Cobalt-60 Incident update

["Wesley M. Dunn" <WDUNN@brc1.tdh.state.tx.us>]

In response to the note about the Houston incident, I have been
authorized to forward the following:

This is a summary provided by the Bureau of Radiation Control, Texas
Department of Health.  The investigation is being conducted by the
BRC Division of Compliance and Inspection (e.g., I'm not directly
involved)


       Fri, 8 Mar 1996 10:06:36

The following is an updated chronology of the events leading up to the
incident in Houston involving the Cobalt-60 industrial radiography
exposure devices ( cameras ):

1. The sources were stolen on February 27th from Larpen of Texas
located in east Houston near IH-10. The sources were stolen by three
individuals who stripped the radiation caution labels off and took
them to Lockwood scrapyard where they were sold as scrap for $200.

2.Lockwood scrap sold the two Cobalt cameras to A-1 Metals the same
day. A-1 Metals determined that they were not stainless steel and
transferred them to Gulf Materials Recycling Co. in a large load on
scrap. Gulf Materials Recycling Co. has radiation detectors at their
plant entry and detected the radiation from the cameras. They then
segregated the cameras from the rest on the scrap shipment and
returned the cameras to A-1 Metals.

3. The 40 curie Cobalt-60 cameras lock box was pulled from it when it
was off loaded at A-1 Metals on Thursday February 29th. The exposed
radioactive source and lock box remained on a pallet with the camera.

4. A-1 Metals attempted to return the cameras to the Lockwood Scrap
yard February 29th, but the site had closed for the day. The A-1
Metals driver returned to their facility and parked the truck
containing the camera and exposed source in a remote lot at the A-1
Metals facility. A-1 Metals then called Mr. Jesse Santana, The
operator of Lockwood Scrapyard, and informed him that the cameras
contained radioactive material. Mr. Santana told him to return them
to him the following day.

5. On Friday March 1st A-1 Metals returned the cameras to Lockwood
Scrapyard. The lock box was removed by an employee of Lockwood
Scrapyard and thrown to the side as the camera was unloaded.

6. Mr. Santana and his wife were again told that the cameras were
radioactive. They  then sold the cameras to an other scrap yard
without advising them that they were radioactive. Mr. Santana was
unaware that the Cobalt-60 source was on the ground at his scrapyard.
( Note: The TDH/BRC was never notified by any of these companies that
there were radioactive sources where they should not have been. )

7. The 40 curie Cobalt-60 source remained at the Lockwood Scrapyard
until Tuesday March 5th when it was recovered by TDH/BRC Health
Physicists. Eleven adults and two children were exposed to high
levels of radiation at the Lockwood Scrapyard and one adult from A-1
Metals was exposed while he transported the camera and source.
The two children are Mr. and Mrs. Santana's children. They spent 2-4
hours at the scrap yard on Saturday March 2nd. All 13 are under care
at Ben Taub Hospital, where they have been examined and are having
blood tests run to determine their level of exposure to radiation.
This was arranged by Dr. Procter. In addition, blood is being drawn
from each to be sent to the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge,
Tenn. laboratories where they will perform the cytogenetic analysis
on each person.

8. The Bureau of Radiation Control has a  " Dose Reconstruction Team"
in Houston performing time/exposure determination to determine the
probable exposure to the Lockwood Scrapyard and A-1 Metals staff.

9. Once all the above data is received, Dr. Gary Smith will began a
risk assessment analysis on the exposed individuals with assistance
from John Villanacci from the Bureau of Epidemiology.

10. None of the exposed individuals are experiencing any of the
medical symptoms associated with large exposures to radiation ( i.e.
nausea, vomiting or diarrhea )


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Wesley M. Dunn, C.H.P.                     512-834-6688
Deputy Director, Licensing                 512-834-6690 (fax)
(Texas) Bureau of Radiation Control        wdunn@brc1.tdh.state.tx.us
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