UNITED STATES 

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

OFFICE OF FEDERAL AND STATE MATERIALS 

AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 

September 28, 2007 

NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 2007-33: EXPOSURES TO MEMBERS OF THE 

 PUBLIC CAUSED BY INADEQUATE 

 CONTROLS OVER WELL LOGGING 

 SOURCES 

ADDRESSEES 

All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Well Logging Licensees. All Agreement 

State Radiation Control Program Directors and State Liaison Officers. 

PURPOSE 

The NRC is issuing this Information Notice (IN) to alert addressees to recent events 

resulting in exposures to members of the public after sealed sources of licensed material 

were not properly stored in shielded containers before or after use. 

Recipients should review the information contained in this IN for applicability to 

their facilities, and consider actions, as appropriate. However, recommendations 

contained in this IN are not new NRC requirements; therefore, no specific action nor 

written response is required. NRC is providing this IN to the Agreement States for their 

information, and for distribution to their well logging licensees, as appropriate. 

DESCRIPTION OF CIRCUMSTANCES 

During February 2007, a licensee of the Agreement State of Oklahoma lost control of a 

well logging sealed source while attempting to load it into a shielded storage container on 

a truck at the licensee=s facility. The 700 millicurie (26 GBq) cesium-137 sealed source 

was removed from a storage pit with a handling tool and carried across a driveway with 

the tool for installation into the shielded container mounted on the truck. The source was 

not fully secured in the container, so when the work crew left in the truck, the source was 

left lying in the gravel driveway of the shop. 

Later that morning, a licensee employee who was not trained as a radiation worker, 

noticed what he considered to be a specialized bolt lying on the ground. The employee 

picked up the source and put it into his jacket pocket. The jacket was worn for about four 

hours that day then was hung in a closet in the shop overnight with the source still in it. 

The source was identified as missing the next morning and was retrieved. 

A chromosomal analysis of a blood sample of the worker indicated a possible exposure 

of 10 rads (0.1 Gy) averaged whole body dose. Another worker who was near the first 

ML072700212 
IN 2007-33 

Page 2 of 3 

worker for some time also received an exposure in excess of the 100 milllirem (1 mSv) 

limit to a member of the public (10 CFR 20.1301). 

The causes of the incident included the following: 

1. Failure to conduct a radiation survey to identify the location of the source after 

transfer to the truck as required by regulatory requirements. 

2. Source handling tool design did not positively secure the source into the tool. 

3. The shielded container design did not positively secure the source into the 

container. 

4. Inadequate lighting in the driveway. (The source was transferred to the truck 

before sunrise.) 

5. Failure to train workers to identify unshielded well logging sources. 

A similar event occurred during January 2006 in New Mexico when a 2.5 curie (93 GBq) 

cesium-137 source was lost during transfer from a logging tool to a shielded container on 

a truck. The licensee departed the work site unaware that the source remained behind. 

Members of the public received exposures less than the regulatory limit before the 

licensee identified the loss and retrieved the source several hours later. Failure to 

conduct a survey was again identified as the principal cause of the incident. 

DISCUSSION 

While all of the identified failures played a role in each of the two events, the principal 

cause was failure to conduct surveys to ensure the location of sealed sources. 

Licensees should ensure that workers conduct radiation surveys to ascertain the location 

of each source after movement. Surveys of shielded containers should be made to 

ensure that sources are within them after loading. Such surveys are required to be 

included in operating and emergency procedures described in 10 CFR 39.63 or 

equivalent Agreement State regulations. 

The NRC has recently issued a wall poster to help identify radioactive scrap. This poster 

can be used to familiarize workers with the appearance of unshielded sources of 

radioactive material. Copies of the poster (NUREG/BR-0108, Rev. 1) can be obtained by 

contacting the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Administration, Mail 

Distribution and Messenger Team, Washington, DC 20555, or E-mail 

distribution@nrc.gov. The poster can also be viewed and downloaded at 

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/brochures/br0108. The poster is 

available in both English and Spanish. 
IN 2007-33 

Page 3 of 3 

CONTACTS 

This IN requires no specific action nor written response. If you have any questions about 

the information in this notice, please contact the technical contact below. 

