ENS Event | |
|---|---|
06:00 Mar 5, 2025 | |
| Title | Lost Radioactive Source |
| Event Description | The following is a summary of information provided by the New Mexico Environment Department, Radiation Control Bureau (RCB) via phone:
The RCB was notified that a 10 mCi sealed Ni-63 source from a gas chromatograph has been lost. The loss was first discovered on March 5, 2025, during a routine audit. The licensee conducted a thorough search of the premises and could not locate the source. The loss was reported to RCB on July 30, 2025. The last confirmed physical accounting of the source was in 1995. RCB is investigating this incident. 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 |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Southwest Bio-Labs Las Cruces, New Mexico (NRC Region 4) | |
| License number: | RD-206-19 |
| Organization: | New Mexico Rad Control Program |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+3851 h160.458 days <br />22.923 weeks <br />5.275 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Carl Sullivan 16:00 Aug 12, 2025 |
| NRC Officer: | Adam Koziol |
| Last Updated: | Aug 12, 2025 |
| 57862 - NRC Website | |
Southwest Bio-Labs with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 578622025-03-05T06:00:0005 March 2025 06:00:00
[Table view]Agreement State Lost Radioactive Source 2025-03-05T06:00:00 | |