Steritech starts final countdown Caboolture Shire Herald (Australia) May 27, 2003 Tuesday STERITECH'S irradiation plant is on track to open on July 1, despite a delay in a legal challenge. Steritech chief executive officer George West said an adjournment in the Planning and Environment Court case brought by Deception Bay resident Sol Theo until July 21, to allow Mr Theo to obtain legal representation, would have no effect. Mr West said construction of the plant was complete and the conveyor system was now being installed. Before the plant could start operation, one licence had to be granted by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, and two by Queensland Radiation Health. Also, Steritech's radiation safety and protection plan still had to be approved. Mr West said the detailed plan was still being fine-tuned to satisfy QRH. Police had asked that he not disclose when the radioactive cobalt 60 rods would arrive in Brisbane or when they would be delivered to the plant in Potassium St, Narangba. Mr West said security guards would accompany the shipment from the port to the plant as a post-September 11 security measure despite the risk of terrorist attack being "pretty remote". New rods were delivered once a year to Steritech's Sydney and Melbourne facilities, so the handling and transport procedures were well established, he said. Installation of the rods in the concrete irradiation chamber would start as soon as possible after their arrival and take four-to-five hours. The first products to be treated will be consignment of bee hives which have been stockpiled awaiting the plant's opening. Irradiation is used to destroy the bacterium paenibacillus larvae which kill bees.