[ RadSafe ] Collection of WWII Instruments Confiscated

[Miller, Mark L]

Liad van Praag would be wise NOT to attempt to get all of the instruments back, due to their very real hazard.  On the other hand, the nifty list should be offered up to Museums who might really appreciate some rare, hard to obtain artifacts for their displays.  Then, Liad could DONATE those thus claimed.  Anything not thus adopted can be placed by the authorities in concrete so that it can be properly disposed of somewhere and that it can't pass the Dutch border anymore.
Mark


-----Original Message-----
From: Jeff Terry [mailto:terryj at iit.edu] 
Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2010 8:12 AM
To: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Collection of WWII Instruments Confiscated

Hi All,

Looks like a private collection of vintage WWII airplane dials was  
confiscated in the Netherlands.

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?s=033e381c3a3c176a8650e7403a878e03&t=19924

Someone familiar with the regulations in the Netherlands posted this  
explanation.

Liad, I was pointed to this forum by a friend, who had similar  
problems like you have now. I will try to explain the legal framework  
a bit. In the Netherlands there is a Radiation protection Decree  
(Besluit Stralingsbescherming). According to this Decree it is  
forbidden to have radio active marterials, unless there is a specific  
need to have them. In that case you can apply for a license at  
Senternovem. The licence contains all requirements you will have to  
meet.

As you can not justify the need to have radio active material, you are  
not allowed to have these instruments. The Aviodrome has recently  
received a permit and "bevrijdende vleugels" is currenly in the  
application proces for a permit. Senternovem does not consider  
"collecting instruments" a solid reason to issue a permit.

Aircraft instruments have been "discovered" by the "labour  
inspectorate" already a few years ago. Recently a new "market" has  
been discovered; The instruments in vintage vehicles! As they contain  
Radium as well.

About Radium paint: Most instruments painted with this paint generate  
quite some dose (Even above the limits for exposure for radiation  
workers!). Especially at short distance.
However this isn't the biggest risk. The paint is very brittle  
therefore most instruments are contaminated with small radioactive  
particles or dust. Especially when the glass of the instrument has  
been removed or when it is broken, the risk on an internal  
contamination is quite large.

I understand this might sound harsh, but for your own health and for  
the health of the people you live with it is better to get rid of  
these instruments.

I wish you good luck in court, however as the Decree forbids  
posession, you most probably won't get your instruments back.  
Hopefully the judge will decide that you won't have to pay COVRA for  
the removal of the instruments.

Best regards,
Huub Vink
Radiation Safety Expert


  Jeff