Semantic search
| Entered date | Event description | |
|---|---|---|
| ENS 40154 | 12 September 2003 12:39:00 | At 4:30 pm on 9/9/03 the radiation alarm pegged at off scale at the Keller Canyon Land fill from a load of trash from the Contra Costa Transfer Station. The facility's Bicron probe indicated (off scale) on the drivers side of the truck. The passenger side probe was fluctuating above normal but not off scale. (DELETED), the Operations Manager informed RHB Berkeley of the radiation alarms and that Contra County Environmental Health had also been notified. Based upon this conversation it was determined that the truck will be secured in a restricted area and access will be restricted and warning tape and signs will be used. Arrangements were made to visit the facility on 9/10/03 to determine the cause of the radiation alarms. The facility was visited on 9/10/03 and after surveys it was determined the source of the radiation alarms was cesium 137. The maximum reading on side of the dump truck was 2.5 milliRem/hr and 0.7 mRem at one meter using an Eberline RO 20 Calibrated 4/03. A Bicron Fieldspec was also used and it was determined that radiation was from cesium 137 based upon the 662 kev gamma photon. The truck was moved to an isolated area and the driver using hydraulics pushed the load out as while surveys were conducted to indicate when the source of radiation had left the truck. Based upon the identification of cesium 137 a sealed source was suspected. After the surveys indicated the source of the radiation was on the ground, rakes and wood were used to move the trash to identify the location of the source. Following surveys and raking, a small one inch cylinder or rod was identified as the source of the radiation readings. The source resembled the end of a moisture density gauge source rod. Based upon surveys it was calculated that the source contained about 8-10 milliCuries of cesium 137. Using tools the rod was placed in a lead pig and transported to CPN for further investigation. The investigation will try to determine if the rod was cut or broken off the source rod and if the serial number on the source can be used to locate it's previous owner. Surveys of the load and truck using a Ludlum Survey meter with a pancake G-m model 44-9 probe indicated their was no contamination from the source. CPN will also perform a leak on the source. Troxler and Pacific Nuclear were also contacted to see if there were any unusual requests for a new source rod in the last six months. Both companies indicated they were not aware of any such requests. Further information will be provided following this investigation. The engraved source capsule serial number is CDCW 556, 9290. This information has been reported to Troxler, Rancho Cordova, who will report it to the RSO, Troxler, North Carolina, where source/gauge/customer files are kept. |
| ENS 41859 | 20 July 2005 16:00:00 | |
| ENS 43970 | 7 February 2008 19:47:00 | The State provided the following information via email: On August 9, 2007, a dry smear of an ECD at UC Berkeley indicated a gross count rate of 5171 cpm. It was determined that this count rate indicated an activity of 0.03 uCi of Nickel-63. The ECD was returned to Varian on August 21, 2007, who determined that the leakage was less than the reportable limit of 0.005 uCi. Varian returned the ECD with the original Nickel-63 foil to UC Berkeley on August 28, 2007. On October 16, 2007, the same 15 mCi Nickel-63 foil in the same Electron Capture Detector (ECD) in the Varian gas chromatograph was again found to be leaking. The activity of the leakage was determined to be 0.06 uCi. On October 17, 2007, the use of the gas chromatograph was immediately suspended, and a follow-up survey found that the contamination was limited to the top of the ECD, the exhaust funnel and a section of the exhaust tubing. On October 19, 2007, Varian representatives removed the ECD and transported it to their facility for analysis and repair. No adverse health effects resulted from this incident. UC Berkeley notified the RHB (Radiologic Health Branch) of this matter on November 9, 2007. |
| ENS 44378 | 31 July 2008 18:11:00 | The licensee disposed of an ADAC camera in April 2008 and inadvertently failed to remove the 2 Gd-153 sources, isotope products serial numbers E2-886 and E2-890, which contained 250 mCi (9.25 GBq) each as of May 2007. The Gd sources were contained within lead shielding in the device. The sources in their shielding do not present a hazard. Currently, each of the unshielded sources would present a hazard with an exposure rate of about 124 mr/hr at one foot. Currently, the sources have decayed to around 67 mCi (134 mCi total). As of 7/31/2008, the licensee has not been successful in locating the sources. According to the licensee, Norcal, a company that performs installation and removal of medical devices, removed the ADAC Vantage camera, and disposed of it sometime in April 2008 to a Waste Transfer Station, Waste Management, in San Leandro. Waste Management was contacted and provided the names of the 2 metal recycling companies they would have used to recycle the metal. DC Metals and ALCO metals were both contacted and stated that they do not have any such device at their facility. They indicated if they had received it, the gamma camera would have been recycled to scrap metal very quickly. The RSO stated that she just learned of this incident after their consultant had asked them last week for information regarding the disposition of the two 250 mCi Gd- 153 sources. After checking, they learned the sources had not been removed and were missing. The licensee is investigating to try and determine the location of the missing two Gd-153 sources. Per report, the discovery date of this event was 7/24/2008. California Report #073008. 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. 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 44683 | 25 November 2008 14:08:00 | The following information was received from the State of California via email: A leak test of a generally licensed 9.78 mCi Nickel-63 Electron Capture Source, Serial Number NH285 28.17, manufactured by QSA Global , Inc., indicated 0.0053 uCi of Nickel-63 contamination. The source was stored in room 20D of the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California at Berkeley (UCB). The source was taken out of service and repackaged until the investigation by UCB has been completed. A second wipe of the source was taken and was negative. California 5010 Number (Date Notified): 112108 |