 2021 17:01:00 | The following was received from the Maryland Department of Environment Radiological Health Program via email: On August 11, 2021, at approximately 1630 EDT, the Radiological Safety Officer (RSO) who is the authorized user put down the locked (Lead-Paint Analyzer) (LPA) (XRF case, with the XRF device inside) on the sidewalk next to his vehicle that was parked on the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Laurens Street in Baltimore City, Maryland after testing the exterior of a property nearby on Pennsylvania Avenue. The RSO was moving a few items around the trunk of his car to better place a ladder and went to grab the XRF case, it was gone. The RSO made the effort to check for the LPA around the block and asked individuals in the area, but the attempt was unsuccessful. On August 12, 2021, at about 1415 EDT the Maryland Department of the Environment Radiological Health Program (MDE/RHP) was contacted via telephone by the RSO of 100 percent Lead Inspections that a portable Lead-Paint Analyzer (LPA) was missing from 100 percent Lead Inspections, LLC (license number MD-05-244-01). The Lead-Paint Analyzer was identified as Viken Detection (formerly known as Heuresis), model pb200i XRF, device serial number 2861 with nominal activities of 6 milliCi of Co-57 source (on 11/15/2020), and source model A3901-02 and source serial number T3-296. The event has been later reported to the Baltimore City Police Department, in Baltimore; the Incident Number 1-210803237. MDE/RHP will conduct a reactive investigation. 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 |