RE: nukes and terrorists

["Jacobus, John (OD/ORS)" <jacobusj@ors.od.nih.gov>]

Jerry, 

My comment on low tech was to your statement that "How can it be assumed

that such a high dispersion efficiency will occur by accident when it

couldn't be engineered with sophisticated equipment?"  If you are talking

about the actual release of radioactive material, I assume, because I am not

an expert in plant design, that can it could not be done.  However, it you

want to commit a terrorist act that frightens the public, a frontal assault

on a plant with automatic weapons who gain access to a plant.  Even if their

is no release of material, the fear it would generate would have a

detrimental affect on the industry.



-- John 



-----Original Message-----

From: Jerry Cohen [mailto:jjcohen@PRODIGY.NET]

Sent: Friday, November 02, 2001 5:44 PM

To: radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu

Subject: Fw: nukes and terrorists







----- Original Message -----

From: Jerry Cohen <jjcohen@prodigy.net>

To: Jacobus, John (OD/ORS) <jacobusj@ors.od.nih.gov>

Sent: Friday, November 02, 2001 1:30 PM

Subject: Re: nukes and terrorists





> John,

>     I fail to see the "logic" of your analogy--- but just in case I am

> missing

> something here, suppose a terrorist had complete access to a functioning

> nuclear power plant, 100 tons of high explosive, and had the objective of

>  dispersing the entire radioactive inventory of the reactor core with 100%

> efficiency (i.e. 100% airborne and respirable at > 1.0 km. from the

release

> site). If you prefer, assume a nuclear waste storage facility.

> How might this objective be accomplished?

> I say it can't be done! If you disagree, I suggest you discuss the matter

> with chemical warfare experts who have had extensive experience in

> dealing with such problems. If they could achieve as much as 1.0%

efficiency

> with all their sophisticated equipment , they would be doing pretty well.

> Also, if you are suggesting that they have been oblivious to the

> possibility of terrorism , I wonder what all of those security guys have

> been doing at  nuclear facilities.

> Jerry

. . .

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