Contaminated Mexican steel incident

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:6058761

This report documents the circumstances contributing to the inadvertent melting of cobalt 60 (Co-60) contaminated scrap metal in two Mexican steel foundries and the subsequent distribution of contaminated steel products into the United States. The report addresses mainly those actions taken by US Federal and state agencies to protect the US population from radiation risks associated with the incident. Mexico had much more serious radiation exposure and contamination problems to manage. The United States Government maintained a standing offer to provide technical and medical assistance to the Mexican Government. The report covers the tracing of the source to its origin, response actions to recover radioactive steel in the United States, and return of the contaminated materials to Mexico. The incident resulted in significant radiation exposures within Mexico, but no known significant exposure within the United States. Response to the incident required the combined efforts of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Department of Energy, Department of Transportation, Department of State, and US Customs Service (Department of Treasury) personnel at the Federal level and representatives of all 50 State Radiation Control Programs and, in some instances, local and county government personnel. The response also required a diplomatic interface with the Mexican Government and cooperation of numerous commercial establishments and members of the general public. The report describes the factual information associated with the event and may serve as information for subsequent recommendations and actions by the NRC. 8 figures.

• Research Organization: Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (USA). Div. of Quality Assurance, Safeguards and Inspection Programs
• OSTI ID: 6058761
• Report Number(s): NUREG-1103; ON: TI85900567
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510302* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains-- (-1987)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560151 -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACCIDENTS
ALLOYS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
COBALT 60
COBALT ISOTOPES
CONTAMINATION
COOPERATION
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DOSES
ELECTRON TUBES
EMERGENCY PLANS
EQUIPMENT
HUMAN POPULATIONS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LATIN AMERICA
MEXICO
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
POPULATIONS
RADIATION ACCIDENTS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIOISOTOPES
STEELS
X-RAY EQUIPMENT
X-RAY TUBES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES