CBRN event in Colorado, Grand Junction area, United States of America on Wed 24th April 2013

Mesa County Landfill in Grand Junction, CO notified the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on April 24, 2013 that a gate monitor alarm went off because of a load of trash that came from a residential spring clean-up event, sponsored by the city of Grand Junction. A member of the department responded and the trash was moved to a secure location after the completion of an initial radiation survey on the outside of the trash. On May 7, 23 department personnel identified a small section of plastic pipe from the trash, finding a small source attached to the pipe by tape. An Identifier multi-channel analyzer identified the source as RA226. An investigation is underway by the department to identify the history of the source. A subsequent report indicates that a lead in the investigation traced the source back to a private residence in Grand Junction. Inspectors visited the house on May 24, 2013, but were not permitted to enter the residence. The inspectors did find additional radioactive material in the garage, which included two additional RA226 sources and six small jars containing an unidentified radioactive powder that appears to be uranium mill tailings. The materials were removed from the garage and stored in a secure location. The elderly female at the residence told inspectors that her late husband and his business associates produced Geiger counters.