[ RadSafe ] Follow-up Studies on DU exposed Veterans

Tue Jun 20 15:06:29 CDT 2006

The radionuclide involved in the American Atomics incident was tritium and
the resultant exposure levels were trivial by most rational standards.
Nevertheless the state and federal "authorities" made a big deal over it at
the time (as I recall, even the National Guard was called out). IMHO, the
incident generated much hysteria, and I believe I believe Ms. Hunter
suffered from a severe case of radiophobia .

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stewart Farber" <farbersa at optonline.net>
To: "Roger Helbig" <rhelbig at california.com>; <radsafe at radlab.nl>
Cc: "Stewart Farber" <radproject at optonline.net>
Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2006 8:05 AM
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Follow-up Studies on DU exposed Veterans

> Hi all,
> Regarding Elaine Hunter, she worked for a while for American Atomics back
in
> the late 1970s and is mentioned in the following link. This facility
handled
> and released tritium and she quit claiming safety problems. Exposure to
> workers was in the mrem range apparently.
>
> Stewart Farber, MS Public Health
> --------------------
> See:
>
> http://www.ratical.org/radiation/KillingOurOwn/KOO10.html
>
> Tritium in Tucson, Wastes Worldwide
> Scroll down to:
> Tritium in the Cake
>
> EXCERPT:
> Finally, American Atomics employee Elaine Hunter blasted the company in a
> letter printed in the local Arizona Daily Star. She was quitting work at
> American Atomics, she said, "not in fear of radioactivity," but "in
disgust
> and anger that those greedy men were making a fast buck while jeopardizing
> the physical and emotional well-being of those involved with the
fabrication
> of their product.[8]
> 8. Elaine Hunter, letter to the Arizona Daily Star, April 15, 1979.
>
> ========================
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Roger Helbig" <rhelbig at california.com>
> To: "radsafelist" <radsafe at radlab.nl>
> Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2006 11:45 PM
> Subject: [ RadSafe ] Follow-up Studies on DU exposed Veterans
>
>
> > Is anyone on the list familiar with Elaine Hunter ..have any idea what
> > happened when she claims to have been badly irradiated .. or is this
just
> > a fantasy on her part?
> >
> > --- Elaine Hunter <dutnkyoh at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> >> From: Elaine Hunter <dutnkyoh at yahoo.com>
> >> Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2006 06:14:57 -0700 (PDT)
> >> Subject: [DU-WATCH] Follow-up Studies on DU exposed
> >> Veterans
> >>
> >> What a guinea pig knows.
> >>
> >>   When I read about calls for studies and proposed
> >> studies on the health of veterans exposed to DU, I
> >> get a knot in my stomach and feel considerable
> >> anxiety.  And it's not because I don't want the
> >> follow-up studies.  It's because I was twice a
> >> subject in follow-up studies in an entirely
> >> different case of nuclear madness.  But only a
> >> guinea pig, only a guinea pig.  They don't tell
> >> guinea pigs of outcomes.  Guinea pigs don't have the
> >> need-to-know.  When you are a human guinea pig, they
> >> don't even feed you, water you or clean your cage.
> >>
> >>   NIOSH [National Institute of  Occupational Safety
> >> and Health] has my blood.  On a scale of 1 to 10, I
> >> was undoubtedly in the top 10 most exposed to the
> >> radioactive material in question.  I worked on
> >> highly contaminated equipment with negligible safety
> >> training or precautions except for what I found out
> >> for myself in research. Working only half-time, I
> >> averaged about half the allowable industrial
> >> maximim. I was among those who called for closure of
> >> the plant. I was among those who called for a
> >> follow-up study.  One phase of the follow-up was to
> >> collect blood smears from the more highly exposed to
> >> check for chromosomal damage.  While the principal
> >> investigator was on vacation, NIOSH came to his
> >> office, confiscated those blood smears and they've
> >> not been heard of since. I've received no follow-up
> >> information from the studies.  These studies were
> >> done in the early to mid 1980's.
> >>
> >>   There is no doubt in my mind that the principal
> >> investigator [any vets' studies will have principal
> >> investigators] had the best of intentions.  But as
> >> they say "The road to Hell is paved with good
> >> intentions."
> >>
> >>   If studies for chromosomal damage in vets' were to
> >> be done, they would be declared invalid as far as
> >> the veteran is concerned because no vet has had a
> >> baseline chromosomal study for comparison.  However
> >> it might be useful data to those who are conducting
> >> long on-going research into the effects of radiation
> >> on human beings.
> >>
> >>   Does it not disturb you to know that the human
> >> genome project is in the culpable hands of Los
> >> Alamos Laboratories and the Department of Energy?
> >>
> >>   Please, please, what safeguards are there in any
> >> proposed follow-up studies to ensure that veterans
> >> who volunteer for follow-up studies will not become
> >> just a ongoing bunch of guinea pigs for the nuclear
> >> war, research and power industries?
> >>
> >>   Elaine Hunter
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
>
>
>
> -- 
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