Company Cited for 5 Radiation Rule Violations

The owner of a dormant radioactive chemicals company was charged Tuesday with five counts of violating state radiation safety regulations, including the storage of radioactive materials without a license and preventing health authorities from inspecting the Los Angeles plant.

The plant, near the interchange of the Golden State and Glendale freeways, is near several homes, and authorities said they believe that radioactive Carbon 14 and Tritium are still being illegally stored at the plant.

Although the radioactive materials are not believed to pose an “imminent” threat to health and safety, they could be released into the environment in the event of a fire, earthquake or other accident, Deputy Los Angeles City Atty. Keith Pritsker said.

Tritium and Carbon 14 give off beta particles that officials said Tuesday cannot penetrate human skin but would pose a health risk if they were ingested or inhaled. Officials said the radioactive elements are often used to assist researchers in tracing the movement of chemicals such as pesticides in plant systems.

Plant Reported ‘Clean’

The plant was reported to be free of significant radioactive contamination, and there was no evidence that any radioactive particles had escaped their containers.

The materials were found by inspectors from the Los Angeles County Health Service’s radiation management office during an inspection last Sept. 30, the first since June, 1979.

Albert A. Ferguson, who heads the county’s radiation control section, said officials found 36 curies of Tritium and two curies of Carbon 14.

Ferguson said the county made 16 attempts in 1984 to make arrangements with the owner, Eileen R. Hess, 59, to inspect the premises. They said Tuesday that either they were unable to contact her or she failed to keep appointments.

Hess is charged with failing to dispose of radioactive materials after her state license to store and use them expired in April, 1985, failing to decontaminate the premises, failing to allow county officials to inspect the plant, failing to have a license to store and use radioactive materials and failing to pay $6,000 in license fees, according to Pritsker.

If found guilty, Hess could face misdemeanor penalties for each count of six months in jail or a $1,000 fine.