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 Entered dateEvent description
ENS 471172 August 2011 16:43:00

The following report was received from the State of Alabama via fax: On the afternoon of July 20, 2011, a representative of the Alabama Office of Radiation Control (the Agency) discovered that five general license devices containing radioactive material were unaccounted for at the closed Quantegy, Inc. facility located in Opelika, AL. The Agency representative was there to perform a routine inspection of general licensed activities and discovered that the facility was being demolished and the metal was being sold for scrap. Records indicate that the company did possess at one time fifteen general license devices. The Agency representative was able to account for ten of the fifteen devices. Five devices are unaccounted for at this time. The demolition crew, the scrap company and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources have been made aware of the missing devices. Also, the Agency is working with the manufacturer to determine if these devices were returned to the manufacturer in the past. The devices missing include four NDC Model 105 devices containing 250 millicuries (original assay) each of Cm-244. The serial numbers on record for these devices are 6075, 6025, 6102 and 6024. The fifth device missing is an NDC Model 103 device containing 150 millicuries (original assay) of Am-241. The serial number on record for this device is 2063. This is all the information that this Agency has at this time and is current as of 1530 CDT, August 2, 2011. Alabama Incident No.: 11-30

  • * * UPDATE FROM THE ALABAMA OFFICE OF RADIATION CONTROL TO HUFFMAN VIA FAX ON 7/12/12 AT 1605 EDT * * *

On August 2, 2011, the NRC Operations Center was informed of an incident when five general devices containing radioactive material were determined to be unaccounted for at the closed Quantegy, Inc. facility located in Opelika, AL. At that time, an Agency representative was able to account for ten general license devices. These ten devices were secured in a building on site. On July 12, 2012, the Agency was advised that five of the ten in storage were now missing and are considered stolen. All five devices are NDC model 105 gauges each containing Curium-244. The serial number and activity of each are noted below: NDC 105 SN 6025 Cm-244 250 mCi on 11/84 NDC 105 SN 6062 Cm-244 250 mCi on 8/87 NDC 105 SN 6064 Cm-244 250 mCi on 10/87 NDC 105 SN 6027 Cm-244 100 mCi on 5/98 NDC 105 SN 6001 Cm-244 250 mCi on 10/83 The owner of the property indicated that the devices were stolen with other property in the recent past and the local law enforcement was notified. The time and date of the theft has not yet been made available to the Agency. A copy of the police report has been requested. The five remaining devices were impounded by Agency personnel for security on the morning of July 12, 2012. R1DO (Burritt) has been notified. FSME Resources ILTAB notified via e-mail. 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 This source is not amongst those sources or devices identified by the IAEA Code of Conduct for the Safety & Security of Radioactive Sources to be of concern from a radiological standpoint. Therefore is it being categorized as a less than Category 3 source.

