[ RadSafe ] Sodium fire reported at Idaho National Lab site

Mon Nov 14 16:01:36 CST 2011

Helen and RADSAFErs,

Is there anybody among you who believes what is written in newspapers or journals or distributed on other mass media about nuclear related topics???? When you try to distribute the real facts - are they distributed the same prominent way as the original wrong messages? 

Radiation protection professionals as well as authorities face the necessity of mass media to enhance their quotas of selling papers and journals and enhancing the number of spectators on TV, because this will enhance income from advertising. An important role is played by the so-calIed "Independent Scientists" and "Independent Institutes - Commissions - etc." all collecting money. Do I need to mention the foremost ones like Greenpeace and the like, Chris Busby, the catholic nun, in the past charlatans like Sternglass, Mangano and others. (By the way, all those antinuclear stars of the USA are not known in Austria, which is  one of the most silly antinuclear country!) I hate these facts, but I could not imagine any democratic means to curb that fearmongering down. People want to be scared! 

But, do they really want to be scared? I notice a kind of "dulling" (hopefully the right word in English).  When you hear every day in many mass media about the "deadly" nuclear power plants, the imminent extinction of the human race because of radioactive contamination, the dangers of anything even slightly radioactive, radon etc. etc. then I believe that even lay persons might consider the fact that we still live, our life expectancy is rising, that it might not be such a danger. 

One problem is still that some groups like the Greens - which are in my opinion not really "green" - use this fearmongering to raise money and politicians try to collect votes. This latter question is of much importance in Europe, where they are already influencing, if not control several governments.   -nuclear

This comment might be depressing - but it offers also a future, when citizens are tired of this anti-nuclear propaganda. How many decades will it take?

PS: Could you enlighten me as a non-native speaker what a "water hammer" is? 
As a compensation for your effort I offer you the insight that probably it was a "piece" of the pipe and not a"peace". Sorry, I have been a teacher for a few years - not in English, but Chemistry - and that still has an impact on reading texts and I simply could not resist. 

Best regards,

Franz

---- "Bailly schrieb:
> Unfortunately the media does not necessarily report accurately I am a dosimetry technician at the INL - wow go figure huh
> 
> The individual was not burned; Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center reports that the CWI employee has been released from observation. After a thorough examination to check for potential injury, physicians report no physical evidence of any injury.
> 
> Additionally there was no fire - while treating the residual passivated sodium in the sodium boiler building piping, an apparent water hammer occurred as the result of a sodium water interaction. The apparent water hammer separated a peace of 12-inch pipe that was a dead leg in the system, and ejected treatment solution from the piping.
> 
> helen Bailly
> Radiation Dosimetry & Records
> Senior Dosimetry Technician
> INL
> (208) 533-0730
>  
> Life is short - Break the rules!  Forgive quickly!  Kiss slowly!  Love truly! Laugh uncontrollably!... And never regret anything that made you smile.
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: radsafe-bounces at agni.phys.iit.edu [mailto:radsafe-bounces at agni.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Perle, Sandy
> Sent: Friday, November 11, 2011 9:11 PM
> To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
> Subject: [ RadSafe ] Sodium fire reported at Idaho National Lab site
> 
> These 2 incidents don't help with the media and public perceptions.
> 
> 
> Sodium fire reported at Idaho National Lab site
> 
> The Associated Press
> Published: Friday, Nov. 11, 2011 -  1:17 pm
> 
> IDAHO FALLS, Idaho -- An employee believed to have been burned in a fire caused by a sodium reaction at
> the Idaho National Laboratory has been released from a hospital, with physicians reporting they found no evidence the cleanup worker was injured.
> 
> The U.S. Department of Energy says 10 others were evaluated on scene Friday and released by medical
> staff. Officials couldn't immediately comment on the size of the fire,
> but suggested it may have been caused by a sodium reaction. Laboratory
> fire crews responded to the Materials and Fuel Complex, where officials
> say there's no more evidence of a continued reaction or fire.
> Firefighters and operations personnel have re-entered the building.
> 
> The incident comes several days after 16 cleanup workers were
> exposed to radiation when a box containing plutonium powder was opened.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Sandy
> 
> -----------------------------------
> Sander C. Perle
> President
> Mirion Technologies
> Dosimetry Services Division
> 2652 McGaw Avenue
> Irvine, CA 92614
> +1 (949) 296-2306 (Office)
> +1 (949) 296-1130 (Fax)
> Mirion Technologies: http://www.mirion.com/
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--
Franz Schoenhofer, PhD, MinRat
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Vienna
Austria
mobile: ++43 699 1706 1227