Radiation Protection and Release Prevention

Radiation Protection & Release Prevention Program
Monthly Highlights
March 2007

If you would like a hard copy of the full monthly report, including appendices, please E-mail Betty Sigafoos.

Two new employees joined the staff in March to bolster the Bureau’s x-ray inspector staff. Mr. Paul Lee started on March 5, 2007 and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Bio-Medical Engineering from Rutgers University. Ms. Judith Franco started on March 19, 2007 and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Richard Stockton State College. Both are busy learning radiation protection regulations and are accompanying experienced inspectors in the field. The Bureau welcomes both Paul and Judith and wishes them well in what is hoped to be long, distinguished careers in state service.

On the evening of March 20, 2007, DEP emergency response personnel participated with the State Police Office of Emergency Management (SPOEM), Salem and Cumberland Counties, the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA), and Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) in a state graded exercise at the Salem 1 Nuclear Generating Station in Lower Alloway’s Creek. DEP staff activated the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), the Emergency Operations Facility (EOF), the Emergency News Center (ENC), the Forward Command Post (FCP), and the two Field Monitoring Teams (FMTs).

During the evaluated exercise, engineering and dose assessment was conducted at the EOF in order to formulate protective action recommendations (PARs). DEP staff presented accident assessment data and PARs at the EOC where the Governor’s designee formulated protective action decisions (PADs) for the public. Accident information and protective action decisions for the public were disseminated to the press at the ENC. Field monitoring teams characterized the extent of the radioactive plume and provided the FCP with field data. Each facility was evaluated by state controllers against six evaluation areas outlined in FEMA’s new evaluation methodology. The self-evaluated exercise is a requirement of the Radiological Emergency Response Plan (RERP). The RERP requires that each site in the state exercise the plan annually.

On Friday evening, March 23, 2007, a member of the RMS was contacted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) concerning a moisture density gauge that had been reported stolen from a construction site in Philadelphia on March 19, 2007. The NRC requested the assistance of the RMS in the search for the stolen gauge. The gauge originally contained two radioactive sources. One was found with part of the gauge, and recovered earlier in the day on Friday near a salvage facility in Pennsylvania. The other source could not be located. It was discovered that a load of scrap had left the facility for State Metal Industries (SMI) in Camden, prior to the recovery of the one source. On Saturday, March 24, 2007, members of the RMS and the NRC conducted surveys at SMI, but did not discover the second source, or any of the other parts of the gauge. On Sunday, March 25, 2007, a member of the RMS and the Manager of the Bureau of Environmental Radiation participated in a conference call with officials from the PA DEP and the NRC. The NRC and PA DEP decided to request the assistance of the Department of Energy (DOE) in the search for the missing source. On March 26, 2007, members of the RMS, NRC, PA DEP, and DOE conducted a final search of both the New Jersey and Pennsylvania locations where it was thought the device might be located. The searches failed to locate the missing source. The NRC has issued a press release asking that anyone with information on the matter contact them.

Last month, at the request of Princeton University’s Environmental Health and Safety program, staff of the Nonionizing Radiation Section made extensive WiFi measurements throughout the Firestone University Library. The highest radiation level detected was 8.9 volts per meter (v/m), right up against a radome cover of one of the antennas in an electronics classroom, which was mounted approximately eight feet above the floor. When spatially averaged at a maximum height of six feet, this level dropped to 2 v/m. Other readings were lower or barely detectible. For comparison, on March 24, 2007, measurements were made in a local restaurant across the street that serves as an “internet café”. Radiation measurement results were comparable to those found in Firestone Library. More specifically, the highest level detected was 5.6 v/m (not spatially averaged), near a room that is provided for teleconferencing. Subchapter 42 limits for radiation operating at this frequency are approximately 141 v/m or 20,000 volts2/meter2, averaged over the dimensions of the human body.