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Re: Quick question re: Acerinox incident
Dear Franz,
What I can add on this matter, is:
The caesium 137 source was not detected by the monitoring equipment and
entered the smelting process in the Acerinox plant in Algeciras, releasing
a plume of contaminated off gases which triggered detection monitoring
equipment between 25 May and 2 June in France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany
and Austria and resulted in some temporary detection measurements up to
1,000 times higher than background radiation levels. Some detection points
were 2,500 km from Algeciras. It was some days before the source of these
raised radiation levels was traced partly because the Acerinox chimney stack
mounted detection equipment failed, and partly because of delays while
Spanish authorities double checked monitoring data puzzled as to why raised
radiation levels were being detected. Reasons for non detecting: Small
activity or closed in the housing container with low dose at the surface.
For this scenario I have mentioned the importance of this incident to be
incorporated to training programmes on Emergency Response.
At the Dijon conference the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reported
that it is notified of about 200 lost or stolen radioactive sources each
year and that since 1983 20 sources had been accidentally melted at steel
works and other foundries. According to other sources, 65 meltings have
occurred world-wide . IAEA says it is aware of 49 meltings world-wide at
1998:
Jose Julio Rozental
joseroze@netvision.net.il
Israel
----- Original Message -----
From: Franz Schoenhofer <franz.schoenhofer@chello.at>
To: J. J. Rozental <joseroze@netvision.net.il>; Jim Hardeman
<Jim_Hardeman@dnr.state.ga.us>; Radsafe <radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu>
Sent: Monday, July 08, 2002 12:04 AM
Subject: Re: Quick question re: Acerinox incident
Dear José,
Thank you for this excellent summary. What I wonder, is, whether there is
any information available about the actual costs. They sure were much higher
than the costs for a portal monitor......
Best regards,
Franz
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