RE: Bill Miller - TN Illnesses

[Cheryll Dyer <cherylldyer@yahoo.com>]

Mr. Miller:

You should know that even though folks know there is
something wrong and try to do something about it, it
is not always cut and dry.  As Mr. Slavin stated, I
did make my management miserable in asking for MSDS on
jobs, asking for proper protective equipment for
myself, coworkers and those I covered in my position,
asking for "my right to know" to be acknowledged,
asking for equipment that would allow me to conduct my
work in a safe manner, and so on and so on.

I saw so many times that because "money" was at stake,
safety and health of the workers were put far back on
the "to-do list".  When I had assessed a particular
job and found that the levels were too high for the
workers to be allowed in the area for more than 2
hours, I was taken off that job and they did it on
overtime without HP support.  Guess what happened? 
Ten workers were exposed beyond the limits and were
"watched" for over a year to make sure nothing would
happen.

As for the smears with the IBM cards.  The
acetylnitrile and uranium hexafluoride contamination
was merely displaced.  There was no way to get an
accurate accounting of the TRUE level of contamination
either beta/gamma or alpha.  AN IBM CARD ISN'T GOING
TO PICK UP THE CONTAMINATION!  I asked for masselin,
cloth smears and the instrumentation to read these but
was told that "that's not the way we do things around
here."  Of course it wasn't.  Reason being that if
they  conducted the radiological surveys the proper
way, then it would show high levels of contamination
where previous methods showed none.  I did acquire the
masselin and cloth smears from other sources and
conducted the survey on my own.  And, indeed, the
levels were extremely high and well above the limits. 
It has been several years since I was out at the
facility and having sustained brain damage from my
exposures, my mind is not capable of remembering the
exact levels other than that they were extremely high
and I did have "conversations" with management about
what I had found only to be told that my survey wasn't
conducted in the "approved" manner and was rejected as
faulty.  How come it can be that two facilities under
the DOE in the same town can use different methods of
performing radiological surveys?

Where this event occurred, the HP department consisted
mainly of folks brought in off the street (literally)
and given radiation detection meters with tape at the
point of "contamination level exceeded".  They were
told that if the meter hand went past this tape mark
to call a "real HP" and let them know so that
determination of what to do could be done by the "real
HP".  I did not know this when I applied for the
position of Senior HP Technologist.  I was placed in a
building with a partner who had never been to school
for HP.  Do you know how that scared me and made me
realize what trouble this particular facility is in as
it is an actual operating facility?  There are very
qualified HP personnel in Oak Ridge.  However, these
same folks are not allowed to use their knowledge to
protect the workers, public and environment.  I know
several who came (at the request of DOE/contractor
management) to Oak Ridge from commercial nuclear
power.  They presented what should have been
acceptable and required for safety/health.  When this
was rejected by management from other departments,
these very capable, educated folks were sent on their
way.  And, so it goes with Oak Ridge DOE operations.  

Any time someone with the knowledge and education
tries to do the right thing, they are bombarded with
opposition from management and given (literally) the
cold shoulder and put in dark basements.  How can this
happen?  Easily enough at Oak Ridge.  Because the
almighty dollar means more than human health and
safety!  I know because I am one of those people.  I
did not continue my education to receive my CHP but I
did receive my education as a Certified Health Physics
Technologist at a qualified and accredited institution
(sponsored by DOE no less!) and I tried to do what I
KNEW was right.  We were provided the best education
with our Professor coming from Egypt and having over
40 years of nuclear reactor experience.  The courses
were approved by the college as well as the DOE.  So,
I was only trying to do what I had been taught was the
correct way to handle radiological concerns/issues
within a DOE complex.  

I had the knowledge and education to protect myself
and  others from radiological hazards at the
facilities I worked in.  I was not allowed to use this
education to the best of my abilities because it
caused too many problems for the management and cost
too much money.  I was prepared to take the risk of
radiological hazards because I firmly believe I was
able to recognize these hazards and protect myself and
other workers.  What I did not know or ask for was to
be exposed to the hundreds of unknown "CLASSIFIED"
chemicals, toxins and heavy metals that abound at the
DOE sites in Oak Ridge.  They could have very easily
provided this information to me and let me decide if I
wanted to take the risk but I was always told it "was
not my place", "shut up", "go do the job you're told
to do", etc., etc.  I did ask for protection and I
knew that I well had the right to "stop work" if there
was a health/safety concern.  What I met with when I
tried to exercise this right was threat of firing,
being moved from jobs to meaningless work, put in dark
basements to work alone, etc. etc.

Now, tell me, what would you do if you tried to do
your job and protect yourself and the people you
worked with from harm only to be met with these kind
of circumstances?

Cheryll Dyer

=====
Please, "sign" our Petition to the U.S. Government --
http://che-or.8m.com/10-30-98Petition.html

The Tennessean's articles on toxic exposures:  http://www.tennessean.com/special/oakridge/part3/frame.shtml

Coalition for a Healthy Environment --
http://che-or.8m.com/che.html

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