Lawmaker introduces bill to regulate hazardous metals

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

Lawmaker introduces bill to regulate hazardous metals
  
WASHINGTON, June 21 (Reuters) - A Pennsylvania lawmaker introduced a 
bill on Wednesday to protect consumers and steelworkers from 
hazardous radioactive scrap metal. 

Rep. Ron Klink formally introduced the Scrap Metal Act of 2000, a 
bill designed to protect consumers and steelworkers from "hazards 
related to imported and domestic radioactively contaminated scrap 
metal." 

Klink, a Democrat, has the support of 25 congressmen and is calling 
for a bipartisan effort to get the bill passed. 

"Recycled metal can end up in everything from cars to food 
containers," Klink said. "The American steel industry recycles 96% of 
cars and 75% of appliances," he said. 

United Steelworkers of America President George Becker said in a 
statement that everyone could face a wide range of dangers without 
strong action to keep contamination out of steel products. 

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has no licensing or tracking system 
for the contaminated materials. 

Sue Gagner, a spokeperson for the NRC, said that the commission has 
not decided to develop any rules to this point. 

"We are looking at issues regarding the recycling of nuclear 
materials," Gagner said. 

The NRC is asking the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study 
and provide recommendations on possible alternatives to control 
slightly radioactive material. 

Over a 15-year period, about 50 incidents of high level contamination 
found in recycled metals were reported worldwide. No one was injured 
but cleanup costs range from $10-24 million. 

Currently, many individual metal plants have gauges to detect 
hazardous material. The plants themselves dispose of the waste and 
spend up to $15 million in cleanup costs.  

In January, U.S. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson blocked plans to 
sell 6,000 tons of radioactive metal from a defunct uranium 
enrichment plant in Oak Ridge, Tenn. as scrap, citing potential 
health concerns. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sandy Perle					Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100   				    	
Director, Technical				Extension 2306 				     	
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Division		Fax:(714) 668-3149 	                   		    
ICN Biomedicals, Inc.				E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net 				                           
ICN Plaza, 3300 Hyland Avenue  		E-Mail: sperle@icnpharm.com          	          
Costa Mesa, CA 92626                                      

Personal Website:  http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/1205
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Website: http://www.dosimetry.com

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