October 2014 to January 2015

» One Individual (RP) in One Boise Apartment » Manipulating/Modifying commercially available Radioactive Products » One Incident spawned at least Four more Potential Radiological Contamination Locations » Exposure threat to the Public » Releases to the Environment » Multiple Local, State, Federal Agencies involved » Radiological Contamination Response isn’t the typical Hazmat Response.

» Boise Apartment Discovery – October 8 ˃Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) inspects Boise apartment for radiological hazards. ˃Discovers exposure and release hazards, DEQ activates Idaho Hazmat Response Plan ˃Idaho Regional Response Team in Boise performs Initial Entry ˃DEQ requests EPA assistance to characterize/remove all HazMat ˃EPA OSC requests Department of Energy (DOE) Radiological Assistance Program Team 6 (Idaho Falls) assistance » EPA Initial Response and Assessment – October 9 to 14 ˃RP Consent for Access = EPA Temporary Relocation Assistance ˃EPA (OSC, Attorney, Community Involvement Coordinator, Public Information Officer) Mobilized Oct. 10 ˃START/ERRS Contractor mobilized to begin Removal Assessment ˃RAP Team (8 personnel, sensitive survey equipment) onsite Dec. 10 ˃Media/Public Outreach initiated

» Site Operations – October 15 to 27 ˃Remove Sources to conduct Contamination Survey ˃Hazard Categorize chemicals and mixed chem/rad unknowns ˃Sort through household trash, personal effects for other sources and areas of contamination. ˃Decontaminate fixed items and personal effects. ˃Segregate items for disposal or return to RP. Arrange for storage/disposal ˃Carpet removal ˃Clearance survey of Apartment Interior » Site Return to Use and Storage Shed Operations – October 28 to 31 ˃Waste transferred to US Ecology ˃All garage units cleared and custody transferred back to property manager ˃Two storage units identified and surveyed ˃Radioactive material found in both units; one formerly cleared ˃Second transfer of waste to US Ecology

» Metal Shop in Boise – December 8 to 10, 2014 ˃NRC obtained Information that RP utilized metal shop to cut pieces of Depleted Uranium metal ˃Shop was screened/swiped while operating ˃Contamination found on a machine » Caldwell Apartment Assessment – January 21, 2015 ˃EPA obtained information that RP lived in a Caldwell Apartment where he may have conducted similar activities ˃EPA and START mobilized to apartment to perform thorough scan of interior/exterior ˃Conducted Radiological Survey, Collected swipe samples and two soil samples

» Triage of Hazards at Boise Apt ˃RP and immediate belongings ˃Apartment interior/exterior ˃Vehicle (2 nd vehicle is withheld for weeks) ˃Garages/Parking Spot » Multiple Hazards Identified ˃Dozens of household containers with colored liquids/powders ˃Various empty/full household chemical containers throughout Apt ˃Poor Housekeeping - Personal Effects and household trash throughout apt ˃Chemical/Radiological materials segregated for Hazard Categorization ˃Radiological items included: +Fiesta Ware +Uranium Glass +Uranium Ore +Old Smoke Detectors

» Initial clearance limit set at 2x background (28 cpm alpha, 152 cpm beta/gamma) » Survey outside apartment identifies contamination on sidewalks, landings, hallways » Sidewalk scabbled/ground and contamination captured » 8 Soil samples collected » 16 bags household trash removed from porch for segregation/screening in garage » Access to offsite storage unit granted, no radiological material identified at that time

» Entry made to segregate chem-only concerns from rad- only/mixed concerns » All items removed screened for surface contamination using alpha and beta/gamma probes » Swipe test performed for analysis in onsite rad analytical lab » 2 nd vehicle surveyed » Modified Hazard Categorization using non- destructive assays performed to identify root hazard class

» Once assessment complete, screened Apt interior ˃Sift through personal effects and debris/trash throughout apt ˃Personal effects, debris, trash, items in cabinets and drawers scanned for fixed contamination ˃swiped for removable contamination ˃Established clean room and moved cleared personal effects to room ˃Surveyed all hard surfaces (walls, counters, bathtubs, furniture, etc.) followed by random confirmation swipes » Release criteria for screening of items/surfaces ˃2x standard deviation of background ˃Confirmation swipe samples collected » Release criteria for swipes of items/surfaces ˃50% the recommended value for TRUs in NRC Reg Guide 1.86 – Termination of Ops Licenses for Reactors +10 dpm/100cm 2 alpha +500 dpm/100cm 2 beta/gamma

» Removal of building materials including carpet/traps » List of items taken and justification provided to RP ˃36 Hazardous Substances taken (chemical) ˃102 Radiological sources or contaminated items taken (rad) » Some chemical and radiological items returned » Property manager replaced building materials » Personal effects returned to RP along with property » Missing radiological source from 2 nd vehicle

» RP and Girlfriend Relocated to Hotel for ~ 3 wks » Stipend for food, medicine, clothing » Repeated requests for retrieval of personal effects » Significant Media Interest resulted in 1 Press Release, 3 on-camera interviews, and 1 Press availability » Strong Community Engagement with onsite CICs, DEQ Manager. » Three Public Meetings held at Apt Complex.

» EPA accessed all storage sheds associated with RP based on further info » Original unit re-surveyed and additional amount of DU identified in tool box » At second unit, source material, contaminated items, and HazMat identified on initial entry » Operations transitioned to second unit

» Screening process like apartment performed » Waste transported to Grand View, ID » Product samples shipped » Resources demobed

» NRC provided info to DEQ and EPA that RP used a metal shop to process Depleted Uranium » EPA mobilized to screen specific equipment (water jet, belt sander) used to process the metal » Metal shop surfaces screened: no removable contamination » Localized contamination identified on equipment and equipment waste streams » Screened two workers who handled metal. Also screened POV, work clothes » EPA, ATSDR, Idaho State Health Department provided Health Information session to shop employees

» Samples collected from contaminated equipment » Equipment decontaminated to below clearance levels used in Boise Apt » Facility screened: no removable contamination » Localized contamination (metal slag) identified on equipment and in dust bag » Slag and dust bag transported to waste locker in Grandview.

» During investigation, EPA identified several potential former residences for RP » Consent for Access granted by Property Manager and Tenant » Unit screened with instrumentation providing real-time results » Found elevated soil readings near patio, soil samples collected » No evidence of gross contamination identified

» Modified Level C for initial entries or where contaminated items disturbed » Continuous Air Monitoring in hot zones used to determine internal dose » External dose tracked: mRads for initial entries, and Siemens EPDs for long-term ops

» Sustained heavy resource needs during Boise Apt response » Engagement with concerned community » Multi-agency integration, Data sharing » Data collection/Data Management » Managing sometimes uncooperative RP during relocation » Slow, detailed survey of Apt items and surfaces » Special Laboratory analyses and limitations » Waste Segregation, Transportation, Disposal

» Multi-agency response involving radiological contamination at two apartment buildings/storage units, and one commercial facility » Contamination caused by RP’s processing of commercially available/naturally occurring radiological materials » All types of radiation (alpha/beta/gamma) encountered at site » Uranium identified as primary contaminant of concern; Radium and Americium also identified » Ongoing Investigation