[Milsurplus] MAW-1 reported to Nuclear Regulatory Commission!

[Mike Morrow]

The following report was made by the Texas Department of Health last week (from http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/2005/20050105en.html ):

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MILITARY RADIO WITH RADIUM-226 FOUND IN SCRAP METAL BIN 

On Monday, December 27, 2004 the Agency was contacted by the Emergency Management Coordinator, for Waco-McLennan County with concerns over a metallic box retrieved from a scrap metal recycling bin. This item was first noted as being radioactive by a scrap metal firm under the name of Lipschitz on Elm Street in Waco who purportedly has sensitive scintillation detectors to screen in-coming scrap. Once the item was returned to the City of Waco landfill, the Emergency Management Coordinator confirmed that one end of the two part metal device or container was indeed emitting radiation at a rate of 2mR/hr at an unspecified distance as measured with a yellow CVD meter obtained from the local haz-mat team. 

State personnel responded on Tuesday, December 28, 2004 to the landfill and performed extensive surveys of the grounds, personnel, and equipment that may have come in contact with the device. All results were negative as measured with a pancake GM and the surface dose rate of 10mR/hr was recorded. After triple bagging, the device was brought to the State's Austin office. 

Trace amounts of removable contamination was noted only on the inside of the cover for the controls of the rad/rec/trans which was labeled with the following data: Type CKB-43069-A, Radio-Transmitter-Receiver, Model Maw-1,Serial #784, NAVSHIPS 91529A. Radium-226 was confirmed as the radionuclide present by spectral analysis on Thursday, December 30, 2004. The State is seeking contact within the Navy who will assist in appropriate disposition. 

Texas Incident # I-8194.
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Nothing like un-informed over-reaction!  Anyone want to "assist in appropriate disposition" of this very dangerous (?!?) MAW-1?

73,
Mike / KK5F
(NRC-licensed Senior Reactor Operator)