Navy finds cache of deadly radiological material hidden in California

Government officials found a cache of radiological materials at a San Francisco shipyard that was allegedly stashed there by a former employee of a US Navy subcontractor.

The Navy and the subcontractor said the suspect is an employee of RSI Entech, which was hired by the military to remediate the area.

Around 200 radiological items — including samples of uranium and thorium — were found in a locked cabinet within a large complex called Building 400A in Hunters Point in April.

The items also included liquid scintillators, a specialized laboratory instrument used for radiological analysis. Most of the items were radioactive isotopes known as “check sources” that are used to calibrate devices like a Geiger counter.

Jeff Bale, director of operations at RSI Entech, said the materials were stored there by a “rogue” employee.

“It was a rogue situation by a rogue employee that we’re trying to get to the bottom of,” Bale said at an advisory committee meeting, according to SFGate.

He believes the employee brought the items into the building between 2019 and 2022 while working for Envirachem, which was acquired by RSI Entech in 2023. “At the time of this purchase, this 400A area was not disclosed to us,” Bale said at the meeting.

Navy environmental coordinator Michael Pound said the employee did not have the authorization to have the materials in the building.

The Navy said that there has been “no health or environmental concern identified,” and the area is “designated as a radiologically controlled area pending radiological surveys.”

The materials found there are being evaluated “for proper handling and disposal.” The Navy is currently aiming to complete the evaluation and dispose of the materials.

No further information about the employee is known. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division are now investigating if the employee broke any laws.

Local residents expressed frustration about the lack of transparency from the Navy about the incident.

“One thing about the Navy is they’ve never had too much respect for civilians,” Malik Seneferu told SFGATE. “So trying to get information out of the Navy is like trying to get water out of a stone.”

The California Post contacted the EPA, NCIS and RSI Entech for comment.

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