On evening of March 5, 2003, EPA was requested to conducted an emergency removal action at a residential property in North Caldwell, NJ. The dwelling owner/occupant was found deceased in the home by local police on February 27, 2003. Local PD discovered corrosive, flammable, and reactive chemicals in the dwelling and contacted County HazMat and NJDEP-BER. On February 28, 2003, the NJDEP-BER conducted an emergency removal and also discovered low-level radiation sources.
The NJDEP requested EPA to conduct an emergency removal action to contain, package and dispose the radioactive materials. NJDEP and Local Authorities were unable to conduct such an action within the necessary time frame. EPA obtained a verbal commitment to fund the action on March 6, 2003, and mobilized ERRS and RST on March 7, 2003. The site operations consisted of characterizing the materials using a Gamma Spectrometer and collecting surface area wipe samples which were screened for alpha/beta particles using a Radiation Particle Counter. This was conducted by a Health Physist, sub-contractor to ETI (CoPhysics). EPA, RST, and CoPhysics also conducted a radiation survey of the residence. No other radiation sources were discovered during that survey.
Site operations were completed on March 7, 2003, and the radioactive materials were shipped to an interim storage facility. The radioactive materials will be mixed with and solidified in cement and allowed to cure for 28 days prior to transporting to the final disposal destination in Barnwell, South Carolina. The radioactive wastes included; radium-226 (old watch dials), americium-241 (old smoke detector device), and thorium oxide powder containing thorium-232.