ENS 461474 August 2010 15:10:00The following report was received from the State of Alabama via fax: The Agency (Alabama Office of Radiation Control) received a call from representatives at Huron Valley Steel Corporation in Anniston, AL on August 2, 2010 regarding elevated readings from a load of scrap. Huron Valley personnel indicated that the facility received the load from American Cast Iron Pipe Company (ACIPCO) in Birmingham, Alabama. An Agency representative asked Huron Valley personnel (to) isolate and secure the scrap. Agency representatives visited Huron Valley Steel on August 3, 2010 to assist with measurement, identification, and securing the possible source of radiation. Agency representatives noted that the source of radiation was approximately 6 inches wide x 2 inches deep x 1-2 inches (in) height. Agency representatives noted that the source of radiation no longer bore any identifying marks and appeared to be compacted. Agency representatives noted that exposure readings were approximately 330 mR/hr at approximately 4 inches from the source. Agency representatives measured for removable contamination in the field (none noted); representatives noted that areas around the source's location in the scrap did not appear to be contaminated. Agency representatives ensured that the source of radiation was isolated, shielded, and secured as of the date and time of submission of this report. The Alabama Office of Radiation Control (Agency) is investigating the origination point of this source of radiation. Agency personnel are gathering data for personnel exposure estimations. Agency personnel are in the process of identifying the nuclide in the source of radiation. The aforementioned information is the most current information available to the Agency as of the date of report submission, August 4, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. central time. Alabama Incident 10-35 - Report regarding Source of Radiation Found in Scrap
ENS 4341711 June 2007 16:57:00This event was received via facsimile from the State of Alabama SUBJECT: Alabama Incident 07-25 - Damage to Instrotek Model 3500 Moisture Density Gauge. On the morning of June 11, 2007 at approximately 8:05 am CDT, the Alabama Office of Radiation Control received a phone call from a representative of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources advising the Agency that a moisture density gauge containing radioactive material had been run over by a dozer at a temporary job site in Phenix City, Alabama. The gauge was an Instrotek model 3500, serial number 583 containing 10 millicuries of Cs -137 and 40 millicuries of Am-241:Be. The licensee, Building and Earth Sciences of Columbus, Georgia notified the Georgia Department of Natural Resources at the time the incident occurred. Upon notification, the writer called the licensee's technician at the site to check the status of the incident. According to the licensee, the sources were in the shielded position and the area was restricted. The licensee's Radiation Safety Officer arrived at the scene and surveyed the area, the dozer and the gauge. Radiation levels around the gauge were found to be within the normal range. The gauge was placed in the transport container and returned to the licensee's facility and a leak test was performed. Leak test results are pending. Building and Earth Sciences is authorized to possess and use radioactive material under their Georgia Radioactive Material License No. GA. 1136-1. This is all the information that this Agency has at this time and is current as of 3:00 pm CDT, June 11, 2007.
ENS 4298813 November 2006 16:03:00

Information was received via facsimile SUBJECT: Stolen Gauge Containing Radioactive Material - Alabama Event 06-46 On the morning of November 13, 2006 at 8:00 am, (deleted) of Building and Earth Sciences, Inc. notified the Alabama Office of Radiation Control Duty Officer that a Troxler Model 3430 moisture density gauge was stolen from the back of pickup truck that was parked at a commercial storage location in Albertville, Alabama. Building and Earth Sciences, Inc. is authorized to possess and use radioactive material under their Alabama Radioactive Material License No. 1266. Preliminary information indicates that the gauge was discovered stolen approximately 1:30 pm on the afternoon of November 12, 2006. (Deleted) indicated that the Albertville Police Department had been notified and responded to the incident. The gauge was believed stolen sometime between 12:45 pm and 1:30 pm on November 12, 2006. The stolen gauge was identified as a Troxler model 3430, serial number 37367 with 8 millicuries of Cs-137, and 40 millicuries of Am-241:Be. (Deleted) indicated that a number of other items were stolen from the victim including three motorcycles and an air compressor. This information is current as of 3:00 pm CDT - November 13, 2006.

  • * * UPDATE PROVIDED BY ALABAMA (TURBERVILLE) TO KOZAL VIA FAX ON 11/17/06 AT 0848 * * *

On the morning of November 16, 2006, (Deleted) of Building and Earth Sciences,. Inc, notified the Alabama Office of Radiation Control that the Albertville Police Department had found the Troxler model 3430 moisture density gauge that was stolen from the licensee on November 12, 2006. Building and Earth Sciences, Inc is authorized to possess and use radioactive material under their Alabama Radioactive Material License No. 1266. The police department was given as anonymous tip and found the device in its transport container located in an abandoned lot in Albertville, Alabama. (Deleted) surveyed the device and found radiation levels were acceptable. An inspection of the device confirmed that this was the device stolen from the licensee on November 12, 2006. It was noted that someone had poured bleach on the unit. This appeared to be the only damage to the unit. (Deleted) took possession of the unit and was advised to perform a leak test of the unit before placing it back in service. Notified R1DO (Henderson), NMSS EO (Camper), R1 (White) via-email and ILTAB (Sandler) 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.