September 5, 2012 - Novinite -
Sofia Police Find Stolen Radioactive Device - Police in Sofia have found the potentially dangerous device containing a radioactive chemical that was stolen from a construction site. The capsule of the device has not been broken and there is no danger for the population, the Bulgarian Interior Ministry reports Wednesday morning. The Sofia Directorate of the Interior Ministry has received information about the location of the gamma-defectoscope about 8 pm Tuesday evening. A police team has been immediately dispatched to the address in the Sofia Geo Milev district. After an expert examination, it has been established that the metal body is intact and no radiation has leaked. The device has been transported to a safe storing place and is guarded by the police. The exact address where it was found and the ID of the thief have not been disclosed, but the main lead is that it was stolen by a homeless person. The gamma-defectoscope's radioactive element has a radioactivity of 10 Curie and people could have been exposed to radiation in case of damage of the capsule. The device, which was 25 x 10 cm in size and weighs about 5 kg, disappeared around 3 pm Monday from a construction site used by Sofia's Central Heating Utility and located on "Kosta Lulchev" street.
September 5, 2012 - Norway International Network - US Navy to probe radiation incident - The US Navy has denied that one of its vessels exposed crew members on board a nearby Norwegian Coast Guard ship to radiation during military exercises in the Arctic last month. A Navy official said the incident would, however, be investigated further. Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) has reported that the incident occurred on August 24, when the Norwegian Coast Guard vessel Nordkapp was taking part in exercises near the USS Farragut. "The crew noticed that they began having technical problems with their vessel, with equipment turning itself off and on," Norwegian Coast Guard Commander Lars Saunes told NRK. "They could feel that their skin was warm from radiation to which they were exposed. They contacted the crew of the US vessel so that its radar would be turned off." Both vessels were involved in the military exercises "Northern Eagle" off the coast of Finnmark, when the alleged radiation from the Farragut‘s radar hit the Norwegian ship. It wasn’t until September 3, however, that four members of the Nordkapp‘s crew were taken for medical care after the ship sailed into Tromsø. One crew member was hospitalized and placed on sick leave for radiation exposure. All crew members on board the vessel will be subject to ongoing medical examination to monitor symptoms of radiation exposure. US Navy Lt Sean P Riordan told NRK on Tuesday that the Navy initially had no information about the incident, but after examining the log of the Farragut and speaking with crew members, officials had arrived at a "preliminary conclusion" that the frigate sent out no radiation in the vicinity of the Nordkapp.
September 4, 2012 - StarAfrica - Just 68g of uranium found in Bolivia metal haul - A massive stash of what was believed to be uranium found in Bolivia's capital contains just 68 grams of the radioactive material, Bolivia's Interior Minister said. The quantity is too small to put people's health at risk, Carlos Romero told reporters. "The laboratory report indicates that there is uranium, but in small amounts. An approximate calculation (shows there were) only 34 grams (one ounce) per ton, or 68 grams in the two tons" of material found, he said. An investigation is still ongoing to determine the origin and intended use of the mineral. Last week, Deputy Interior Minister Jorge Perez said the "radioactive" uranium had been discovered in bags at a garage on the ground floor of a building in central La Paz, not far from the US and Brazilian embassies. A few hours later, his boss indicated that the nature of the material had not been determined. Bolivia's state-run mining company Comibol subsequently said the find was not uranium but likely tantalum, a metal used to make electronics equipment. Four people were detained and then released in the investigation that followed.