Glen Ridge High School Physics Department Gammator 50B device 400 Curies of Cesium 137

1968 to at least 1989 the Atomic Energy Commission numbers for GRHS were 29-12957-01 and 29-12957-02 Update below, it was removed in 1991.

I grew up in this town in New Jersey, 11 miles due west of the Empire State Building where the EPA found Uranium, Thorium and Radium under our Little League Field at Carteret Park, and the next town over was Bloomfield New Jersey that had the Westinghouse Uranium and Thorium processing plant. But I just found that we had a device, the Gammaton 50B which contained 400 curies of Cesium 137 and was rated for 50,000 REM of radiation inside the chamber.

I will be posting the NRC correspondence and reports and you can decide for yourselves who is responsible. The man in charge was a good friend but he was way over his head on this and this whole mess is the result of the most destructive force known to man, the irresponsible Atomic Energy Commission that sent devices like this all over the country and the world on the “Atoms for Peace” initiative and they were also responsible for the atomic tests.

These documents are on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Website and I will post the Title of document with link and then the screen shots of the pages

Informs that Gammator-50 will be placed in physics project room in science wing of new high school.Burglar alarm sys connected to police station for security against break-ins.

Application for matl/byproduct license, authorizing use of Cs-137 for educational demonstration & lab experiments in biology & general science.

The Gammatpon 60 Device specifications are on this reference from the NRC Database and I will show two pages as it is a long document and I need room for the Glen Ridge stuff:

Registry of Radioactive Sealed Sources & Devices,Safety Evaluation of Device for model Gammator-50B.Certificate: NR-404-D-102-U.

Isomedix, Inc. |
80 South Jefferson Rd.
Whippany, NJ 07981

Submits notice of violation per 811014 telcon.Noncompliance noted:no renewal application filed for continued mfg,use, import or export of byproduct matl.

Advises of expiration of License 29-12952-01 & discusses actions to be taken by licensee.Prompt filing of application for new license requested.Radioactive matl on hand must be placed in secure storage.

Application for matl/byproduct license,authorizing use of Cs-137 for educational demonstration & lab experiments.

OK so there is a problem here as in the first license Mr. Buckley listed a number of isotopes that he had experience with including Cobalt 60 at Glen Ridge. That should have been included in this license application.

License 29-12952-02 for Glen Ridge High School,authorizing use of Cs-137 for educational demonstration & lab experiments.

Forwards License 29-12952-02 for review & to assure that procedural changes implemented.License 29-12952-02 replaces License 29-12952-01 which expired on 730819.

Discusses Insp Rept 30-21052/85-01 on 850701 & forwards notice of violation.Verification requested re future location of key to irradiator. Inspection Report

Notice of violation from insp on 850701.Violations noted: sealed source containing Cs-137 not tested for contamination &/or leakage since 840402,no survey meter available & Form NRC-3, “Notice to Employees” not posted.

Responds to NRC 850819 ltr re violations noted in Insp Rept 30-21052/85-01 on 850701.Corrective actions: leak test performed, Geiger counter placed in physics preparation room & notice to employees posted.

ByProduct Material are isotopes made in nuclear reactors or a nuclear explosion. They are not low level radiation. Thsi device would have to be disposed of at Yucca Mountain or at the very least placed in the care of a nuclear power plant for safe keeping.
Cesium 137 emits Beta and gamma radiation. Here is some information on the subject https://periodictable.com/Isotopes/055.137/index2.full.dm.html