[ RadSafe ] FYI, Researchers find Amchitka seafood safe for now

[Herren, Roy WS.]

Could it be possible that a great deal of the initial major motivating
factors for this project were Political Science vice Science?

 

Roy Herren

Physical Science Technician

Radiation Safety Branch of the Radiology Department

Veterans Affairs Medical Center San Francisco, CA

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Lavely [mailto:lavelyp at uclink.berkeley.edu] 
Sent: Tuesday, August 02, 2005 6:18 PM
To: jjcohen at prodigy.net
Cc: Herren, Roy WS.; radsafe
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] FYI, Researchers find Amchitka seafood safe for
now

 

Does anyone have any idea of what this whole boondoggle will cost the US
taxpayers?
A review of  information on the CRESP website indicates the value of the
knowledge to be gained is likely to be pretty close to zero.

Jerry Cohen

 

 

Amchitka Independent Assessment Science Plan

June 24, 2003

II. INTRODUCTION
Amchitka Island, situated in a tectonically and seismically active area
in the mid-Aleutians, was the scene of three underground nuclear test
shots:

Long Shot 1965 ~80 kilotons
Milrow 1969 ~1 megatons
Cannikin 1971 ~5 megatons

Many concerns over earthquakes, pollution, and marine resources were
voiced at the time of the testing. Initial surveys did not report
evidence of radioactive contamination in the marine environment, and
residual radionuclides were considered confined to the test cavities. At
present, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is moving to closure of
contaminated sites and long term stewardship. Therefore it is necessary
to reassess the marine environment with respect to possible current or
future transfer of radionuclides and other contaminants to the sea, to
marine ecosystems, and particularly to sensitive or endangered species,
foods harvested by Aleut fishermen, and seafood of commercial interest.
It is also necessary to develop plans for the scope and frequency of the
monitoring that will be needed in the long term stewardship program.

The cause for stakeholder concern is the possibility of release to the
marine environment of radioactive products from these nuclear tests to
the potential detriment of the ecology of the region and of human
health. Barriers to release are retention of some radionuclides in the
glass breccia formed by the explosions and the rock that separates the
shot cavities from the ocean.

There is public and agency concern that residual radionuclides from
nuclear tests may migrate through the fractured and faulted rock,
carried by groundwater, and enter the marine food chain causing
ecological and human health effects.
The specific objectives are:
* To determine whether or not current or future radionuclide releases
from the shot cavities to the marine environment pose significant risks
to human health and the ecosystem.
* To reduce uncertainty about the extent of the hazard and nature of the
risks to human health and the ecosystem associated with any potential
current or future radionuclide release to the marine environment and the
factors that may affect such risks.
* To devise and communicate an appropriate monitoring plan that would
detect potential significant future risks to human health and the marine
ecosystem as early as practical.
Specific questions of concern are:
1. Which radionuclides should be looked for?
2. Which foods are consumed by Aleuts?
3. What levels of test-related contamination are found now or might be
found in the future?
4. Would these levels pose a threat to human health or ecologic
receptors?
5. How will we know if such threats arise in the future?

Amchitka Island is unusual among US legacy sites of the Cold War in a
number of ways:
* Underground nuclear explosions of exceptional size including the
largest (Cannikin)
ever.
* Location within an actively deforming plate boundary characterized by
intense earthquake activity.
* Remote location and difficulty of access.
* Proximity to Asia.
* Location within an important international fishery.
* Protected status as a National Wildlife Refuge with endangered
species.
* Part of the marine environment that supports the subsistence life
style of indigenous people and significant commercial fisheries.

In a DOE letter of July 2003  http://www.cresp.org/index.html#section_1
DOE view letter

 

To Charles W, Powers CERSP II

From: Carl P Gertz Asst Manager for Environmental Management DOE

 

CRESP Budget Projects (to be paid by EM of DOE Nevada Office)

2 million in fy 2003

1 million in fy 2004

100,000 in fy 2005

 

 

-- 

 

 

****

Paul Lavely

Radiation Safety Officer

Environment, Health & Safety

UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-1150

Tel: (510) 643-7976

Fax: (510) 643-9495