[ RadSafe ] DU Licensing

Thu Dec 14 21:33:48 CST 2006

Jack,

The DU fired on testing ranges in the U.S. (there are no OCONUS ranges where
DU is test-fired) is held under NRC license. These ranges must undergo
decommissioning just as any licensed facility must. The only ones that I
know of that have or are undergoing decommissioning are at Jefferson Proving
Ground, Indiana (Army) and Eglin AFB, Florida (Air Force).

Army testing was open-air through about 1980 but the Army began using catch
boxes at about that time. The rounds can be retrieved almost intact as long
as they don't strike a hard target and burst into flame.

If you want to know more you can check the military DU licenses that the NRC
has issued on NRC ADAMS or do some Googling. None of this is classified.

Bob C

-----Original Message-----
From: Jack Topper [mailto:jack.topper at radetco.com] 
Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2006 7:08 PM
To: bobcherry at satx.rr.com
Subject: RE: RE: [ RadSafe ] DU Licensing

Bob,

I think what you've said about the regulations is very likely true, but
what about all the DU munitions that have been fired within the U.S.
borders on our military firing ranges, and the pieces armor plate that
these munitions were tested against?

I've seen the A-10 firing these rounds at a captured Russian tank in the
Nevada desert (high-speed pictures of, anyway).  It's pretty difficult
for me to believe that we've gathered them all up, and cleaned up all
the fragments.

(Not trying to start a flap here, just curious...)

Sincerely,

Jack D. Topper
Radiation Detection Company
408-842-2700 x232 (office)
408-847-2988 (fax)
408-888-0905 (cell)

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On
Behalf Of bobcherry at satx.rr.com
Sent: 14 December, 2006 11:49
To: John R Johnson
Cc: radsafe at radlab.nl; Cehn at aol.com
Subject: Re: RE: [ RadSafe ] DU Licensing

Unofficial (emphasize, unofficial) answer:  
When the U.S. military takes depleted uranium munitions and DU armor
supplements (or any other NRC-licensed RAM) outside the United States
(and its possessions and territories), fired or not, it is outside NRC
jurisdiction. However, generally, the U.S. military handles it IAW NRC
regulation anyway because its regulations mirror those of the NRC for
the most part. In addition, under applicable status-of-forces
agreements, if any, the U.S. military must abide by host nation
regulations if the host nation regulations are stricter than those of
the U.S. 
Unused DU munitions and DU armor return to NRC jurisdiction when the
U.S. military brings them back to the States.
Official answer: The NRC has formally addressed the licensing question
in its reply to a petition for rulemaking. Go to the NRC ADAMS web
search page (http://adamswebsearch.nrc.gov/scripts/securelogin.pl) and
search on "Rokke." The relevant documents will be listed.
Bob C

----- Original Message ----- 
From: John R Johnson <idias at interchange.ubc.ca> 
Date: Thursday, December 14, 2006 12:49 pm 
Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] DU Licensing 
To: Cehn at aol.com, radsafe at radlab.nl 

> Good question, Joel 
> 
> I don't know the answer but it may be in one of the following reports 
> 
> Radiation Risks and Uranium Toxicity, A Brodsky, RSA Publications, 
> 1996 
> A Review of the Scientific Literature as it Pertains to Gulf War 
> IllnessesHarley et al RAND, 1999 
> 
> Depleted Uranium Sources, Exposure and Heath Effects, World Health 
> Organization, 2001 
> 
> John 
> _________________ 
> John R Johnson, Ph.D. 
> ***** 
> President, IDIAS, Inc 
> 4535 West 9-Th Ave 
> Vancouver B. C. 
> V6R 2E2 
> (604) 222-9840 
> idias at interchange.ubc.ca 
> ***** 
> 
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl]On 
> Behalf Of Cehn at aol.com 
> Sent: December 14, 2006 9:48 AM 
> To: radsafe at radlab.nl 
> Subject: [ RadSafe ] DU Licensing 
> 
> 
> Here's a licensing question for the group: what happens to 
> licensed DU 
> after it is used as military projectiles/penetrators? The stuff 
> can and 
> does 
> turn up in D&D operations long after the DU rounds were fired. 
> Is the 
> rule: 
> once licensed, always licensed? Has anyone addressed this 
> question with 
> regard 
> to DU? 
> 
> --Joel C. 
> _joelc at alum.wpi.edu_ (mailto:joelc at alum.wpi.edu) 
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