Ugly Sampling and Analysis Problem

[VERNIG.PETER@FORUM.VA.GOV]

Here's one for the books.  Someone has asked what to do about
a drum marked as having radioactive animal carcuses.  It is believed
to be properly packaged, overpacked with lime but no other information
as to isotopes is available.  It's been sitting arround a facility
at room temperature for a few years.
 
Nobody really wants to open it but they can't leave it there for
ever.  Anybody got any ideas about how to tackle it?  My idea off
the top of my head would be to expose the inner drum, hopfully there
will be an access hole or bung that can be unscrewed.  Think I'd 
recommend a charcoal filtered supplied air respirator for comfort.
Then something like a sampling thief, that is a rod to be pushed
through the carcus remnants, they may be semi-liquified anyway.
If a sample could be obtained that way then it could be digested
with acid, concentrated and counted on a MCA and LSC and some isotopes
identified and numbers generated.
 
This is a nasty problem for sure but has anybody out there encountered
one like it befor or got ideas?
 
Thanks in advance.  
Peter G. Vernig, VA Medical Center, Denver vernig.peter@forum.va.gov
 
You may want to respond directly as I doubt there's a whole lot of 
interest in this, or maybe there is?