Two radioactive material-laden containers being scanned

Tag : oil containers
ISLAMABAD (July 11 2008): The surrounding area of the OGDCLworkshop compound at Korangi in Karachi from where two containerswith radioactive material were found is being scanned by theinvestigating team of the Regional Nuclear Safety Directorate ofthe Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA), said the PNRAdirector (information services) when contacted.

Giving details of the initial probe, he said the radioactivitymaterial found in these containers was little above the 'backgroundlevel', adding that the radioactivity present in the environment istermed as 'background level'.

Earlier, the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) foundtwo containers dumped in the compound of its workshop in Korangi,the PNRA statement said.

The appearance of these containers created a doubt of suspectedradioactive material in them and, therefore, informed the PNRARegional Nuclear Safety Directorate at Karachi, it added.

The Authority on receiving this information sent its inspectors tocarry out a survey of the containers and the surrounding area ofthe site where these were buried.

On initial investigations, it was found that the radioactivitylevel detected were very low. The OGDCL staff informed that they donot have any record of these radioactive sources. Accordingly suchsources are categorised as orphan radioactive sources, PNRA said.

"The PNRA has started probing the whole issue in detail and makingutmost efforts to get these containers disposed of in a proper andsafe manner", it added.

Sources discovered by OGDCL were found inside their premises. TheOil and Gas Development Company Limited is a licensee of PNRA andis familiar with the radiation protection measures, it maintained.

"The premises was not accessible to the public and the containerswere underground. There is, therefore, no likelihood that anymember of the public or the OGDCL staff received any radiation fromthese radiation sources", it opined.

It merits mentioning that PNRA had launched a campaign in June,2007 to create awareness among the public about the orphan sourcesof radioactive material through advertisements in the print-media.The prompt reporting of these orphan radioactive sources is anindication of the success of this campaign.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2008