The State provided the following information via facsimile:
On April 19, 2008, Urban Ore picked up a load of material from 2151 Berkeley Way, which included a gas chromatograph with an ECD [Electron Capture Detector] containing 300 mCi of Tritium. Prior to this, 2151 Berkeley Way had been sold to the University of California at Berkeley (UCB). On April 26, 2008, Urban Ore returned the gas chromatograph to the loading dock of 2151 Berkeley Way.
On April 28, 2008, the Richmond Regional Office of RHB [Radiological Health Branch] was notified. On April 28, 2008, at 1330 the UCB RSO, and other representatives from UCB met at 2151 Berkeley Way and identified a Largus Applied Technologies gas chromatograph, with an Electron Capture Detector (ECD), Model 200 within the loading dock containing approximately 150 mCi of Tritium. Smears were taken of this ECD and no contamination was found. The group inspected the parking garage inside the building and found another ECD unit, Valco containing approximately 500 mCi of Tritium and a 0.9 uCi Radium-226 button source. Smears of this ECD identified approximately 8000 dpm of contamination at the open end of small bore exhaust tubing. The ECD reportedly came from room 100C. The Largus unit was moved from the loading to the inside of the building and labeled 'do not remove.' At 1600 on April 28, 2008, the RSO asked that all recycling work be stopped in 2151 Berkeley Way.
The
RHB was informed of the events of April 28, 2008, at about 1140 on April 29, 2008, which was followed by an email to
RHB detailing the above at 1830 on April 29, 2008. On April 30, 2008,
RHB has taken custody of the 2
ECDs, and met with the
RSOs of UCB and
DOL [Department of Labor] and other representatives of
CDPH [California Department of Public Health]. A strategy for resolving this incident was worked out, and
RHB offered full assistance to
DOL.