Re: Anyone know about this?

["Jim Hardeman" <Jim_Hardeman@dnr.state.ga.us>]

Barbara et al.



I guess we were lucky ... we had a fire here in south metro Atlanta

several years back (on the day after Thanksgiving as luck would have it)

... the building involved included a geotechnical consulting firm that

had a couple of moisture-density gauges, properly stored in a locked and

labelled cabinet inside a locked and labelled storage room. When the

fire department entered the building, they noticed the "Caution -

Radioactive Materials" signs, said "oops" (or more likely, some earthy

epithet), backed out and established a "defensive posture". They DID

call us ... by the time we arrived, the fire was pretty much out,

allowing us to enter and determine that the fire had melted the lead

shielding in both gauges, and it had "slumped" out onto the shelves

where they were stored ... as I recall we had radiation levels of 2 - 3

R/hr at a few cm from the Cs source rods ... and needless to say, the

fire burned away the epoxy holding the AmBe "seeds" in place, allowing

them to fall free.



Fortunately, the fire department had the wisdom and foresight NOT to

evacuate the area ... but there WERE a couple of news helicopters

hovering over the scene when we arrived. At one point, I was trying to

count a smear to determine if there was any loose contamination ... I

looked up, and there was a TV camera about 2" from my nose ... somewhat

disturbing.



With regard to the news stories ... this is what you get when you have

radiation detection equipment in the hands of persons who are minimally

trained to use it, and don't use it frequently enough to maintain any

kind of proficiency ... the response folks admitted as much.



My $0.02 worth ...



Jim Hardeman, Manager

Environmental Radiation Program

Environmental Protection Division

Georgia Department of Natural Resources

4220 International Parkway, Suite 100

Atlanta, GA 30354

(404) 362-2675

Fax: (404) 362-2653

E-mail: Jim_Hardeman@dnr.state.ga.us



>>> <BLHamrick@aol.com> 1/26/2005 22:04:41 >>>

 

In a message dated 1/26/2005 6:57:27 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,  

andrewsjp@chartertn.net writes:



>  West Palm Beach Fire/Rescue is investigating a leak of radiological



>  material at 321 South Dixie Highway. The fire department received an



>  initial report of smoke in the area with a high radiation level at 

>  the Corodino Environmental Management Group. The fire department has



>  evacuated a four block area between Quadrille, Olive, Dixie, and

Fern.  

> The evacuation has proceeded calmly and the fire department has not 



> issued any type of advisory that would affected breathing or other  

> health concerns. There have been no reported  injuries.

>

>  

> *Joel I. Cehn, CHP*

>  joelc@alum.wpi.edu <mailto:joelc@alum.wpi.edu>



Drudge has a False  Alarm update.  Seems there were some soil density 

gauges in the  building.





Please tell me your kidding.  This is so dumb, and so expensive.

 

Barbara

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