[ RadSafe ] Prison Term For Illegal Shipment

Tue Aug 15 07:20:59 CDT 2006

We shall not ask ourselves if the source was dangerous but if the punishment
suits the crime. Even if I am not agreeing on the plausibility of all dirty
bombs scenarios, an Ir-192 source, stolen from an hospital (brachytherapy
procedures) or from an industrial radiography unit (gammagraphy) are two
scenarios that we considered in emergency preparedness, therefore I would
not be surprised to see that the regulators and the law enforcement agencies
are very sensitive to wrong statements about Ir-192, Cs-137 or Co-60.

And it was already mentioned that numerous cases of over-exposure occurred
in gammagraphy, due to negligence of the operators or ignorance.

Stéphane Jean-François, Eng., CHP
Manager, Environmental and Health Physics services
Merck Frosst Canada
514-428-8695
514-428-8670
stephane_jeanfrancois at merck.com
www.merckfrosst.com

-----Message d'origine-----
De : radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] De la part
de Robert Atkinson
Envoyé : Tuesday, August 15, 2006 3:15 AM
À : ROGERS, Brent; Steven Dapra; radsafe at radlab.nl
Objet : RE: [ RadSafe ] Prison Term For Illegal Shipment

I notice that a 75Ci IR192 source was stolen in Texas last Wednesday,
The radiographer left the keys in the door of his truck in a hotel car
park. The camera was recovered untouched, but I wonder if its keys were
on the same bunch.
See <
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/2006/20
060814en.html > event No 42759

Robert.

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On
Behalf Of ROGERS, Brent
Sent: 15 August 2006 02:46
To: 'Steven Dapra'; radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] Prison Term For Illegal Shipment

Steven Dapra Q:  "Is Ir-192 actually dangerous...?"  

A:  Yes.  The industrial radiography texts are replete with accidents
involving such sources, resulting in lost digits, limbs and body
functions.  Additionally, there is the Pennsylvania medical case where a
therapeutic patient died after having had the
source left in her.  Medical sources of Ir-192 are typcially 10% of the
activity of their industrial counterparts.  

In the RPT text Basic Radiation Protection Technology (Golnick), there
is a tragic example in Argentina of a man who put one of these sources
in his back pocket.  He lost both legs, and the lower portion of his
trunk is horribly disfigured.  In this
instance, I don't think the term "He's lucky to be alive" is apropos.

BTW, I note that the source is "depleted".  However, Ir-192 that is
depleted beyond industrial usefulness is still quite dangerous.

And finally, if we're going to have laws, we may as well enforce them,
otherwise they're useless.

-Brent Rogers

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl]On
Behalf Of Steven Dapra
Sent: Tuesday, 15 August 2006 11:29
To: radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Prison Term For Illegal Shipment

At 01:58 PM 8/14/06 -0700, you wrote:

>Company President Draws Prison Term For Transporting Radioactive
>Material

>
>TAMPA, Fla.--The president of a Florida company was sentenced to two
>years in prison for illegally transporting radioactive hazardous
>material between the Bahamas and the United States, federal prosecutors
>announced Aug. 4 (United States v. DeGregory, S.D. Fla., No. 05-60201,
>8/4/06).

>In addition, defendant Harold J. DeGregory was ordered to forfeit two
>Piper Navajo aircraft, valued at about $75,000 each, R. Alexander
>Acosta, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, said in a
>written statement.

>DeGregory, president of H&G Import Export of Fort Lauderdale, was
>convicted in January of three counts of illegal transportation of the
>radioactive isotope iridium-192 and two counts of making a materially
>false statement to the government.

[edit]

         Question:

         Is Ir-192 actually dangerous, or is this merely a case of some 
muscle-headed, power drunk Federal prosecutor throwing his weight 
around?  Yes, I know -- we are told that the defendant made a
"materially 
false statement" to the "government."  I wonder what exactly this "false

statement" was.  That he flew the plane on Monday when he actually flew
it 
on Tuesday?

         With all the violent crime that goes on in this country (and 
probably in Florida too), and all the DRUG smuggling that goes on
through 
Florida, is flying around with Ir-192 the most important thing on tap?

         Things that make you go hmmmmmmmm.

Steven Dapra
sjd at swcp.com

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