TX: Officials seach for missing radioactive material

[rainbow4321]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8DUL6T00.html

Texas officials are seeking two vials of radioactive material that disappeared earlier this month from a shipment out of New Mexico.

The Texas Department of State Health Services said the vials, packed in a World War II era, green, metal ammunition box, were supposed to be delivered to Kilgore from Pro Technics of Albuquerque.

The vials, which contain antimony-124, a radioactive material used in the oil and gas industry, were labeled "radioactive," but the ammunition box wasn't, officials said.

The state health department is seeking the public's help in finding the missing vials, but warned of the dangers associated with radioactive material. "Do not touch the box or the vials, and stay at least 10 feet away from them," said Robert Free of the department's radiation control program.

[pinniped]

1. This warrants an elevation in the color code.

.

[TechBear_Seattle]

7. The announcement will be made....

The next time bad news comes up for the White House and they need some way to distract the public.

"Don't look at us! Look at the pretty orange alert! A terrorist sympathizer stole some very poisonous radioactive material! Didn't you hear me? ORANGE ALERT!!"

[gratuitous]

2. Tell me again

Someone tell me again how safe we all are with George W. Bush in the White House. We spend billions on "Homeland Security" but can't even get a proper container for two vials of radioactive material?

[Ian David]

3. Kilgore / Halliburton connection??????

I'm posting links here as I go...

http://www.raisingkaine.com/1069



Daily Kos: Jerry Kilgore: Immigrant Basher, KBR Lobbyist Archive
You've no doubt seen how Jerry Kilgore likes to bash and bait illegal immigrants.
Meanwhile, it turns out that Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown and Root ...
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/10/22/83015/909 - 8k - Cached -

Kilgore News - Front Page Archive
Halliburton presented $5000 to the Kilgore American Cancer Society Relay for Life
Committee Wednesday. The contribution will underwrite the luminary ...
http://www.kilgorenewsherald.com/news/2005/0320/Front_Page/ - 12k -

[rainbow4321]

4. Kinda scary..the company who shipped the stuff puts "radiation safety"..

on it's website (second link below)..would they have been the ones to do the packaging?


http://www.corelab.com/protechnics/default.asp

ProTechnics, a Core Lab Production Enhancement division, is dedicated to providing the energy industry with state-of-the-art completion diagnostic services designed to maximize oil recovery and to enhance production. ProTechnics processes and places more radioactive tracers in oilfield procedures than any other company.

ProTechnics Company was founded in 1983 as a service company dedicated to providing state-of-the-art radioactive tracing services to the energy industry. Operating out of fifteen domestic locations and in more than 20 countries around the world, ProTechnics provides complete design, field engineering, and completion diagnostic services to clients in virtually every major producing basin of the world.

SpectraTek Services, a wholly owned subsidiary in Albuquerque, New Mexico, packages and ships radioactive isotopes to ProTechnics, as well as other oilfield service companies around the world.

In 1995, ProTechnics acquired the Tracerscan spectral gamma ray logging technology from Halliburton. The tool has been adapted to run as a self-contained memory service, SpectraScan®, which can be deployed via slickline, electric wireline, washpipe, or coiled tubing. The SpectraScan® Image provides the most complete wellbore image available.

http://www.corelab.com/protechnics/Environmental/Spectratek.asp

ProTechnics is pleased to announce the opening of commercial operations at its Spectratek Services Division in Albuquerque, NM. ProTechnics can now provide its clients with services to meet their operational needs. With the completion of a modern remote control Hot Cell facility, we can provide radioactive materials for industrial tracer operations.

Radiation Safety Services

Instrument Calibration, Sales & Service
Leak Testing of Sealed Sources
License and Procedure Assistance
Radiation Safety Training
Radiation Program Consultation
Procedures for Placing an Order

When ordering, you should include the following information:

Name and form of Isotope being ordered
The number of vials and compound/label
The activity per vial
Your purchase order number, and copy of NRC or State license
A ship to and bill to address
The desired shipping date and method of shipment

[Javaman]

5. were labeled "radioactive," but the ammunition box wasn't

I think this is a kind of metaphor for our government.

Plain and dull on the outside, dangerous and volatile on the inside.

I can rail on and on as to why, in gods name, was radioactive materials put in an unmarked box, but what's the point? There are so many things wrong with it, I don't even know where to begin.

[Megahurtz]

6. Greeaat!

[redqueen]

8. I wonder if any "Syrians" will be using a dirty bomb anytime soon.

Operation Northwoods again?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

13. Exactly my thoughts.

[ThePopulist]

9. Okay....

< "Do not touch the box or the vials, and stay at least 10 feet away from them," said Robert Free of the department's radiation control program.>

Uh, well, thanks for telling me after the fact.....

[GoddessOfGuinness]

10. Exactly...What about the poor slob who uloads the box from the truck?

Does s/he have any clue how dangerous their work is?

Welcome to DU, by the way! :hi:

[ThePopulist]

14. Thanks for the welcome GOG

Hello. :)

Well, the guy who picks the box up is just screwed. And thanks to lawsuit caps he can't even get the government to pay for his own bills that they caused him to have.

[Igel]

11. A total of 80 millicuries, Sb-124 has a halflife of 60.3 days.

http://enviro.blr.com/display.cfm/id/62307
"The vials contained 40 millicuries each of Antimony-124, a beta- and gamma-emitting material that can result in significant radiation exposure. Antimony-124 is also toxic. The materials were shipped through Clovis, New Mexico, and the Texas cities of Abilene, Austin, Dallas, and Tyler, with final delivery in Kilgore. Antimony-124 is used extensively in the oil and gas recovery industry. ...
The army-green container weighs 80 pounds, contains two 30-milliliter plastic vials labeled "radioactive" and is about half full of a sand-like substance. If anyone sees an item matching this description, they are asked to not touch or open it. Do not tamper with the ammo box or the plastic vials. ...
Direct exposure to Antimony-124 can cause ulceration of the skin. Because gamma rays damage bone marrow, Antimony-124 can also reduce red blood cell production and lead to leukemia if exposed for a prolonged period. If ingested, Antimony-124 could be lethal. If anyone has come into direct contact with the vials, they are urged to immediately seek medical attention. Due to the small quantity of Antimony-124, the materials are not considered a terrorist threat."

[ItsThePeopleStupid]

12. a professional job?

Federal officials will use helicopter-mounted radiation monitors to search for a missing shipment of radioactive material that might have been stolen as it was trucked across Texas and through Dallas nearly three weeks ago.
<snip>
The shipment arrived at ProTechnics on Nov. 3. Each package had an intact security seal that was attached in Albuquerque. However, one sealed drum that was supposed to contain antimony-124 was empty.
<snip>
"Security camera tapes have been reviewed showing the packaging area for 10/31/2005 (the day of the shipment). The tapes show the radioactive material being loaded into the containers and the containers being closed and they also show the shipment being loaded onto the freight carrier's trailer."
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-radioactive_18pro.ART.North.Edition2.1cb54005.html (subscription)