[ RadSafe ] When logic fails . . .

[Earley, Jack N]

Sounds like Reid's just ignorant enough to run for president.

Report from LasVegasNow.com:

Reaction and the fallout from Wednesday's runaway railcar containing the
deadly chemical chlorine has come from just about everywhere. From
changes the city of Las Vegas will make, to how the Clark County HAZMAT
team could respond to a chlorine leak. The railcar coasted freely from
south of Blue Diamond to North Las Vegas.

The scariest thing for HAZMAT experts who looked at this incident is how
close the railcar came to a lot of people. The track took it right
behind the Mirage, Treasure Island, Fashion Show Mall, and Circus
Circus. The runaway car went as fast as 55 miles-per hour past the Clark
County Government Center and downtown Las Vegas. That angered the mayor
and left HAZMAT fire crews pondering what if.

The runaway railcar looked harmless enough as it sat in North Las Vegas
Wednesday. Union Pacific workers threw wood boards under the tires to
stop the car. But this sight angered Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman. "I
think it's outrageous," he said. Mayor Goodman says the railroad never
called his office about the incident. He first heard about it from new
reports.

In response, the mayor never wants to be blindsided by a runaway car
again. He says he will amend a city ordinance so the railroad must
notify authorities before chlorine or any toxic chemical will be shipped
through the city. "Cities need to be notified to be prepared to meet
these kinds of potential dangers with HAZMAT facilities," said Goodman.

The uncontrolled car sped past hundreds of thousands of people not only
downtown, but also on the Las Vegas Strip. A leak or crash could have
been disastrous in that stretch of track. 'What we try to do is prepare
ourselves," said Richard Brenner, Clark County HAZMAT Coordinator.

Clark County HAZMAT crews say they would have been ready because of
specialized training using replicas of the tank car's lid, which is
where most of the leaks happen when transporting chlorine. So the Clark
County crews have valve caps. With any leak near the large hotels,
HAZMAT coordinator Richard Brenner says he would have kept people inside
and had the ventilation system shut off because chlorine dissipates in
the wind. "It's going to try to escape. It's going to try to go up in
the environment. That is what we want it to do. We don't want to put
people out in that environment," said Brenner. Had there been a crash or
leak in the side of the tank, HAZMAT crews have a giant bag to throw
over the car and trap any chlorine gas.

Senator Harry Reid released the following statement: "The incident
involving a runaway railcar yesterday is just the latest example of the
serious danger that Yucca Mountain poses to Nevada and the rest of the
nation. Railways go directly through the heart of Las Vegas and many
other cities and towns across America. They travel past our schools, our
businesses and our homes. Fortunately, yesterday's railcar was stopped
without incident and without the release of the dangerous Coordinator
chemicals it was carrying. However, this incident brought to light the
very real threat we face if the DOE begins to transport nuclear waste to
Yucca Mountain. That is why I will continue to leverage my leadership
position in the Senate to ensure the dump is never built."

 
 
Jack Earley
Health Physicist
509.372.9532