 /RA/ by Robert J. Lewis Acting for/ 

 Janet R. Schlueter, Director 

 Division of Materials Safety 

 and State Agreements 

 Office of Federal and State Materials 

 and Environmental Management Programs 

Technical Contact(s): 

 

Charles L. Cain, RIV J. Bruce Carrico, FSME 

Phone: 817-860-8186 Phone: 301-415-7826 

E-mail: clc@nrc.gov E-mail: jbc@nrc.gov

Enclosure: List of Recently Issued NMSS/FSME 

Generic Communications 
IN 2007-33 

Page 3 of 3 

CONTACTS 

This IN requires no specific action nor written response. If you have any questions about 

the information in this notice, please contact the technical contact below. 

 /RA/ by Robert J. Lewis Acting for/ 

 Janet R. Schlueter, Director 

 Division of Materials Safety 

 and State Agreements 

 Office of Federal and State Materials 

 and Environmental Management Programs 

Technical Contact(s): 

 

Charles L. Cain, RIV J. Bruce Carrico, FSME 

Phone: 817-860-8186 Phone: 301-415-7826 

E-mail: clc@nrc.gov E-mail: jbc@nrc.gov

Enclosure: List of Recently Issued NMSS/FSME 

Generic Communications 

DISTRIBUTION:

DMSSA r/f 

ML072700212

OFC FSME/DMSSA FSME/DMSSA FSME/DMSSA FSME/DMSSA 

NAME JBCarrico DWhite AMcIntosh RLewis 

DATE 9/27/07 9/27/07 9/07/07 9 /28/07 

OFC RIV FSME/DMSSA 

NAME CCain JSchlueter 

DATE 9/28 /07 9/28 /07 
Enclosure 

IN 2007-33 

Page 1 of 3 

Recently Issued FSME/NMSS Generic Communications

Date GC No. Subject Addressees 

02/02/07 IN-07-03 Reportable Medical Events Involving 

Patients Receiving Dosages of 

Sodium Iodide Iodine-131 less than 

the Prescribed Dosage Because of 

Capsules Remaining in Vials after 

Administration 

All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

medical use licensees and NRC Master 

Materials Licensees. All Agreement State 

Radiation Control Program Directors and 

State Liaison Officers. 

02/28/07 IN-07-08 Potential Vulnerabilities of Timereliant Computer-based Systems 

Due to Change in Daylight Saving 

Time Dates 

All U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

licensees and all Agreement State 

Radiation Control Program Directors and 

State Liaison Officers. 

03/13/07 IN-07-10 Yttrium-90 Theraspheres® and 

Sirspheres®

 Impurities 

All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

(NRC) Medical Licensees and NRC Master 

Materials Licensees. All Agreement State 

Radiation Control Program Directors and 

State Liaison Officers. 

04/04/07 IN-07-13 Use of As-Found Conditions to 

Evaluate Criticality-related Process 

Upsets at Fuel Cycle Facilities 

All licensees authorized to possess a 

critical mass of special nuclear material. 

05/02/07 IN-07-16 Common Violations of the Increased 

Controls Requirements and Related 

Guidance Documents 

All licensees who are implementing the 

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

(NRC) Order Imposing Increased Controls 

(EA-05-090), issued November 14, 2005 

and December 22, 2005. 

05/21/07 IN-07-19 Fire Protection Equipment Recalls 

and Counterfeit Notices 

All holders of operating licenses for nuclear 

power reactors and fuel cycle facilities; 

except those licensees for reactors that 

have permanently ceased operations and 

who have certified that fuel has been 

permanently removed from the reactor 

vessel; and except those licensees for 

decommissioned fuel cycle facilities. 

06/11/07 IN-07-20 Use of Blank Ammunition All power reactors, Category I fuel cycle 

facilities, independent spent fuel storage 

installations, conversion facility, and 

gaseous diffusion plants. 
Enclosure 

IN 2007-33 

Page 2 of 3 

Date GC No. Subject Addressees 

07/19/07 IN-07-25 Suggestions from the Advisory 

Committee on the Medical Use of 

Isotopes For Consideration to 

Improve Compliance With Sodium 

Iodide I-131 Written Directive 

Requirements in 10 CFR 35.40 and 

Supervision Requirements in 10 

CFR 35.27 

All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

(NRC) medical-use licensees and NRC 

Master Materials Licensees. All 

Agreement State Radiation Control 

Program Directors and State Liaison 

Officers. 

