[ RadSafe ] What a case of overreaction!

[healthphysics at windstream.net]

So here's the "rest of the story"...

I got a text this morning from a friend of mine who was down in Macon, asking me if I'd lost some DU; sent him a text back asking him what was he talking about.  He replied that he had seen the news about a lost DU source on the street where I live.  I got on the internet and saw the story, and realized it was pretty close to where I live (less than a quarter mile from the end of my driveway).  So off I went.

I got there about 9, and met up with the EMA director and a couple of environmental rad folks from GA EPD, and offered my assistance.  The guy had some type of meter (I'd never seen one like it) that he was using to try and find the source, but thought it was only alpha sensitive and might not be working correctly.  They handed me a beta frisker, and I searched and searched and found nothing.  I asked the fellow who lost the source how big it was, and he described it as being about an inch square and maybe a quarter inch thick, dark grayish.  I heard that he thought he'd lost it between the front door of his house out to where he got in his vehicle.  I went back over all that area and found nothing that would be like that.  The two GA EPD folks gave up at about that time too, as they searched the house, all around the porch and yard, and the vehicle without any luck.

So, one of the EPD folks asked the guy some more questions, and finally seemed to get the straight scoop on what happened.  Yes, he'd gotten into the vehicle with it, in his pocket wrapped with a paper towel, and then went to the store, and did something else, and could have lost it there.  And, oh, it was about a month ago that this happened!  So it sounds to me like he just wanted some help finding his prized DU source that he lost -- somewhere.

Don't know how much it cost for the response, but they couldn't charge him enough.

Paul Gallager
Health Physicist
Milledgeville, GA    

-----Original Message-----
From: RadSafe <radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu> On Behalf Of Roger Helbig
Sent: Saturday, August 3, 2019 07:22
To: RADSAFE <radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu>
Subject: [ RadSafe ] What a case of overreaction!

https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/local/baldwin-county-crews-investigate-after-man-loses-uranium-rock-in-yard/93-c59c7f30-4068-4b1a-9d68-46e59a9f1a03


This rock was some form of Uranium containing mineral, not depleted
uranium, which only exists in metal, oxide or chemical compound form not in
the form of a pebble. Wonder how much this exercise cost.

Roger Helbig


"depleted uranium"
Daily update ⋅ August 3, 2019
NEWS

Baldwin County crews investigate after man loses uranium rock in yard
<https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/local/baldwin-county-crews-investigate-after-man-loses-uranium-rock-in-yard/93-c59c7f30-4068-4b1a-9d68-46e59a9f1a03&ct=ga&cd=CAEYACoTOTAwNjkwMzA4MTMwNTAwMDUzMDIaMjkzM2JkYTM3MmIzMDRhMjpjb206ZW46VVM&usg=AFQjCNFfTEi3aFS_cr-j-0fOCnVMgeegCg>
13WMAZ.com
... who described himself as a rock collector said he got a shipment of
*depleted* *uranium* the size of a piece of gravel and believed he lost it
in his yard.
.
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