Information Notice 1988-07, Inadvertent Transfer of Licensed Material to Uncontrolled Locations
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS
WASHINGTON, D.C.
20555
March 7, 1988
NRC INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 88-07:
INADVERTENT TRANSFER OF LICENSED MATERIAL
TO UNCONTROLLED LOCATIONS
Addressees
All NRC broad licensees and licensees authorized to possess byproduct material
as sealed sources in teletherapy units or 'self-contained" irradiators.
Purpose
- -
This infornation notice is being issued to alert licensees of the need to
exercis e'
proper control over radioactive material, and to avoid inadvertent
transfer of licensed material to uncontrolled locations or to unauthorized
recipients. The NRC is particularly concerned about large sources such as
those used in teletherapy units and irradiators. It is expected that licensees
will review-this information for applicability to their licensed activities, distribute the notice to responsible radiation safety staff, and consider
actions, if appropriate, to prevent similar problems from occurring at their
facilities. However, this information notice does not constitute new NRC
requiements, and no written response is required.
Description of Circumstances
A cesium-137 teletherapy unit in Brazil was abandoned in a building which once
housed a clinic. Someone removed the teletherapy unit for its scrap metal
value.' While dismantling the unit, the salvagers ruptured the sealed source
capsule and spread cesium-137 (as cesium chloride powder) over a large portion
of a city 'in
central Brazil.
The cesium chloride powder had an attractive color, and the salvagers shared
the powder with friends and relatives. To date, four persons have died from
radiation overexposures, and a number of persons are under medical surveillance.
Severalcountries, including the United States, have assisted the Brazilian
government in radiation monitoring, decontamination, and treatment of injured
personnel.
Discussion:
The Brazilian incident illustrates the serious consequences which can result
from failure to properly control radioactive material.
Events involving loss
or theft of radioactive material also occur frequently in the United States, although the events have been less serious in nature. The Commission is con- cerned that licensees might not, in all cases, be exercising proper management
880302003
K-J
V
IN 88-07 March 7, 1988 oversight to avoid such incidents. The NRC staff is currently considering
whether additional regulatory requirements should be developed in order to
reduce the risk of loss of hazardous radioactive material.
In the meantime, it is suggested that licensees review their licensed programs, license, and applicable regulations in order to assure that all radioactive
material is accounted for, and to determine whether adequate precautions are
in place to prevent unauthorized access, theft, or loss.
In particular, licensees
should note the following:
1. Title 10 CFR Part 20 contains several requirements regarding
posting of radiation areas, labeling of radioactive material
containers, and restriction of access to radioactive material.
2. Most licensees are required by regulation or license condition to
periodically inventory or leak test sealed sources at intervals of
three months or six months.
3.
Section 30.51 requires licensees to maintain records of receipt, transfer, and disposal of all licensed material.
4.
Placing surplus radioactive material into long-term storage, when
there is not an anticipated future need for the material, may even- tually result in loss of the material, or access to it by persons
not knowledgeable of proper precautions. If this happens, high
levels of radiation exposure and widespread contamination could
--occur.--ThereforeNRC Co Diders that long-term-storageo.ofsurplus.
radioactive material is undesirable. While NRC regulations do not
require licensees to promptly dispose of unused radioactive material, licensee management may want to consider disposition through disposal
at a licensed burial site, or transfer to another authorized licensee
who would have a current need for it.
Violations of NRC requirements involving the failure to control or account for
licensed material, especially if the failure results in loss or theft, will be
considered for escalated enforcement action.
No written response is required by this notice.
If you have any questions about
this matter, please contact the appropriate NRC regional office, or this office.
Richard E. Cunningham, Director
Division of Industrial and
Medical Nuclear Safety
Office of Nuclear Material
Safety and Safeguards
Technical Contact:
Jack R. Metzger, NMSS
(301) 492-3424 Attachment: List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
Attachment
March 7, 1988 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED
,.
