Radioactive Material Lost At JFK
You've all heard stories about airlines losing luggage, but how do you lose a 200-pound drum containing dangerous radioactive material?

"I'm still in awe I can't believe it happened," Phil Piccuirro, a plant safety specialist at the U.S. Postal facility in Jersey City, N.J., told CBS2.

It's a good thing Piccuirro works for the post office. And that he's not a terrorist.

Because what he found when he opened what was expected to be an empty air freight container could have wreaked havoc.

"It was prominently labeled," Piccuirro said. "It was labeled cesium 137 there was no mistaking what it was."

What it was, was a 20-gallon drum clearly labeled "radioactive" that had 200 pounds of lead encasing the cesium 137.

Dr. Edwin Lyman of the Union of Concerned Scientists explained that, "cesium 137 is a highly penetrating radioactive isotope, it can be used in medical and commercial applications but it could also be used for a dirty bomb."

Experts say the package contained enough cesium 137 to contaminate several city blocks, potentially causing cancer and radiation sickness.
This, just a couple of weeks after a good article that puts RDDs in context: 'Dirty Bomb' Tops Threat List, but May Need Suicide Technicians to Build

Then there is this excellent reference: Commercial Radiological Sources: Surveying the Security Risks