On 2/24/09 around 0830
MST, an orphaned source was found at Pacific Recycling, 3575 Highway 30 West, Pocatello ID 83204, in Bannock county. The source was observed from a distance on a dirt pile on the back part of the facility, and was not approached by Pacific Recycling personnel. Expected exposure to Pacific Recycling personnel is zero. Pacific Recycling does not hold an NRC license.
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality responded. The senior health physicist determined by spectral analysis that the source was Cs-137. No plates or identifying markings remain on the source, but it is suspected to be a well logging source. It has an on-off shutter. Radiation levels for the source are 2 mrem on contact except for the plate believed to be the source access cover, which is 22 mrem on contact. There was no removable contamination. The source was quarantined on the site. Disposition will be determined. The senior health physicist has consulted with regional personnel, and a regional inspector will respond to the site.
The curie content of the source is unknown. However well logging Cs-137 sources typically contain less than 2.7 Curies which is a "Less than Cat 3" level.
THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "LESS THAN CAT 3" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
Sources that are "Less than IAEA Category 3 sources," are either sources that are very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury. Some of these sources, such as moisture density gauges or thickness gauges that are Category 4, the amount of unshielded radioactive material, if not safely managed or securely protected, could possibly - although it is unlikely - temporarily injure someone who handled it or were otherwise in contact with it, or who were close to it for a period of many weeks.
Although IAEA categorization of this event is typically based on device type, the staff has been made aware of the actual activity of the source, and after calculation determines that it is a Less than Cat 3 event.
Note: the value assigned by device type "Category 3" is different than the calculated value "Less than Cat 3