08/08/07 IN-07-23 Inadvertent Discharge of Halon 

1301Fire-suppression System from 

Incorrect and/or Out-of-date 

Procedures 

All holders of operating licenses for nuclear 

power reactors, except those who have 

permanently ended operations and have 

certified that fuel has been permanently 

removed from the reactor vessel. All 

holders of licenses for fuel cycle facilities. 

08/13/07 IN-07-26 Combustibility of Epoxy Floor 

Coatings at Commercial Nuclear 

Power Plants 

All holders of operating licenses for nuclear 

power reactors and fuel cycle facilities 

except licensees for reactors that have 

permanently ceased operations and who 

have certified that fuel has been 

permanently removed from the reactor 

vessel. 

09/13/07 IN-07-30 Radiological Controls Create 

Criticality Safety Accident Scenario 

for Fissile Solution Container 

Transport at Fuel Cycle Facility 

All licensees authorized to possess a 

critical mass of special nuclear material. 

03/01/07 RIS-07-03 Ionizing Radiation Warning Symbol All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

licensees and certificate holders. All 

Radiation Control Program Directors and 

State Liaison Officers 

03/09/07 RIS-07-04 Personally Identifiable Information 

Submitted to the U.S. Nuclear 

Regulatory Commission 

All holders of operating licenses for nuclear 

power reactors and holders of and 

applicants for certificates for reactor 

designs. All licensees, certificate holders, 

applicants, and other entities subject to 

regulation by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission (NRC) of the use of source, 

byproduct, and special nuclear material 

03/20/07 RIS-07-05 Status and Plans for Implementation 

of NRC Regulatory Authority for 

Certain Naturally-occurring and 

Accelerator-produced Radioactive 

Material 

All NRC materials licensees, Radiation 

Control Program Directors, State Liaison 

Officers, and NRC’s Advisory Committee 

on the Medical Uses of Isotopes 

04/05/07 RIS-07-07 Clarification of Increased Controls 

for Licensees That Possess 

Collocated Radioactive Material 

During Transportation Activities 

All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

(NRC) licensees issued NRC’s Order 

Imposing Increased Controls and all 

Radiation Control Program Directors and 

State Liaison Officers 
Enclosure 

IN 2007-33 

Page 3 of 3 

Date GC No. Subject Addressees 

05/04/07 RIS-07-09 Examples of Recurring Requests for 

Additional Information (RAIs) for 10 

CFR Part 71 and 72 Applications 

All holders of, and applicants for, a: (1) 10 

CFR Part 71 certificate of compliance 

(CoC) for a radioactive material 

transportation package; (2) 10 CFR Part 72 

CoC for a spent fuel storage cask; and (3) 

10 CFR Part 72 specific license for an 

independent spent fuel storage installation 

(ISFSI). 

06/27/07 RIS-06-27, 

Suppl. 1 

Availability of NRC 313A Series of 

Forms and Guidance for Their 

Completion 

All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

(NRC) medical-use licensees and NRC 

Master Materials licensees. All Radiation 

Control Program Directors and State 

Liaison Officers. 

05/15/07 RIS-07-10 Subscriptions To New List Server 

For Automatic Notifications Of 

Medical-Related Generic 

Communications, Federal Register 

Notices And Newsletters 

All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

(NRC) medical-use licensees and NRC 

Master Materials licensees. All Radiation 

Control Program Directors and State 

Liaison Officers. 

08/31/07 RIS-07-13 Verification of the Authenticity of 

Materials Possession Licenses 

All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

materials licensees. All Agreement State 

Radiation Control Program Directors and 

State Liaison Officers. 

09/07/07 RIS-07-18 Data for Updating the Interim 

Inventory of Radioactive Sources 

All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

(NRC) Part 40, Part 50, Part 70, Part 72, 

and Part 76 licensees and certificate 

holders who are authorized to possess 

sources of radioactive material 

at the Category “3.5" (as defined below) 

activity or higher. 

Note: A full listing of generic communications may be viewed at the NRC public website at the following address:

http://www.nrc.gov/Electronic Reading Room/Document Collections/Generic Communications