transportation event

[William V Lipton <liptonw@DTEENERGY.COM>]

Please see the message pasted from the NRC Event Report for November 12,

2003.  Note that this occurred at 0700, on November 10, 2003, i.e. rush

hour.  It's good to know that a spill of radioactive material in a busy

location, but with no significant hazard, did NOT create a panic.  I did

not see any media coverage on this, although there may have been some in

the DC area.



The opinions expressed are strictly mine.

It's not about dose, it's about trust.

Curies forever.



Bill Lipton

liptonw@dteenergy.com



Other Nuclear Material Event Number: 40310

Rep Org: EASTERN ISOTOPES INC

Licensee: EASTERN ISOTOPES INC

Region: 1

City: STERLING State: VA

County:

License #: 45-25221-01DM

Agreement: N

Docket:

NRC Notified By: JOE HARLESS RSO

HQ OPS Officer: MIKE RIPLEY  Notification Date: 11/10/2003

Notification Time: 13:52 [ET]

Event Date: 11/10/2003

Event Time: 07:00 [EST]

Last Update Date: 11/10/2003

Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY

10 CFR Section:

20.2201(a)(1)(ii) - LOST/STOLEN LNM>10X

 Person (Organization):

KENNETH JENISON (R1)

DOUG BROADDUS (NMSS)

M. BROWN (DOT)

L. MARZULL (EPA)

SUSAN FRANT (IRO)





Event Text



TRANSPORTATION EVENT - SYRINGES LOST FROM COURIER VEHICLE



The licensee reported that at 0700 ET on 11/10/03, a courier was

transporting syringes containing Technetium-99M and Flourine-18 when,

while driving over the Key Bridge in Georgetown, District of Columbia,

the trunk of the vehicle popped open and 2 boxes were released just past

the bridge in Georgetown. Everything was recovered except for 1 syringe

containing 15 millicuries of Flourine-18 calibrated at 1145 ET with a

2-hr half life and 1 pig containing a syringe with 2 millicuries

Technetium-99M calibrated at 1300 ET with a 6-hr half life. Pieces of

the syringe containing the Flourine-18 were recovered and it was

believed that the syringe had been run over by a truck. A radiation

survey was performed and only very low readings were found where the

syringe had been broken. The pig containing the syringe with

Technetium-99M was not recovered and it is believed to have rolled into

a storm drain near the intersection of Reservoir Road and M Street in

Georgetown. The licensee and the local Hazmat Team determined that there

was no need to attempt a recovery of the material from the storm drain.



The licensee had initially notified the VA Dept. of Health, DC

Department of Health, and US DOT (NRC) of the released Flourine-18 prior

to realizing that the syringe containing Technetium-99M was also

missing. The licensee will be updating these agencies.









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