THE University of Sydney has been fined $61,000 for improper disposal of radioactive material contained inside a medical scanner that was shipped to Newcastle.
The university shifted a positron emission tomography (PET) scanner from its Camperdown campus to a Sydney scrap metal yard in January 2019. It was subsequently broken apart, with radiation from its source detected after the materials had been moved to Newcastle.
The NSW Environment Protection Authority investigated, leading to the university entering guilty pleas to two offences - failure to ensure the radioactive source was not possessed by a person who was not the holder of an appropriate licence (as the company who transported the source to Chipping Norton was not licensed to do so), and the second for disposing of the source without first obtaining the consent of the EPA- in the NSW Land and Environment Court fines for
Justice Nicola Pain noted there were potential risks to public health and the environment, with deterrence a factor in imposing the fines.
EPA director of environmental solutions Karen Marler said the fine reflected the gravity of the situation.
"The local community has an expectation that people who manage and use radioactive sources and devices will comply with the rules and their licence requirements and have the right practices and procedures in place to protect people and the environment," Ms Marler said.
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