Mobilization of state program resources for a steel mill accident

Radioactive materials in scrap metal are a serious problem for dealers and processors as well as for state radiation protection programs. Most large dealers and processors have monitoring devices that detect radiation sources at their scale house or feed to the furnaces. For example, in Florida since July 1995, a fiscal year average of 41 such alarms has been reported to the Department of Health's Bureau of Radiation Control. The majority of these alarms involve small amounts of radioactive material, usually naturally occurring radioactive material such as 226Ra, contained in luminous dials or scale associated with mining activities in the state. Occasionally, industrial devices that contain radioactive source material are found. The Bureau classifies these alarms as incidents, and inspectors are dispatched to help identify the source and determine the disposition of the material. On 13 July 2001, a steel mill in north Florida reported that a 137Cs source had been melted in their furnace. This paper describes the actions undertaken by the Bureau in assessing the extent of contamination and subsequent cleanup activities undertaken by the mill.