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"While most of these materials pose little hazard to
students or facility when they're stored properly, there is some
risk if they are misplaced or handled carelessly," said William C.
Burke, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. "Many
of these materials haven't been used in several years, perhaps even
decades, but school personnel weren't certain how to properly
dispose of them. We're happy to work with the schools to make sure
the materials are safely handled and disposed." The agency
contacted all middle schools and high schools, both public and
private, at the beginning of the 2006-07 school year to inform them
of the Orphan Source Recovery Program High School Initiative. The
program offers collection and disposal of unwanted radioactive
materials, most of which were used in high school chemistry or
physics classes. Materials collected include chemical compounds
containing uranium or thorium and small radioactive sealed sources.
Illinois Emergency Management Agency personnel were at Tri-City
High School in Buffalo on Nov. 1 to collect three sealed
sources containing radioactive elements. Tri-City High School
Principal Randy Dwyer is happy the state is helping the school
ensure student safety. "We want to make our school environment as
safe as possible for students," Dwyer said. "We're glad IEMA is
helping us dispose of these items that, in the wrong hands, could
have presented a safety hazard."
There is no cost to schools for IEMA's pickup of the materials.
If a school opted to use a commercial low-level radioactive waste
broker for disposing of the material, it could cost more than $1,000
per school. A spill of the materials at the school also would create
extra expenses for cleanup activities.
Staff from IEMA's Nuclear Safety Division recently began
collecting materials from schools that contacted the agency for
assistance. Burke said the agency plans to secure the materials once
they are collected, then consolidate and ship them for proper
disposal in a low-level radioactive waste disposal facility.
Disposal of the materials is expected to cost less than $20,000.
The school collection program is part of IEMA's overall Orphan
Source Recovery Program, in which the agency collects unwanted or
abandoned radioactive materials, also called orphan sources. Orphan
sources are radioactive material that has been abandoned, found or
entered the commerce of scrap material without being able to
identify its origin. Examples of orphan source material include
scrap pipe and metal, instrument gauges, switches, and sealed
sources. Without proper handling and control, the materials could
cause unnecessary radiation exposure to the public.
Through the Orphan Source Recovery Program, the Illinois
Emergency Management Agency collected 32 orphan source items from 15
nonschool locations in 2004 and another 33 items from 18 sites in
2005. Collected materials were inventoried and shipped for proper
disposal.
[to top of second column]
 |
 Burke said the agency will continue to reach out to schools to
offer this free collection service. Agency personnel staffed an
information booth on the program at the Illinois Association of
Science Teachers conference in Peoria over the weekend.
Any schools with unwanted radioactive materials can call 217-782-1329 for
more information about the Orphan Source Recovery Program High
School Initiative.
Schools requesting pickup of radioactive materials
-
Althoff Catholic High
School, Belleville
-
Anna Jonesboro High
School, Anna
-
Annawan High School,
Annawan
-
Arthur Junior-Senior
High School, Arthur
-
Batavia High School,
Batavia
-
Bloomington High
School, Bloomington
-
Eastview Middle
School, Bartlett
-
Freeport High School,
Freeport
-
Forreston High
School, Forreston
-
Gibson City Middle
School and High School, Gibson City
-
Glenbard East High
School, Lombard
-
Glenbrook South High
School, Glenview
-
Grayslake Community
High School, Grayslake
-
Hall High School,
Spring Valley
-
Harrisburg High
School, Harrisburg
-
Harvard High School,
Harvard
-
Henry-Senachwine High
School, Henry
-
Hillsboro High
School, Hillsboro
-
Jefferson Junior High
School, Woodridge
-
Joliet Township High
School, Joliet
-
Kansas schools,
Kansas
-
Knoxville High
School, Knoxville
-
Larkin High School,
Elgin
-
Maine West High
School, Des Plaines
-
Marion Catholic High
School, Chicago Heights
-
Mascoutah High
School, Mascoutah
-
Monmouth-Roseville
High School, Monmouth
-
McHenry High School
East, McHenry
-
Morrison High School,
Morrison
-
New Berlin High
School, New Berlin
-
New Trier High
School, Winnetka
-
North Chicago
Community High School Freshman Academy, North Chicago
-
Rock Falls High
School, Rock Falls
-
Somonauk High School,
Somonauk
-
St. Ignatius, Chicago
-
St. Joseph's High
School, St. Joseph-Ogden
-
Timothy Christian
Schools, Elmhurst
-
Tri-City High School,
Buffalo
-
Tri-Point High
School, Cullom
-
United Junior-Senior
High School, Monmouth
-
Wethersfield High
School, Kewanee
-
Wheaton Warrenville
South High School, Wheaton
[Illinois
Emergency Management Agency news release] |
