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Re: 1988 Irradiator Incident

Otto -

I spent about four years out there working on the cleanup. The dollar figure quoted is pretty close. Bottom line is that a CESIUM-137 irradiator source leaked (the firm had 252 sources, each with about 50 kCi Cs-137) and contaminated the storage pool, irradiation cell and surrounding structure. Both the State of Georgia and NRC published reports on the incident ... I'll see if I can dredge up a copy of ours and put it into the mail to you ... I'll also look up the NUREG number on the NRC report.

There were NO environmental releases or problems (unless you consider the fact that the local sewer authority wouldn't let the contractor discharge water at 10% of safe drinking water MDL into the sewer system) associated with this event. The duration of the cleanup and the enormous cost were primarily associated with (a) that the facility was in the middle of a small office park, and (b) it was cleaned up to "free release" levels, as the company's radioactive materials license was terminated.

Why don't you give me a call when you get in the office Monday morning, and I'll be happy to discuss it with you.

Jim Hardeman
Jim_Hardeman@mail.dnr.state.ga.us 
(404) 362-2638

>>> ograabe@ucdavis.edu 7/7/2000 19:34:13 >>>
July 7, 2000
Davis, CA

Local anti-nuclear activists claim that food irradiation is dangerous to
the environment and "has already caused environmental problems, including a
1988 incident at an irradiation plant in Decatur, GA, that cost $50 million
to clean up."

Can anyone give me the correct information about this 1988 irradiator
incident?

Thanks,

Otto
	*****************************************************
	Prof. Otto G. Raabe, Ph.D., CHP
	Institute of Toxicology & Environmental Health (ITEH)
	(Street Address: Bldg. 3792, Old Davis Road)
	University of California, Davis, CA 95616
	E-Mail: ograabe@ucdavis.edu 
	Phone:(530) 752-7754, FAX:(530) 758-6140
	*****************************************************
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