I
NRC INFORMATION NOTICES
Information
Date of
Notice No.
Subject
Issuance
Issued to
88-06
88-05
88-04
Foreign Objects in Steam
Generators
Fire in Annunciator Control
Cabinets
Inadequate Qualification
and Documentation of Fire
Barrier Penetration Seals
Cracks in Shroud Support
Access Hole Cover Welds
2/29/88
2/11/88
2/5/88
2/2/88
2/2/88
88-03
88-02
All holders of OLs
All holders of OLs
or CPs for nuclear
power reactors.
All holders of OLs
or CPs for nuclear
power reactors.
All holders of OLs
All NRC licensees
authorized to possess
gauges under a
specific or general
license.
All holders of OLs
or CPs for nuclear
power reactors.
88-01
Safety Injection Pipe
Failure
1/27/88
86-81, Supp. 1
Broken External Closure
Springs on Atwood & Morrill
Main Steam Isolation Valves
1/11/88
All holders of OLs
or CPs for nuclear
power reactors.
87-67
87-66
87-28, Supp. 1
Lessons Learned from
Regional Inspections of
Licensee Actions in Response
Inappropriate Application
of Commercial-Grade
Components
Air Systems Problems at
U.S. Light Water Reactors
12/31/87
12/31/87
12/28/87
All holders of OLs
or CPs for nuclear
power reactors.
All holders of OLs
or CPs for nuclear
power reactors.
All holders of OLs
or CPs for nuclear
power reactors.
OL = Operating License
CP = Construction Permit
IN 88- March
1988 In the meantime, it is suggested that licensees review their licensed
programs, license, and applicable regulations in order to assure that all
radioactive material is accounted for, and to determine whether adequate
precautions are in place to prevent unauthorized access, theft, or loss. In
particular, licensees should note the following:
1. Title 10 CFR Part 20 contains several requirements regarding
posting of radiation areas, labeling of radioactive material
containers, and restriction of access to radioactive material.
2. Most licensees are required by regulation or license condition to
periodically inventory or leak test sealed sources at intervals of
three months or six months.
3. Section 30.51 requires licensees to maintain records of receipt, transfer, and disposal of all licensed material.
4.
Placing surplus radioactive material into long-term storage, when
there is not an anticipated future need for the material, may
eventually result in loss of the material, or access to it by
persons not knowledgeable of proper precautions. If this happens, high levels of radiation exposure and widespread contamination could
occur. Therefore, NRC considers that long-term storage of
surplus radioactive material is undesirable. While NRC regulations
do not require licensees to promptly dispose of unused radioactive
material, licensee management may want to consider disposition
through disposal at a licensed burial site, or transfer to another
authorized licensee who would have a current need for it.
Violations of NRC requirements involving the failure to control or account for
licensed material, especially if the failure results in loss or theft, will be
considered for escalated enforcement action.
No written response is required by this notice. If you have any questions about
this matter, please contact the appropriate NRC regional office, or this office.
Richard E. Cunningham, Director
Division of Industrial and
Medical Nuclear Safety
Office of Nuclear Material
Safety and Safeguards
Technical Contact:
Jack R. Metzger, NMSS
(301) 492-3424 Ellen Kraus, editor *
Mary King
- SEE PREVIOUS CONCURRENCE
OFC :*IMOB
- IMOB
- I)OB
- UD:IMNS
- OE
- D:IMNS
__-
__
NAME:JMetzger/mk:DCool
- JI key :GSjoblom :JLieberman :RCunningham
2--------
/2__8_________
_____2_4_8_8__ ____ 2__2_5__8_--___2__2___8____
---
_____---
_____________--
DATE:
2/24/88 : 2//24/8
8 : 224/88 : 2/25/88 : 2/24/88 : /3 /88
OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
IN 88- March 1988 In the meantime, it is suggested that licensees review their licens
programs, license, and applicable regulations in order to assure
at all
radioactive material is accounted for, and to determine whether dequate
precautions are in place to prevent unauthorized access, thefts or loss. In
particular, licensees should note the following:
1. Title 10 CFR Part 20 contains several requirem ts regarding
posting of radiation areas, labeling of radi ctive material
containers, and restriction of access to ra oactive material.
