[ RadSafe ] " Campaign to save the U-233 stockpile "

[Jaro Franta]

"It's a national treasure, and it shouldn't be wasted," Snyder said this
morning in a telephone interview. Snyder, who holds a Ph.D. in genetics..."


http://blogs.knoxnews.com/munger/2010/08/campaign_to_save_the_u-233_sto.html

Campaign to save the U-233 stockpile

John Snyder, a retired commercialization manager at Idaho National
Laboratory, is trying to organize efforts to relocate the stockpile of U-233
at ORNL and preserve it for future extraction of medical isotopes of need --
notably actinium-225 (daughter of thorium-229) for treatment for acute
myeloid leukemia and perhaps other diseases.

The stocks of fissile material, currently housed in ORNL's Building 3019,
are slated for downblending and disposal by Isotek, a Dept. of Energy
contracting partnership headed by EnergySolutions.

"It's a national treasure, and it shouldn't be wasted," Snyder said this
morning in a telephone interview. Snyder, who holds a Ph.D. in genetics, has
tried to come up with an arrangement that would satisfy most parties with an
interest in the radioactive material and is now seeking the support of
Congress (and encouraging interested organizations to apply the pressure).

Snyder argues that it doesn't make sense to spend half a billion dollars or
possibly more on a project that's going to take at least another decade to
complete. He said during his time at Idaho lab (2003-2009) he was involved
in an evaluation of the U-233 and its potential uses.

Synder is proposing that the U-233 be moved to another site -- likely the
Nevada Test Site or Idaho -- where there is expertise and facilities to
store the fissile (and highly radioactive) material until a decision is made
on how to proceed. He said such a project could be carried out in two to
five years.

"This could be done and save money and give more time to figure out what to
do with it," Snyder said.

He said his proposal could address safety concerns raised by the Defense
Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, accommodate ORNL interests by getting the
high-hazard, high-security material out of an old building in the center of
the lab's campus, and perhaps save DOE the embarrassment of a project that
doesn't appear to be under control. He said he believes DOE officials would
like to save the material to support the isotopes program, but are following
orders from Congress to dispose of it.

"I think what I have done is I have given a message that all of the people
who want to save the U-233 can use to get Congress to act," Snyder said. The
2011 Energy Appropriations Bill may be a final opportunity for getting this
done, he said.

"If we don't get it done now, then the costs are going to continue to
escalate," he said.

Posted by Frank Munger on August 18, 2010 at 11:41 AM
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.....and posted on EnergyFromThorium :


http://energyfromthorium.com/category/materials/u233/ 
Help Dr. John Snyder save the U-233!
Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 
Dr. Snyder contacted me two days ago with specific ways we can help save the
U-233. Here is the text of his letter:

Dear Mr. Sorensen,

On July 26, 2010, Representative Mike Simpson of Idaho informed me that:

"While the House has not yet publicly released the Energy and Water
Development Appropriations Act for FY2011, I have shared your thoughts [on
terminating the U233 project at ORNL] with the House Energy and Water
Appropriations Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over this issue."

If you ever want the chance to use this U233 in the future, contact your
congressional representatives[i] today and voice your support for
terminating the U233 project at ORNL. 

If you represent an organization that has interest in the life-saving
medical isotopes that could be recovered from this U233, please contact
these representatives on behalf of the members of your organization.

If you represent an organization that has interest in the future of energy
production (and keeping all of our nuclear options open), please contact
these representatives on behalf of the members of your organization.

If you have any questions about why I am requesting your support in this
effort, please contact me by e-mail or phone.

Respectfully,
John R. Snyder, Ph.D.
Retired (2009) Commercialization Manager, Idaho National Laboratory
213 Gettysburg Lane
Idaho Falls, ID 83404
208-680-9127

[i] Other members of the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee
who have stakeholders interested in the U233 at ORNL are:

Lincloln Davis (TN), Member (Stakeholder is Department of Energy, Oak Ridge
National Laboratory)

Steve Israel (NY), Member (Stakeholders are Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer
Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine)

Peter Visclosky (IN), Chair (Stakeholder is Department of Energy)

Zach Wamp (TN), Member (Stakeholder is Department of Energy, Oak Ridge
National Laboratory)

Members of the House Committee on Appropriations who have stakeholders in
the U233 at ORNL are:

Maurice Hinchey (NY), Member (Stakeholders are Memorial Sloan-Kettering
Cancer Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine)

Jesse Jackson, Jr (IL), Member (Stakeholder is NorthStar Nuclear Medicine,
Madison, WI and Naperville, IL)

Mark Kirk (IL), Member (Stakeholder is NorthStar Nuclear Medicine, Madison,
WI and Naperville, IL)

Nita Lowey (NY), Member (Stakeholders are Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer
Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine)

David Obey (WI), Chairman, Ex-Officio Member, House Subcommittee on Energy
and Water Development, (Stakeholder is NorthStar Nuclear Medicine, Madison,
WI and Naperville, IL)

Jose Serrano (NY), Member (Stakeholders are Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer
Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine)

Carolyn Maloney (NY), is Chair of the House Joint Economic Committee
(Stakeholders are Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Albert Einstein
College of Medicine)

The following Senators may have influence in enacting the proposed language:

Senators Harry Reid (NV) and Orin Hatch (UT) are co-sponsors of Senate Bill
S.3060, Thorium Independence and Security Act of 2010

Senator Lamar Alexander (TN), Member, Senate Subcommittee on Energy and
Water Development, (Stakeholder is Department of Energy, Oak Ridge National
Laboratory)

Senator Jeff Bingaman (NM), Chairman, Senate Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources (Stakeholder is Department of Energy)

Senator Bob Corker (TN), Member, Senate Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources, (Stakeholder is Department of Energy, Oak Ridge National
Laboratory)

Senator Herb Kohl (WI), Member, Senate Appropriations Committee (Stakeholder
is NorthStar Nuclear Medicine, Madison, WI and Naperville, IL)

[ii] Specific language recommended for the Energy and Water Development
Appropriations Act for FY2011 is: "The Secretary of Energy shall direct that
the Uranium-233 Material Downblending and Disposition Project at Oak Ridge
National Laboratory be terminated and that the uranium-233 be promptly
transferred to safe, secure, interim storage at another DOE site."

If you are a constituent of any of these representatives and senators,
please get in touch with them to support the language to save the U-233.

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