Depleted Uranium Response Thomason Chemical Co. Craigmont, Idaho Mark Dietrich Idaho DEQ Emergency Response

Site is located within Lewis County, Idaho, on the NEZ PERCE RESERVATION . Business was started in the 1960s and originally used as a fabrication shop operated by 3 family members. One of the owners purchased surplus items from Hanford and other facilities for metal recycling and use in the fabrication shop. The facility was also used to store mining and other chemicals. The two blue “dog house” aluminum containers were purchased at a surplus auction in the 1990s for scrap metal. There are no markings on the containers. The containers measure 3’ x 3 x 3’’.

Inside the “dog house” are multiple ½” thick lead sheets

Wax was placed inside the outer aluminum shell, around the lead sheets and the cylinder.

One of the “dog houses” was cut apart several years ago and all of the contents were sold for scrap. This item did NOT contain a cylinder. The second “dog house” was cut apart in 2010 and it was discovered this item had a cylinder located at it’s center with the following dimensions: Diameter approx. 4 inches Length approx. 7 inches Hole diameter in the cylinder is 1.1 inches Weight = 45 lbs. Material from the second “dog house” was taken to a metal recycler, but the cylinder (which was thought to be lead) was rejected by the scrap yard stating it was too heavy to be lead. The cylinder was taken back to the facility and placed in a metal ammo box and put on a shelf in the office. The cylinder has a nickel coating which has been corroding.

Top view of the cylinder

DEQ was contacted by Lincoln Thomason, one of the original owner’s sons to perform a hazmat/remediation inspection as he was interested in selling the property on behalf of his incapacitated father. An inspection was initially performed on 8 April 2013. Lincoln Thomason contacted Gabe Bohnee. from the Nez Perce Tribe Environmental Restoration & Waste Management Department, on 12 April 2013 regarding potential radioactive material at the site. Gabe’s staff contacted DOE representatives at Hanford on 15 April 2013. Hanford and the Idaho National Lab did some research on the items and contacted Idaho DEQ INL Oversight group on 18 April 2013. DEQ contacted Gabe and suggested he contact State Communications regarding the potentially radioactive cylinder. On 19 April 2013, a bridge call through Idaho State Communications Center was performed with Gabe Bohnee (acting as the incident point of contact), Idaho DEQ and BHS HAZMAT, DOE RAP Regions 6 & 8, RRT 2 (Lewiston Fire Department), 101st CST and a host of other agencies, because Gabe did not have the resources to identify cylinder material or determine extent of radiation. Concluding the bridge call, Regional Response Team 2 responded to the site to perform background radiation measurements prior to the arrival of DOE RAP Team Region 8 (Hanford). Nez Perce Tribal representatives were on site as well as two of the business owners. Note: DOE requested State of Idaho representatives be on site when they arrived. Regional Response Team 2, acting as a state resource, provided state representation. DOE RAP Team radiation readings from the cylinder, other materials from the container and the surrounding area were very low and posed no threat to the owners. A spectra analysis (using a Detective EX 100) was performed on the cylinder and it was confirmed the cylinder was made from depleted uranium (U-238, U-235). There was very minor Cesium-137 surface contamination on the cylinder. The cylinder is believed to be used to store a radioactive source for transportation or experiments. The cylinder was placed back into the ammo box and stored at the facility awaiting future disposal. DEQ contacted NRC and EPA to discuss disposal of the cylinder. It was determined that the cylinder was an unlicensed, orphan source. The cylinder presented a health hazard because it was not adequately secured and could get into circulation in the public. Depleted Uranium (U-238, U-235, and U-234) is a hazardous substance as defined by section 101(14) of CERCLA. If depleted uranium were to become processed into smaller pieces, it could cause kidney damage if ingested or inhaled.

EPA would take the lead on disposal. On June 11, 2013, EPA OSC Greg Weigel visited the Site with personnel from the Tribe and Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ).  The purpose of the visit was to confirm that the cylinder was safe and secure and to investigate other alleged environmental concerns at the Site.  It was discovered at that time that the cylinder had been moved, and that the Site representatives did not know of its location.  It was alleged that a family member had removed the cylinder to either his home or his shop with the intent of selling it. On June 12, 2013, the cylinder was returned to Site. On 18 June 2013, EPA OSC Greg Weigel and EPA Contractors mobilized to the Site. The cylinder was packaged, labeled, and transported for disposal at a low-level radiation waste facility (US Ecology in Richland, WA) in accordance with EPA’s Off-Site Disposal Rule. (From EPA POLREP IDN001003109) Picture: An EPA Contractor surveying cylinder before package and disposal.

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