Re: Avoiding improper use of isotopes in the laboratory

[William V Lipton <liptonw@dteenergy.com>]

It's precisely the attitude you express that has doomed our industry.  This
arrogant "The public isn't smart enough to understand." approach is the real
problem.

If you don't think that these "nonevents" are "real," ask someone at Brookhaven.

The only segment of this industry which can be called successful is the Nuclear
Navy.  They achieved this by convincing the public that they take every photon
seriously.

The opinions expressed are strictly mine.
It's not about dose, it's about trust.

Bill Lipton
liptonw@dteenergy.com

Neon John wrote:

> Based on the frequency of these events (almost never) and the
> potential for serious injury (almost none), why would you waste even
> a second's thought on the subject?  I'd worry more about someone
> digging the cornerstone out of the affected building, carrying it to
> the roof and dropping it on someone.  That would be much more likely
> to cause actual harm to someone and is probably more likely to
> happen.  What thoughts have you had regarding preventing this crime?
>
> Sorry to sound a bit harsh but it really bothers me that people
> spend so much time on such non-events.  Invariably, whenever there
> is an attempt to prevent a once-in-a-lifetime crime, projects are
> impaired and rights are adversely affected.  It also validates the
> hysterics generated by the media.  To me, at least, none of these
> are desirable outcomes.
>
> On a larger scale, this sort of worry about non-events, sometimes
> forced by the NRC's arm twisting and sometimes by utilities shooting
> themselves in the foot, is what has doomed our industry.  With the
> benefit of 20-20 hindsight, one can readily see that the response to
> much of the nuclear hysteria should have been in effect, "get real"!
>
> John
>
> --
> John De Armond
> johngdSPAMNOT@bellsouth.net
> http://neonjohn.4mg.com
> ************************************************************************
> The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
> information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html

************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html