MELBOURNE (Portal) – Simon Trott, chief of iron ore division at Rio Tinto Ltd (RIO.AX), issued an apology on Monday after a contractor hired by the mining giant lost a radioactive capsule en route in Western Australia, sparking a radiation alert in parts of Australia triggered the state.
It’s unclear how long the radioactive capsule, part of a gauge used to measure the density of iron ore lining, went missing. It left Rio’s Gudai Darri mine site on Jan. 12, and Rio said the contractor informed him the capsule was missing on Jan. 25.
As of Monday, the radiation alarm remained in place.
Authorities said it was lost during transport from north of Newman – a small town in the remote Kimberley region – to a camp in the north-eastern suburbs of Perth, a journey of 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) or further than that Longitude of Great Britain.
A search is underway for the small silver capsule, 6 millimeters (mm) in diameter and 8mm long, containing cesium-137, which emits radiation at 10 X-rays per hour. Authorities have recommended people to keep at least five meters (16.5 feet) apart.
“We take this incident very seriously. We recognize that this is clearly a matter of great concern and regret the alarm it has raised in the Western Australian community,” Trott said in a statement.
“Rio Tinto has engaged a third party with the appropriate expertise and certification to securely package the device in preparation for off-site transportation prior to receipt at its Perth facility,” he said, adding that Rio is also conducting its own investigation how the loss came about.
Before the device left the site, a Geiger counter was used to confirm the capsule’s presence in the package, Rio said. Authorities believe it fell through a hole in the truck after a container collapsed due to vibration.
“We conducted on-site radiological surveys of all areas where the equipment had been located and surveyed roads inside the mine site and the access road leading away from the Gudai Darri mine,” said Trott.
Analysts said the hauling of dangerous goods to and from mine sites was routine, adding that such incidents were extremely rare and did not reflect poor safety standards on the part of Rio.
Reporting by Melanie Burton; Edited by Lincoln Feast and Edwina Gibbs
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