The following information was provided by the State of Nevada via email:
On 4/11/12 a report was received [by Nevada State Health Division] that a truckload of radioactive scrap metal belonging to Top Dollar Recycling was refused in Southern California. This scrap steel originally came from a mine in Utah. On 4/12/12, the 40 foot semi-truck of scrap metal returned to Top Dollar Recycling and a site visit by the State Radiation Control Program (RCP) was conducted.
RCP staff took measurements of the semi-truck's scrap metal. Background reading was <10uR/hr, and the highest readings of 50uR/hr on contact were near the back of the truck on the driver's side. The truck was unloaded using a small bobcat loader, spread out and surveyed. One piece of scaffolding, about 4 foot long and bent roughly in half, had elevated readings of 180 uR/hr on contact and identified as Ra-226. The scaffold, which was tubular steel and hard packed with soil type debris, was the source of radiation.
The remainder of the semi-truck was unloaded, and all scaffolding metal was segregated and surveyed individually. No additional sources of radiation were identified. The other metal on the truck was also surveyed with no elevated readings. The outside of a very large pile (12' x 20') of metal from the same mine was scanned and no elevated reading were found.
Top Dollar Recycling took possession of the item, wrapped it in a plastic garbage bag before moving it to a sturdy container in the storage/control location.
Item Number: NV120011
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