[ RadSafe ] Sodium fire reported at Idaho National Lab site

Mon Nov 14 16:14:09 CST 2011

Water hammer is a high pressure shock wave that propagates thru a pipe when
a valve is closed suddenly.  It can break the pipe or loosen it from its
mounting.

Bill Lipton
 On Nov 14, 2011 5:02 PM, <franz.schoenhofer at chello.at> wrote:

> 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
>
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