[ RadSafe ] Robots scour sea for atomic wasteSubmarines search for radioactive material dumped off the Scottish coast in the 1980s

[Steven Dapra]

May 25

         This article was written by the "science editor."  I didn't know 
"one speck" of plutonium was "capable" of killing me if I swallowed 
it.  Goodness.  Life is full of surprises, isn't it?  Is a speck one of the 
International Units?  How many specks are there in a gram, or is it vice versa?

Steven Dapra



At 09:54 AM 5/25/08 +0100, Fred Dawson wrote:
>Guardian Reports:-
>
>Robot submarines are to be used to sweep particles of plutonium and other
>radioactive materials from the seabed near one of Britain's biggest nuclear
>plants in one of the most delicate clean-up operations ever in this country.
>
>Each submersible will be fitted with a Geiger counter and will crisscross
>the sea floor to pinpoint every deadly speck close to Dounreay on Scotland's
>north coast before lifting each particle and returning it to land for safe
>storage.
>
>Two kilometres of beach outside the Dounreay nuclear plant have been closed
>since 1983, and fishing banned, when it was found old fuel rod fragments
>were being accidentally pumped into the sea. The cause was traced and
>corrected but particles - including plutonium specks, each capable of
>killing a person if swallowed - are still being washed on to this bleakly
>beautiful stretch of sand and cliff on mainland Britain's northern edge.
>
>Full report
>
>http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/may/25/pollution.conservation
>
>fwp_dawson at hotmail.com