Semantic search
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
| Entered date | Event description | |
|---|---|---|
| ENS 45741 | 3 March 2010 12:24:00 | The following information was received from the State via facsimile: The current general licensee, M/A-COM Technology Solutions, Inc., at the same location of the former, original general licensee, Tyco Electronics M/A-COM, at 100 Chelmsford Street, in Lowell, Massachusetts has no knowledge of the location of one static elimination device. The device had been used in a process that was terminated in 2007. The facility has been searched and employees and past employees have been questioned. The general licensee has declared the device as missing. The Agreement State has contacted the distributor and determined that the device was not returned to them. Source: 10mCi, Po-210 Manufacture: NRD, Inc. Model Number: P-2021 Serial Number: 114186 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 45082 | 20 May 2009 15:14:00 | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts provided the following information via facsimile: The Commonwealth dispatched an inspector to a general licensee facility to conduct an inspection of their thickness gauges. Upon arrival, the inspector discovered that the licensee had undergone bankruptcy in 2007 and the facility was being demolished by a national liquidation company. The building that the gauges were supposed to be stored in had already been demolished. The 12 thickness gauges were NDC Systems Model #103 and each contained 150 mCi of Am-241. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has notified local scrap yards and material recyclers and will be continuing their investigation. THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "CATEGORY 3" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL Category 3 sources, if not safely managed or securely protected, could cause permanent injury to a person who handled them, or were otherwise in contact with them, for some hours. It could possibly - although it is unlikely - be fatal to be close to this amount of unshielded radioactive material for a period of days to weeks. These sources are typically used in practices such as fixed industrial gauges involving high activity sources (for example, level gauges, dredger gauges, conveyor gauges and spinning pipe gauges) and well logging. Although IAEA categorization of this event is typically based on device type, the staff has been made aware of the actual activity of the source, and after calculation determines that it is a Category 3 event. Note: the value assigned by device type "Less than Cat 3" is different than the calculated value "Category 3 |
| ENS 45014 | 23 April 2009 14:49:00 | The following was received from the commonwealth via fax: On April 16, 2009, the Covanta Haverhill trash-to-energy plant requested a routine DOT-E 11406 for the rejection of a shipment of commingled commercial and industrial trash. The shipment was returned to the point of origin in Peabody, which was the Casella Waste Systems facility at 295 Forest Street. The load was secured at 295 Forest Street in Peabody until their competent consultant could survey and process the load on April 21, 2009. The consultant separated out over 150 industrial smoke detectors from the front end loader. These devices were industrial smoke detectors. Most models contained Am-241 80 micro curies each; but many others contained 40 micro curies each of Radium-226. The consultant faxed a preliminary report to the (MA state) Agency on April 22, 2009 and pledged to follow-up with an accurate breakdown of the exact RAM and total activities involved as the information is developed. Complete information was not available as of the time of this report. This same consultant is also arranging for the legal disposition of the smoke detectors and assisting the Casella Waste Systems management in tracking down the source of the RAM. |
| ENS 44867 | 20 February 2009 14:55:00 | The following information was received via fax: The licensee was conducting an operational test of their thickness gauge at their office facility. Upon turning the gauge on the operational check revealed the thickness gauge shutter would not open. The manufacturer's service contractor has been notified and a service technician has been requested to visit and repair the gauge. |
| ENS 44754 | 6 January 2009 13:28:00 | The following information was provided by the State via e-mail: An exclusive load of trash from a residential clean out from a dwelling resulted in a rejection at the transfer station (Allied Waste) when the radiation alarms sounded. The hauler provided the name of a person who had assisted a clean out of a deceased relative's residence in Amesbury, Massachusetts. Upon notification, they were required to hire the services of a competent consultant (Radiac Environmental Services out of Brooklyn, NY) to separate and identify the radioactive constituents. The competent consultant discovered a small knob, affixed to a machine screw assembly, located within a voluminous collection of household refuse. The consultant subsequently determined that the (knob) assembly contained 5 micro-curies of radium-226. The consultant also arranged for the proper packaging and shipment of this gadget for the relative of the deceased owner. The package was shipped from Newbury, Massachusetts to Brooklyn, New York on November 13, 2008. The shipment arrived in New York on November 17, 2008. This matter is considered closed. |
| ENS 44243 | 28 May 2008 18:21:00 | The following information was received from the State of Massachusetts via facsimile: A shipment of ferrous scrap metal from a trash to energy generating facility set off the radiation alarms at the entrance to the scrap facility and was immediately rejected. A consultant responded to the facility with an isotope identifier and reported Radium-226 in the load. Insofar as the highest exposure rate on the surface of the trailer was 0.6 millirem/hour, a DOT-E 10656 was issued to permit travel back to the point of origin. The company that originated the shipment has acquired the services of a different consultant to evaluate the situation at their facility, contain the problem and to document the legal disposition of the radioactive material. |