UCSF Faces State Action for Radioactivity Violations

UC San Francisco will be cited for a “substantial” number of violations of rules governing the handling of radioactive materials for biomedical purposes, The Times has learned.

The pending action comes after criminal charges were filed Thursday by Los Angeles City Atty. James K. Hahn against USC for similar alleged violations.

Gerard Wong, chief of the state Department of Health Service’s radiation management section, said in Sacramento on Friday that his agency is debating a precise course of action to take against UC San Francisco. Its two major options are to file either criminal or civil charges in court or to administratively restrict the university’s use of radioactive materials. Wong declined to elaborate.

Health department inspection records in Sacramento show that since 1981 UCSF has been cited for 20 violations of state regulations governing radioactive materials. Among those violations were improper storage and disposal of low-level radioactive wastes and failure to advise employees working near radioactive material to take safety precautions.

The citations put the university on notice to take remedial actions. Health department inspectors also said researchers and others at UCSF were eating and drinking in areas found to be contaminated by radioactive materials.

Word that a notice of violation would be served came as a surprise to UCSF.

“That is a surprise to me,” said David J. Ramsay, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, when informed of Wong’s remarks. “Two safety officers were through about three weeks ago. They didn’t have time to complete their surveys, and they told us they would be back.”

Ramsay said the university’s programs that use radioactive materials are under “no restrictions at all” from the state.

But William R. Vermeere, UCSF’s radiation safety officer, acknowledged that the university was in violation of several state regulations even before the most recent inspection.