CBRN event in Netherlands on Tue 16th December 2003

On 16 December 2003 JEWO-metaal B.V. alarmed the VROM-Inspectorate that they had a radiation alarm of their portal detector. A container with stainless steel scrap from Jordan had a radiation level of 0.3 microSievert per hour at contact. The enhanced radiation level was caused by a process vessel of about 40 liters inside the container. The radiation level at the outside of the vessel was 2.2 microSievert per hour. The process vessel contained a filter with about 1 kilogram of natural uranium as remnants of a brown and yellow filtercake. By handling the vessel some pieces of the content fell out of one of the pipes which were assembled on the vessel, but did not cause a contamination of the scrapyard. Those pieces were analysed in a laboratory. The analysed material contained about 50 wt% uranium. The IAEA was informed. Inspectors of the IAEA investigated the vessel and have taken samples of the content of the vessel. The press was informed on 14 january 2004 (http://www.vrom.nl/pagina.html?id=12281, only in Dutch). The press release attracted international attention (on 16 and 17 January 2004 in The New York Times).