[ RadSafe ] NRC issues License to phony company

[Steven Dapra]

July 12

         From an AP article (with no byline), datelined Washington, in 
today's Albuquerque Journal (p. A-6, for those who live in Albq.):

         "The license that was obtained allowed for the purchase of up to 
five portable moisture density gauges widely used in construction, in which 
are encased small amounts of cesium-137 and americium 241, two highly 
radioactive isotopes.

         "Individually, these devices pose little threat because of the 
small amount of radioactive material, radiation experts say.  Still, the 
devices require an NRC license to be purchased and must be closely 
safeguarded by companies that use them to avoid theft."

         The half-life of Cs-137 is 30 years, and the half-life of Am-241 
is 458 years.  Can either of these isotopes properly be characterized as 
"highly radioactive"?

Steven Dapra
sjd at swcp.com



At 09:15 AM 7/12/07 -0400, Bob Casparius wrote:
> From The New York Times
>
>July 12, 2007
>
>A Nuclear Ruse Uncovers Holes in U.S. Security
>
>By 
><http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/l/eric_lipton/index.html?inline=nyt-per>ERIC 
>LIPTON
>
>WASHINGTON, July 11 ­ Undercover Congressional investigators set up a 
>bogus company and obtained a license from the 
><http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/n/nuclear_regulatory_commission/index.html?inline=nyt-org>Nuclear 
>Regulatory Commission in March that would have allowed them to buy the 
>radioactive materials needed for a so-called dirty bomb.

[edit]

>. . . the auditors approached two industrial equipment companies to 
>arrange to buy dozens of portable moisture density gauges, which cost 
>about $5,000 each and are used to read the density of soil and pavement 
>when building highways. The machines include americium-241 and cesium-137, 
>radioactive substances commonly used in industrial equipment.

[edit]