A Category IV Cobalt-60 (Co-60) radioactive source retired in Huangshi

Recently, under the coordinated deployment and on-site supervision of the Huangshi Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau in Hubei Province, a retired Category IV Cobalt-60 (Co-60) radioactive source was transported in a closed loop by a professionally qualified vehicle and safely delivered to the Hubei Provincial Urban Radioactive Waste Repository, where it was permanently sealed in a standardized manner. The collection and storage process for this waste source followed standard procedures with meticulous control, and no readings exceeding limits, equipment loosening, or other safety anomalies occurred throughout the entire transport process.

It is understood that this Cobalt-60 radioactive source was originally the core component of a level gauge supporting an enterprise's kiln production line. As the production line was dismantled and scrapped, the related equipment ceased operation, increasing the safety management pressure of the idle radioactive source. After receiving the enterprise's disposal application, the Huangshi Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau activated its risk disposal working mechanism, advancing the work across such aspects as on-site isolation and control, multi-point gradient monitoring, provincial-level filing and reporting, and full-process closed-loop transport.

During the disposal process, Huangshi City established a government-enterprise coordination mechanism, guiding the enterprise to designate an independent enclosed storage area, set up radiation warning signs, and arrange dedicated personnel on duty. Meanwhile, the bureau assisted the enterprise in completing materials such as delivery and storage applications, radiation monitoring reports, and safety license verification, and in handling procedures including filing and road transport permits in accordance with the law.

During the on-site transport phase, ecological environment law enforcement officers and technical personnel maintained full-time on-site supervision, overseeing the completion of key procedures including sealed encapsulation of the source body, reinforcement and locking of the protective container, and layout of the operational warning zone. A third-party professional monitoring institution simultaneously conducted surface and one-meter gradient radiation dose testing at points including the front, back, both sides, and top of the protective container, verifying the containment performance and fixation stability.

The Huangshi ecological environment system stated that it will continue to improve the full-lifecycle dynamic ledger for radioactive sources covering procurement, in-service use, idle status, and retirement, focusing on key scenarios such as decommissioned production lines, idle factory areas, and aging equipment, and will routinely carry out investigation and remediation of historically legacy radioactive sources, promoting early detection, early intervention, and early elimination of nuclear and radiation safety hazards.