1. Bureau of Radiological Health (Bureau) Assumes Enforcement Document Processing
2. Retirement of Bureau Administrative Assistant
3. Radioactive Materials Section (RMS) Report
4. Nonionizing Radiation Section Inspections at Xanadu Construction Site
5. Southern Crossing Full Field Exercise
6. Tritium in Groundwater Investigation at Salem/Hope Creek

1. Bureau of Radiological Health (Bureau) Assumes Enforcement Document Processing

During the month of August, BRH began issuing enforcement documents through the Department’s NJEMS database system for violations discovered at facilities using medical or industrial x-ray machines and any violations against radiological technologists and educational programs. This achievement is the culmination of the Radiation Protection Programs and Enforcement Services efforts to incorporate all radiation elements into the Department’s NJEMS database systems. The Bureau continues to work with its computer vendor to link the Bureau’s “X-RAY” database information with NJEMS. The Bureau will also handle all case management duties and other enforcement related activities including settlement conferences, penalty payment tracking and providing testimony at hearings for contested cases. Future monthly reports will incorporate statistical information regarding the Bureau’s enforcement activities.

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2. Retirement of Bureau Administrative Assistant

After more than twenty-five years of outstanding service with the State of New Jersey, Ms. Linda Matuszewski retired on August 31, 2006. Ms. Matuszewski was honored with a retirement luncheon on August 24, 2006 at the General’s Quarters, Mercer Airport. Linda was very instrumental in keeping the office running smoothly and processing all travel and purchase requests in a competent fashion. She will be sorely missed and the Bureau family wishes her a happy and healthy retirement!

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3. Radioactive Materials Section (RMS) Report

On Wednesday, August 23, 2006 the RMS was contacted by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The NRC requested assistance at an incident in Ewing. An abandoned gauge containing approximately 9 milliCuries of Cs-137 was found at a construction site. An NRC inspector was dispatched to the scene, but since the RMS is closer, the NRC asked that the RMS respond to the scene and perform an initial assessment. An RMS representative was sent to investigate. The gauge appeared to be intact, with exposure levels within regulatory limits. After the NRC representative arrived, it was discovered that NRC has no mechanism to dispose of such found sources. The NRC leaves it up to the States, if the owner cannot be located. The Bureau of Emergency Response was contacted and was dispatched to the scene in case the Spill Fund had to be used to dispose of the gauge. Fortunately, the NRC was able to locate the owner of the gauge. It had been reported as missing by Trap Rock Industries, Inc. (Trap Rock) of Kingston a few years ago. Trap Rock dispatched a representative to the scene and retrieved their missing gauge.

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4. Nonionizing Radiation Section Inspections at Xanadu Construction Site

Last month, a call was received from Senator Stephen Sweeney’s Office regarding a steel worker that had received skin burns from touching metallic objects at the Xanadu construction site, near the Continental Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. At this point at least two workers have been injured; more may have occurred but have not been reported. The most recent phase of the construction has brought a crane approximately 350 feet from the WEPN AM radio towers. It is not uncommon for electrical charges to collect on metallic objects when immersed in a radiofrequency (RF) field.

On August 4th, Deborah Wenke went to the Xanadu site and met with representatives from the local OSHA office in Hasbrouck Heights to observe workers implementing safety procedures to reduce the risk of shocks and burns. Ms. Wenke made RF electric and magnetic field strength measurements and found them to be well within regulatory limits. While field strength levels may be in compliance with N.J.A.C. 7:28-42, Radiofrequency Radiation, contact current burns can occur as far as 1000 meters from radio station antennas.

According to OSHA, the workers were having trouble following safety procedures and were concerned about the adverse health effects from working in an RF field such as this. Therefore, local OSHA officials arranged for Bob Curtis, OSHA’s RF expert from their Salt Lake Technical Center, to come to the site on August 14, 2006. Mr. Curtis gave workers and Xanadu management officials a talk regarding the risks associated with working near AM towers. Both Ms. Wenke and Mr. Curtis then made induced current measurements at the site. With insulating devices in place, induced current levels were below limits set forth in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ document entitled (IEEE Standard for Safety Levels with Respect to Human Exposure to Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Fields, 3 kHz to 300 GHz (IEEE Std C95.1-2005), which was just released for publication in April of 2006. When revised, Subchapter 42 will contain induced and contact current limits.

Although readings were found to be in compliance with IEEE limits, workers were cautioned that changing weather conditions and different configurations of the steel beams could dramatically affect induced and contact currents and that workers would have to be vigilant. The steel company planned to purchase induced current meters to have on site. Compounding the problem is the fact that future construction will be bringing the steel superstructure even closer to the AM towers.

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5. Southern Crossing Full Field Exercise

Mr. Nicholas DePierro, Bureau of Nuclear Engineering, was invited and participated as a field team controller and evaluator in the multi-state Department of Energy led “Southern Crossing” interagency radiological consequence management exercise in Dothan, Alabama. The goals of the exercise were to test consequence management functions; to test the Federal Radiological Monitoring Assessment Center’s (FRMAC) ability to transition leadership with other federal and state agencies; to demonstrate integration of federal, state, and local entities in nuclear/radiological emergency response; and to demonstrate the transition of FRMAC leadership with other federal agencies. The Field Training Exercise ran 24/7 from Monday through Friday, August 14 – 18, 2006. A five hour briefing and controller training was held on Sunday, August 13, 2006. There were over 450 participants including 15 integrated (federal, state and local) field monitoring teams and 42 controller/evaluators involved in the exercise.

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6. Tritium in Groundwater Investigation at Salem/Hope Creek

On August 15, 2006 PSEG and BNE representatives met in Trenton to discuss the status of the Salem/Hope Creek tritium in groundwater investigation. PSEG is following the Exelon environmental assessment initiative that has been utilized at their plants around the country. The agenda items included: (1) An update of the ongoing Salem Unit #1 tritium remediation project, (2) The Salem/Hope Creek groundwater radionuclide investigation, (3) Groundwater contour profiles, and (4) Future steps for the groundwater radionuclide investigation.

The Salem/Hope Creek groundwater inspection program currently consists of twenty-six wells. Thirteen wells are in the vicinity of the Hope creek Station and thirteen are in the vicinity of the Salem Stations. Five of the Salem wells are pre-existing as part of the Salem Unit #1 tritium remediation project. Samples from all wells are split with the BNE and analyzed by the BNE’s contract laboratory. Results can be found at the following website: http://www.nj.gov/dep/rpp/welltab.htm .

The U.S. NRC also maintains a website on tritium in groundwater at: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/ops-experience/grndwtr-contam-tritium.html

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