[ RadSafe ] US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mobile Laboratories

[Clayton J Bradt]

I didn't know that the NRC ever had mobile labs, so I can't say what 
happened to them. However from my experience here in NYS, the value of 
mobile laboratories is wildly over estimated. In almost every circumstance 
imaginable, it is always better to put the samples on wheels and bring 
them to the laboratory for analysis, than to put the the laboratory on 
wheels and bring it to the samples. Perhaps it was the recognition of this 
fact that led the NRC to discontinue the program. This explanation may be 
a bit far fetched, however as it would imply a capacity for learning not 
generally observed from that organization.

Clayton J. Bradt
Principal Radiophysicist
NYS Dept. of Health
Biggs Laboratory, Room D486A
Empire State Plaza
Albany, NY 12201-0509

518-474-1993

The richest 400 Americans own as much as the bottom 150 million put 
together.

------Original 
Message-----------------------------------------------------

Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2012 08:38:41 -0500
From: Erik Nielsen <Nielsen.Erik at epamail.epa.gov>
Subject: [ RadSafe ] US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mobile
                 Laboratories
To: liste de distribution pour les RADIOCHIMISTEs <RADCH-L at in2p3.fr>
Cc: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
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<OF97556172.C068423A-ON85257A93.004A58D3-86257A93.004AF3F7 at epamail.epa.gov>
 
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Does anyone have knowledge of what happened to the USNRC mobile 
laboratories?

What physically happened to the vehicles/equipment?  The radiochemists 
that staffed these labs?

What was the rationale for discontinuing these mobile laboratories?  What 
replaced the analytical need that these lab(s) filled?

Any background information on these and other mobile laboratories in the 
United States would be appreciated (DOE Hotspot, DOE Rascal, State mobile 
laboratories, commercial).

Erik C. Nielsen
Health Physicist
USEPA, National Air and Radiation Environmental Laboratory
540 South Morris Ave.
Montgomery, AL 36115
Phone 334-270-3475
Fax 334-270-3454