[ RadSafe ] " Technology to detect radiation has progressed "

Wed Aug 22 16:49:05 CDT 2007

Radsafers

A major problem is NORM in the gas industry. I've seen pipes on rail cars 
being "turned back" at the recyclying yard in Prince George, BC to Fort 
Nelson, BC. No problem was found in Fort Nelson so it was sent back to 
Prince George. This apparently happen quite often.

I don't work "up there" but I have heard that its a common experience.

It could be that this is a case where the"Technology to detect radiation has 
progressed" but I don't know what happen before the Prince George yard had 
monitors.

Maybe it should be called regression!

***************
John R Johnson, PhD
CEO, IDIAS, Inc.
Vancouver, B. C.
Canada
(604) 222-9840
idias at interchange.ubc.ca

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <nssihou at aol.com>
To: <neildm at id.doe.gov>; <sjd at swcp.com>; <brent.rogers at ansto.gov.au>; 
<radsafe at radlab.nl>
Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2007 2:29 PM
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] " Technology to detect radiation has progressed "

> As Ceasar might say? "Watch out for your friends".
>
> I had a visit from an FAA guy one day at the facility. Little did I know 
> he had a radiation detector strapped to his arm. I would have never known 
> except that he was fascinated that the neutron detector was alarming. He 
> said he had never had it alarm before. With our inventory of Am241Be I was 
> not surprised.
>
> In years past I am sure lots of scrap metal and garbage was disposed 
> containing radioactive material. Now every scrap yard and most landfills 
> have radiation monitors. We are also now equipping fire and police with 
> radiation detectors. We should expect that when these devices alarm, these 
> persons will ask questions.
>
> This is really no different than the cop that smells the odor of marijuana 
> at a party and begins trying to find the user with his nose and eyes as 
> the detectors.?
>
> Bob Gallagher
> nssi
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: neildm at id.doe.gov
> To: sjd at swcp.com; brent.rogers at ansto.gov.au; radsafe at radlab.nl
> Sent: Wed, 22 Aug 2007 3:58 pm
> Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] " Technology to detect radiation has progressed "
>
>
>
> Correct me if I'm wrong, but I had always heard the Juvenal quote in a
> different context; more along the lines of  "Who watches the watchmen"
> or to use your words "Who guards (us from) the guards."
>
> Dave Neil
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On
> Behalf Of Steven Dapra
> Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 8:30 PM
> To: brent.rogers at ansto.gov.au; radsafe at radlab.nl
> Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] " Technology to detect radiation has progressed
> "
>
> Aug. 20
>
>         To answer what I consider to be the most important question,
> how
> many contingencies do you want to prepare for?  Shall each of us be
> assigned a policeman, or FBI agent, or BATF agent, or Homeland Security
> agent, or *someone*, to accompany us everywhere to make certain we don't
>
> blow someone up?
>
>         There is a problem with the business of guarding everyone:
> "Sed
> quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"  ---  "But who is to guard the guards
> themselves?"
>
>         Franklin Roosevelt said "The only thing we have to fear is fear
>
> itself."  Thoreau said, "Nothing is to be so much feared as fear."  As a
>
> people and as a nation, we need to get a grip on ourselves.
>
> Steven Dapra
>
> All quotes are from Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 16th edition.
>
> 'Guarding the guards' --- Juvenal; p 109:3
> Roosevelt --- 648:18
> Thoreau --- 476:26
>
>
>
> At 11:58 AM 8/21/07 +1000, ROGERS, Brent wrote:
>>Steven
>>
>>If a crackpot/terrorist with a strange combination of dislikes
> (abortion
>>clinics and lesbians) is willing to blow up a bag of nails at an event
>>related to neither of these activities, the Atlanta Olympics...  It's
> not a
>>far stretch to think something similar involving radioactive material
> might
>>occur at the Little League World Series.  That foolishness occurred 5
> years
>>before 9/11.
>>
>>If you were responsible for safety and security of Williamsport, would
> you
>>be willing not to be prepared for that contingency?
>>
>>Brent Rogers
>>Leader Commercial Radiation Safety Group
>>Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
>>PMB 1, Menai NSW 2234
>>T +61 2 9717 3251
>>F +61 2 9717 9266
>>M +61 4 1723 1879 (0417 231 879)
>>E brent.rogers at ansto.gov.au
>>www.ansto.gov.au
>>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Steven Dapra [mailto:sjd at swcp.com]
>>Sent: Tuesday, 21 August 2007 11:40 AM
>>To: Brian Rees; radsafe at radlab.nl
>>Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] " Technology to detect radiation has
> progressed "
>>
>>Aug. 20
>>
>>          I may (or may not) be willing to concede a small amount on
> this
>>one.
>>
>>          A little more to the point, why are people being screened
> when
>>they are going to a Little League World Series game?  Is the post-Sept.
> 11
>>paraonia so bad that our ostensible protectors believe terrorists (or
>>perhaps run of the mill crackpots) are going to be throwing around
> 'lethal
>>radioactive substances' at a Little League game?  Does anything think
> this
>>may be getting a little out of hand?  And if not, what *does*
> constitute
>>getting out of hand?
>>
>>Steven Dapra
>>
>>
>>At 10:14 AM 8/20/07 -0600, Brian Rees wrote:
>> >Actually, I have been involved in personnel detections, and the
> people who
>> >ask the questions are polite and understanding and professional when
>> >they've been trained well, which is usually the case.  In addition,
> many
>> >people (I know this isn't ALWAYS the case!) are aware that they are
>> >slightly radioactive and may trigger detectors and be questioned.
> Many of
>> >the people (patients) I've talked to are understanding, and in many
> cases
>> >pleased to see that there really are people doing this work.
>> >
>> >My own personal opinion and experience only...
>> >Brian Rees
>> >
>> >
>> >At 08:32 PM 8/19/2007, you wrote:
>> >>Aug. 18
>> >>
>> >>         I should think this would be intimidating.  Youi're trying
> to
>> >> watch a baseball game and all of a sudden a bunch of gorillas
> packing
>> >> heat are standing over you asking  nosy personal question.  In this
> age
>> >> of post-Sept. 11 paranoia I doubt that the interrogators were very
>> >> congenial.  I wonder if any of them have wives?
>> >>
>> >>Steven Dapra
>> >>sjd at swcp.com
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>At 07:58 PM 8/19/07 -0400, Jaro wrote:
>> >>>Aviation Week & Space Technology
>> >>>08/20/2007, page 26
>> >>>Technology to detect radiation has progressed, says Army Lt. Gen.
> William
>> >>>Webster, deputy commander of the U.S. Northern Command. During the
> most
>> >>>recent Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., detectors
> picked
>>up
>> >>>radiation from a fan entering the premises and handheld detectors
> guided
>> >>>officials to the fan's location. Upon questioning the fan,
> officials
>> >>>discovered she recently underwent radiation therapy for breast
> cancer and
>> >>>was still carrying residual amounts of the substance.
>
>
>
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