[ RadSafe ] FW: Pipe Cleaners

[Franz Schönhofer]

Don,

Even without knowing the accurate circumstances I can tell you that radium
bearing "scales" are a big concern not only in the oil industry but also to
a much lesser extent to drinking water supplies, because radium is enriched
in them. For instance in Norway those scales from oil drilling pipes have to
be collected and are treated as radioactive waste by law. Similar
legislation exists world wide. 
I do not know how in your case "natural" and "man made" is defined. Of
course the radium is of natural origin (NORM), but on the other side it is
accumulated by interference of human machinery (TENORM). Please keep me
informed of the outcome!

Best regards,

Franz 

Franz Schoenhofer, PhD
MinRat i.R.
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Wien/Vienna
AUSTRIA


-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] Im Auftrag von Mercado, Don
Gesendet: Montag, 08. März 2010 21:36
An: 'radsafe at agni.phys.iit.edu'
Betreff: [ RadSafe ] FW: Pipe Cleaners

Does anyone have more information on this? Was it natural or manmade RM?

Jury: Energy giant must pay $2 million
By The Associated Press
Friday, March 05, 2010

A state district court jury decided Friday that Exxon Mobil Corp. failed to
warn workers that offshore drilling pipes they cleaned over decades
contained radioactive contamination.

Sixteen former employees of now-defunct Intracoastal Tubular Services, of
Harvey, were awarded nearly $2 million as compensation for the increased
risk of developing cancer. The jury declined to award punitive damages.

"We still believe that our pipe did not cause any harm," Exxon Mobil
attorney Charles Gay said after the verdict.

Plaintiff attorney Tim Falcon said the former workers were disappointed by
the award, but still called the finding that Exxon was at fault "a victory."

The verdict came after seven days of deliberations. No blame was placed on
Intracoastal Tubular Services.

The suit was filed in 2001 after a New Orleans jury awarded the Grefer
family, which owns the property on which the pipes were cleaned, $1 billion
in punitive damages against Exxon Mobil and ITCO. The family leased 33 acres
for three decades to ITCO.

A state appeals court later upheld the verdict, but reduced punitive damages
to $122 million.

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