Re: intentional misuse - proposed "cures"

[Kim Merritt <merritt9@llnl.gov>]

>
>The DOE cannot even protect TOP SECRET documents with the
>highest of national security relevance from being stolen and
>misused.  How effective were those background checks?  Is
>oversight of radioactive materials at DOE facilities more stringent
>than the plans for nuclear weapons?
>
OUCH!! The jury is out on this.  Can you spell "witch hunt".  Uh oh, that
probably got me on a list somewhere.


>
>DOE facilities are regulated by DOE rules enforced by
>DOE.  Universities/hospitals are regulated by NRC rules enforced
>by NRC or State regulatory agencies.

Actually our rules are very similar for what we do (and seem to be becoming
even more so).   As for the self-regulation part, that is not really how it
works because the DOE facilites are not in fact operated by DOE, they are
operated by a contractor.  Thus we still have the "outside" agency to
regulate us.  Maybe we get held to a higher standard than other research
intitutions, if so, lucky you, sucks to be us.
>

>No one ALLOWED the rules to be bent.  This was a case of
>INTENTIONAL, unauthorized act involving radioactive material.  Can
>we think of an analogy.  Does one allow one's car to be
>vandalized?  Does one allow drugs to be consumed?  If we could
>prevent these acts from occurring we would not need jails.


Actually, I think the thread was being sent in the direction of having a
lesser degree of enforced compliance at universities because of their
unique situation.  Sounds like bending the rules to me.

>
>BTW, there have been 13 similar incidents in 28 years with 5 in the
>last 5 years.  (NUREG-1535 lists 10 + Brown, UC Irvine, and
>Columbia.)  Epidemic?

No it doesn't sound like an epidemic.  There do seem to be issues of
concern though, relative to control of radioactive material and researcher
responsibility.  So does this say that there is an area that could use
improvement?  Yes.
>


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