Re: intentional misuse - proposed "cures"

[Kim Merritt <merritt9@llnl.gov>]

Although I would think that most can accept the differences between a
research and power reactor atmosphere it does not mean that you have to
meet differing levels of compliance.  The DOE is a research institution
also.  We have thousands of radioactive material users, many foreign
nationals (if that truly is a factor) and have to compete for research
funds just like you do.  We also perform background checks on everybody and
most of us get our lives examined with a microscope.  With all that, the
national labs continue to attract top notch scientists from around the
world and we somehow manage to do work without our researchers stealing our
radioactive material so they can misuse it.  Its not rocket science, its
compliance.  They get on board or they go home.  I can't believe that if
you made your researchers follow the rules that they would all pack up and
go home and your research would shut down.  Lets face it, the number of
places that offer interesting research prospects is limited and they are
all governed by the same rules in this country.  Allowing the rules to be
bent at a  facility reflects poorly on the rest of us.  There is no such
thing as individual risk anymore, its all collective.  Look at the JCO
crit. accident, don't think that that hasn't had an impact in US
institutions.

I recognize that you are somewhat at a disadvantage because of the ages of
some of your researchers but we have summer students and interns here as
well, and somehow the Navy let me operate a reactor before I was even old
enough go get a beer (yes I know it's very different atmosphere there).
They have to be educated not only in the ES&H importance of safety but the
political importance as well.  Attending prestigious school and doing
research is not a right it is a privilege and it should be respected like
one.

I'm not trying to condemn you or your school in particular, you just
happened to bring it up. ;-)  I'll get off my soap box now.

| | | |    Kim Merritt, RRPT
| | | |__  Physics Safety Support Officer
| | \___/  Lawrence Livermore National Labs
| \___/    merritt9@llnl.gov
\___/      Voice: (925)423-9668   Fax: (925)422-7160
	   "When the only tool you have is a hammer,
	   every problem begins to resemble a nail."
	   -Abraham Maslow
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