[ RadSafe ] Example of Non-Regulated Materials

[blreider at aol.com]

Syd, perhaps the dirty glove boxes were hidden to shield them rather than hide them.  False walls can be used for that motive as well.

If this principals had such a high burdens of Am-241, didn't they realize there were problems with their processes?  Have they followed their employees to see if they also have no health effects? 

Even if the shorter lived radionuclides are essentially decayed away, you still hav a heck of a lot of Am-241 and Cs-137.  Complicated with berrylium for Am-Be and neutrons.

Barbara Reider, CHP






-----Original Message-----
From: AnaLog Services, Inc. <AnaLog at logwell.com>
To: radsafe at radlab.nl; blreider at aol.com
Sent: Wed, Feb 17, 2010 9:35 am
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Example of Non-Regulated Materials


This episode is confusing to me. The presentation certainly does not 
clarify things much. For instance how could there be any I-131 (or a couple 
of the other short lived tracer nuclides) left at the facility after ten 
years? Where were the state and federal regulators with respect to those 
large sealed sources left laying around? They could not expect the 
employees of a bankrupt company to take them home for safe keeping I 
wouldn't think. 
 
I know some of the principals involved, and they are not evil people. The 
business about hidden rooms and false walls seems odd to me also. I am not 
privy to the real story or history of this unfortunate event, but I suspect 
there is far more to it since none of the principals was ever charged 
criminally. The oil price crash in 1986 played a big part in this drama, 
but the true story remains clouded to say the least. 
 
Interestingly, as far as I know, none of the principals has suffered any ill 
health effects despite one of them holding the title of the highest body 
burden of Am-241 of anybody on the planet (according to him). 
 
Syd H. Levine 
AnaLog Services, Inc. 
Phone: (270) 276-5671 
Telefax: (270) 276-5588 
E-mail: analog at logwell.com 
Web URL: www.logwell.com 
 
----- Original Message ----- From: <blreider at aol.com> 
To: <radsafe at radlab.nl> 
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 8:22 PM 
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Example of Non-Regulated Materials 
 
 
Hey RadSafe Group: 
 
I know we all at times get caught up in LNT discussions, but there is a 
reason that radiation professionals are needed and rules and regs need to be 
evaluated by professionals and reasonable written plans for radiation safety 
put into place and implemented. I thought you might like to see an example 
of what happens when regulations are ignored. 
 
I believe this talk was by the EPA or USACE following the removal of sources 
from the Gulf Nuclear Inc. (GNI) Webster site. This was the number one 
potential dirty bomb site following 9-11. The remediation was performed 
under CERCLA by the EPA. To my knowledge, GNI made well logging sources and 
also made check and calibration sources under the name "The Source". Gulf 
Nuclear went bankrupt in 1990. At some point the state put a fence up 
around the site which is between a medical center and an oncology building. 
 
http://www.ttemidev.com/oscAdmin2008/conference/materials/180/02_stranded.pdf 
 
In case you didn't read the zeros correctly the presentation states there 
were up to 200 million dpm per 100cm2 finely powdered Am-241 on the 
surfaces.* Dose rates ranged up to 1000 rem per hour. 
 
 
Barbara Reider, CHP 
 
 
* NRC recommended free release level is 20dpm/100cm2 removable transuranics 
per RG 1.86. 
The State of TX uses 200dpm/100cm2. 
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/reg-guides/power-reactors/active/01-086/01-086.pdf) 
 
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