2. Most licensees are required by regulatio or license condition to
periodically inventory or leak test sea d sources at intervals of
three months or six months.
3. Section 30.51 requires licensee to
intain records of receipt, transfer, and disposal of all lice ed material.
4. Placing surplus radioactive mat eal into long-term storage, when
there is not an anticipated fu re need for the material, may
eventually result in loss of
e material, or access to it by
persons not knowledgeable of roper precautions.
If this happens, high levels of radiation e osure and widespread contamination could
occur. Therefore, NRC co2fiders that long-term storage of
radioactive material is
desirable. While NRC regulations do not
require licensees to pr ptly dispose of unused radioactive material, licensee management ma want to consider disposition through
disposal at a licens
burial site, or transfer to another
authorized licensee ho would have a current need for it.
Violations of Commission's
quirements involving the failure to control or
account for licensed mater 1, especially if material is unaccounted for by
loss or theft, will be co sidered for escalated enforcement action.
No written response is equired by this notice. If you have any questions about
this matter, please co tact the appropriate NRC regional office, or this office.
Richard E. Cunningham, Director
Division of Industrial and
Medical Nuclear Safety
Office of Nuclear Material
Safety and Safeguards
Technical Cont t:
Jack R. Metzger, NMSS
(301) 492-3424 Ellen Kraus, editor *
Mary King
- SEE PREVIOUS CONCURRENCE
OFC :*IMOB AI
- IMOB :*IMOB
- DD:I~rS .*OE
- D:IMNS
_--------
NAME:JMe't'ger/mk:DCool
- JHickey :GS4
- JLieberman :RCunningham
DATE:
2/24/88
- 2/24/88 : 2/24/88 :2 /2?f/88
- 2/24/88 : /
/88
-________________-____-___-_-
____________-___-_-
___- _____________________________
OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
IN 88- March 1988 In the meantime, it is suggested that licensees review their license
programs, license, and applicable regulations in order to assure t t all
radioactive material is accounted for, and to determine whether
equate
precautions are in place to prevent unauthorized access, theft or loss. In
particular, licensees should note the following:
1. Title 10 CFR Part 20 contains several requir ents regarding
posting of radiation areas, labeling of ra
oactive material
containers, and restriction of access to adioactive material.
2. Most licensees are required by regul
on or license condition to
periodically inventory or leak tes
sealed sources at intervals of
three months or six months.
3. Section 30.51 requires licens
to maintain records of receipt, transfer, and disposal of al
licensed material.
4.
Placing surplus radioacti e material in long-term storage increases
the risk of inadvertent oss, because the material may be
forgotten. Licensees
ould promptly dispose of surplus
radioactive material y transfer to an authorized recipient.
Violations of Conmmission's r quirements involving the failure to control or
account for licensed materi1, especially if material is unaccounted for by
loss or theft, will be co idered for escalated enforcement action.
No written response is equired by this notice. If you have any questions abi
this matter, please c tact the appropriate NRC regional office, or this offti
Richard E. Cunningham, Director
Division of Industrial and
Medical Nuclear Safety
Office of Nuclear Material
Safety and Safeguards
Technical Contact:
Jack R. Metzger, NMSS
(301) 492-3424
Ellen K aus, editor
Mary K g
Dut
ce.
UFC :IIMOB
- IMOB
- IMOB
- DD: IMNS
- OEi
- D:IMNS
,- ------
---
--R-w -- k-ZI-
NAME:
er/mk:D
- JHFckey :GSjoblom :JLieberman :RCunningham
ad----
--------- ------------------------------------- ----------
DATE:
.2,//88 : h/q
4/88 : >/P"/88 : A/ /88 :_ 19/1
88 : / /88 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY