The following information was received via email:
[The licensee Radiation Safety Officer (RSO)], for Ames Municipal, Iowa License 0147-1-85-FG reported [to the state] via phone a 'sticky' shutter for their Texas Nuclear fixed gauge device, model number 5197, Cs-137, 100 mCi (September 1980), serial number B843. The RSO said that during a shutter check this morning at approximately 10:00 a.m. the shutter was in the closed position, however the indicator showed that it was not completely closed. This fixed gauge is usually in the open position as it is a level detection device for the coal hopper. They only close it when doing scheduled work on the machine/hopper that requires the shutter to be closed. He reports that a leak test on October 15th was good and that a radiation worker adjusted a detector on October 28th and was able to close the shutter on that day.
[The RSO] reports that no employees were exposed to radiation as a result of this event and that they are going to attempt to mitigate the issue on the morning of November 2nd. He will report to the
Iowa Department of Public Health for updates.