[ RadSafe ] Re: Radioactive Material Stolen While Man In DonutShop

Thu Mar 10 18:38:16 CET 2005

Larry et al.

I don't know how other states (or NRC) do it, but we don't have
sufficient staff to go LOOKING for problems ... we have enough problem
just dealing with the ones that are reported to us. And that's how we
NORMALLY track these things down ... if the devices are specifically
licensed (and in many cases, even if they are generally licensed), the
licensees are required to "immediately" report loss or theft to us. On
the other end, most of the steel mills and recycling facilities that we
deal with have VERY sensitive radiation detection equipment at their
entry portals ... as do most of our landfills. So ... we spend a good
bit of time and effort responding to radiation alarms, most of the time
tracking down naturally occuring radioactive materials (NORM) or medical
radionuclides (Tc-99m and I-131 primarily). Every now and then, though
... they get a hit on a legitimate source. Just recently one of our
general licensees lost a gauge, and we spent a little time working with
them at a scrap metal facility trying (successfully, I might add) to
find it. Sometimes, unfortunately, they don't get found until AFTER
they've been through the facility ... as happened at AmeriSteel in
Baldwin, FL a few years back (<100 mCi Cs-137 source) or here in Georgia
at a facility that melted a zinc-clad DU source.

Bottom line is we don't go investigating ... we only have the resources
to deal with issues that "fall into our laps".

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 at dnr.state.ga.us

>>> "Boing, Lawrence E." <lboing at anl.gov> 3/10/2005 12:18:27 >>>

Can anyone on Radsafe share or shed light on how (if any) law
enforcement or regulatory agencies agencies or both go about tracking
down such devices - hit the local pawn shops, visit scrap yards, what?
Thanks

Lawrence E. Boing
Argonne National Laboratory
9700 South Cass Avenue
Argonne, IL  60439

P-630.252.6729
F-630.252.7577
lboing at anl.gov
http://www.td.anl.gov/D&D/
http://www.orau.gov/ddsc/

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On
Behalf Of John Jacobus
Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2005 11:01 AM
To: MOSHEK; 'Jose Julio Rozental'; TConley at kdhe.state.ks.us;
radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] Re: Radioactive Material Stolen While Man In
DonutShop

Well, sometimes if they cannot steal the car, they will take what they
can, like the radio, stereo player, tools, moisture gauge, etc.  It
they
think it has value, they may take it.  Obviously if something is
chained
or locked down like a gauge or tool box, they will take it.

--- MOSHEK <MosheK at sviva.gov.il> wrote:
> Hello Group,
> 
> In Israel we faced several theft incidents. Most of them were of 
> moisture/density gauges and one of radiography source. There is a 
> clear cut difference between intended  theft of the gauge and the 
> vehicle. When a moisture/density  gauge was taken out of its casing
in

> the car, and the car left untouched - definitely the gauge was the 
> target. When a car containing a gauge was stolen, usually the car was

> the target.
> The problem is that you
> can not be sure about it unless the gauge was found/returned and the

> car not, which may be, or not,  some time in the future.
> Meantime you have to
> assume that the source was the target and be ready to all possible 
> scenarios.
> 
> Moshe Keren
> Ministry of the Environment
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jose Julio Rozental
> [mailto:joseroze at netvision.net.il]
> Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2005 12:52 PM
> To: TConley at kdhe.state.ks.us; radsafe at radlab.nl
> Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Re: Radioactive Material Stolen While Man In

> DonutShop
> 
> 
> The main question is what you have appointed: "The violation here was

> that the driver left the truck running unattended and lost control of

> the ammo box when he went to the donut shop."
> 
> Comment:
> 
> There are users that every day transport radioactive materials in 
> higher activity, as the case of industrial radiography.
> During my activities in
> Brazil I have registered two cases. In one of them the thief
abandoned

> the equipment in one site and in the second he threw out the
equipment

> in the River. Hopefully there was not damage to equipments and in
both

> cases were applied penalties. This fact is used in training  as 
> example of high violation during transport, to emphasize the
necessity

> of  imperative request during transport to follow procedures. In 
> Brazil also for such transport it is requested that a driver needs to

> have an assistant for emergencies situation.
> 
> 
> 
> Jose Julio Rozental
> 
> joseroze at netvision.net.il
> 
> Israel
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <TConley at kdhe.state.ks.us>
> To: <radsafe at radlab.nl>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2005 6:46 PM
> Subject: [ RadSafe ] Re: Radioactive Material Stolen While Man In 
> Donut Shop
> 
> 
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > >Now someone pleeeeeeeease tell me what the hell a
> rad materials was doing
> > in an ammo box >in the first place? Think the
> driver kind of violated some
> > DOT Laws?
> >
> > Ammo boxes are an approved type A package and are
> frequently used to
> > transport nuclear medicine doses from a
> radiopharmacy to a client hospital
> > or clinic.  This is a perfectly legitimate method
> to transport radioactive
> > material.  You might also be interested to know
> that certain brief cases
> > are also commonly approved for transport too.
> >
> > The violation here was that the driver left the
> truck running unattended
> > and lost control of the ammo box when he went to
> the donut shop.
> >
> > Thomas A. Conley, RRPT, CHP
> > Section Chief, Radiation and Asbestos Control Kansas Department of

> > Health and Environment
> > Phone: (785) 296-1565
> > email: tconley at kdhe.state.ks.us
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
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> >
> 
> 
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+++++++++++++++++++
"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will
annoy
enough people to make it worth the effort." Herm Albright

-- John
John Jacobus, MS
Certified Health Physicist
e-mail:  crispy_bird at yahoo.com

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