The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Boulder has promised to provide a complete accounting of all licensed radioactive material at its facility after the loss of three devices containing small quantities of radioactive material, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced today.
NOAA, which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, holds an NRC license, authorizing it to possess radioactive materials used in various devices for research purposes.
An NRC inspector visited NOAA’s Boulder campus on Oct. 8 and 9, with followup inspections on Oct. 30 and 31, after NOAA officials reported the loss of three devices containing small quantities of radioactive material, the NRC said today.
During the visits, the NRC interviewed workers, inspected records and reviewed NOAA’s adherence to NRC regulations for the storage handling, use and security of radioactive materials.
The NRC said that the inspector identified examples of some research activities conducted outside the scope of the NRC license that involved small quantities of low-hazard radioactive materials and some problems with inventory control.
Immediate actions to address security problems were implemented Oct. 31, said the NRC.
NOAA said today that it recently informed the NRC that two gas chromatographs that had been retired from use and placed in storage could not be accounted for. NOAA said the two missing chromatographs contain three devices between them containing “an extremely low level of radioactive material, Nickel-63.”
“The instruments are unlikely to pose a health hazard as they contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause permanent injury if exposed,” said Alexander MacDonald, director of NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory.
MacDonald said that a NOAA internal assessment, aided by the NRC investigation, has resulted in new procedures at the Earth Systems Research laboratory.
The new procedures, he said, will help prevent a similar loss.
The NRC said it had issued a “confirmatory-action letter” to NOAA. Under the terms of the letter, NOAA has agreed to provide a complete accounting of all licensed materials and details of how they are being used; submit a license amendment requesting expanded authorization for use of licensed radioactive material that addresses current research purposes; and assesses the adequacy of its radiation safety program.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or Pankratz@denverpost.com
