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RE: Posting and Monitoring Requirements @ DOE Facilities
Could they have brought it with them, from some other facility?
BobW
-----Original Message-----
From: Susan L Gawarecki [mailto:loc@icx.net]
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2003 2:16 PM
To: RADSAFE
Subject: Re: Posting and Monitoring Requirements @ DOE Facilities
Did someone say:
> As in most aspects of this business, the "unlikely" often happens. ???
In this case, it was the radiological-control specialists--not the
workers doing the remediation activities--who carried the contamination
off site.
Susan G
Contamination carried off site
http://www.oakridger.com/stories/101403/new_20031014048.shtml
October 14, 2003
STATE OFFICIALS: Likely little risk to human health from incident.
By: R. Cathey Daniels | Oak Ridger Staff
cathey.daniels@oakridger.com
Radiation contamination was carried off the Oak Ridge Reservation on
Thursday, according to state officials.
The incident is under investigation by the state's Division of
Radiological Health, as well as its Department of Environment and
Conservation. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency was notified on
Friday.
The Department of Energy is looking into performing a separate review of
the incident, according to officials.
Though the source of contamination is still unknown, the suspected
primary isotope is cesium, according to state officials.
According to Shawn Drake, health physicist with the state of Tennessee,
given the suspected isotope, the level of contamination "does not appear
to be significant." He noted that carrying radioactive material
contamination off site "is very unusual."
According to Billy Freeman, inspection enforcement manager for the
Division of Radiological Health, because the contamination "did not get
on anyone's skin we don't think anyone is at risk."
However, said Freeman, because the state does not regulate "what is on
site, we pay particular attention to what gets off site."
Freeman noted that though Bechtel Jacobs Co. is investigating and
running surveys off site, the state would follow up on those surveys.
According to Bechtel Jacobs officials, three radiological control
workers under the Safety and Ecology Corp., subcontract, scanned out of
a radiological zone as "clean" Thursday evening about 7:30, then left
for home.
However, the next morning contamination was found in an on site work
trailer, in three company vehicles, in gravel around the vehicles and on
a wooden deck at the trailer.
According to state officials, contamination was found on clothing of two
of the three workers. A second-day scan found upwards of 11,000 dpm
(disintegrations per minute, over 100 square centimeters) of
contamination on one worker's clothing.
In addition approximately 300,000 dpm was found in one vehicle,
according to officials.
"This is a very unusual occurrence," John Owsley, head of the state's
local Department of Energy oversight office, said of workers who deal
with radioactive material then carry "some home on their clothing."
Owsley said preliminary numbers showed a range of contamination of
between 1,000 and "hundreds of thousands" dpm.
"It happens on occasion," said Owlsey, "But it's extremely unusual."
Owsley said a "failure" in radiological controls had occurred, and that
TDEC would be investigating protocols. He noted that the Tennessee
Division of Radiological Health would investigate the off site
contamination.
Walter Perry, DOE spokesman, said the agency is awaiting a report from
Bechtel Jacobs and would make a decision on whether to independently
review the incident.
Bechtel Jacobs is the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge cleanup contractor.
The incident occurred at the Solid Waste Storage Area IV, a waste burial
ground on the Oak Ridge Reservation near Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Dennis Hill, Bechtel Jacobs spokesman, said that workers were working on
underground low level liquid waste piping just prior to leaving work,
and had taken a "smear" from that piping. The smear, a sample on cloth,
is suspected as the source of contamination, said Hill.
According to Hill decontamination is ongoing.
AND
Excavation still suspended at site
http://www.oakridger.com/ns-search/stories/103103/new_20031031029.shtml
October 31, 2003
REPORT: Bechtel Jacobs plans to report to DOE by Nov. 17 on a radiation
incident.
By: R. Cathey Daniels | Oak Ridger Staff
cathey.daniels@oakridger.com
Excavation work at Solid Waste Storage Area 4 on the Oak Ridge
Reservation has been suspended pending a Nov. 17 report on a radiation
exposure incident at the site.
The incident, which occurred Oct. 9 and involved radioactive material
being inadvertently carried off site, likely posed little risk to human
health, according to state officials investigating.
Radiation contamination was found on clothing of two workers, in three
vehicles, in a work trailer, in a gravel parking area and on a wooden
deck at the work trailer. The workers left for the day and returned to
the site the next morning before the contamination was discovered.
Clothing was retrieved from the workers' homes.
State officials called the incident "highly unusual" and are
investigating protocols.
According to Charlie Johnson, manager with Bechtel Jacobs Co., workers
are taking samples of piping at the site to try to pin down the source
pathway of the contamination. Johnson said the expectation is that
smears taken from the low-level radioactive piping will be found to be
the source.
"But we're fingerprinting the radionuclides to try to tie it back," said
Johnson.
He said that while excavation has been suspended, other work is ongoing
at the site. He noted that as preliminary results come in, corrective
actions will be taken and additional work restarted.
Bechtel Jacobs is the Department of Energy's cleanup contractor in Oak
Ridge.
--
.....................................................
Susan L. Gawarecki, Ph.D., Executive Director
Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee
102 Robertsville Road, Suite B, Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Toll free 888-770-3073 ~ www.local-oversight.org
.....................................................
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