RE: Energy Dept. May Recycle Nuke Metal

["John Hageman" <jhageman@SWRI.EDU>]

Concerning "Critics say all metals from nuclear sites should be treated as

adioactive waste because of the difficulty in ensuring they are

uncontaminated."



I think any critic that insists on this kind of uncontaminated assurance

should never be allowed out of a hospital after any nuclear medicine

treatment. They will always have one or two atoms of radioactive material in

their body, and who knows how many people they will cause to die of cancer

just by being near them. These kinds of people are so ignorant it makes me

want to...well I just shake my head and wonder who dropped them on their

head when they were young.



Just my opinion, and its a good one!

John P. Hageman, MS, CHP

Radiation Safety Officer

Southwest Research Institute

6220 Culebra Road

San Antonio, TX 78238

Ph. 210-522-2633

Fax 210-522-5720

e-mail: jph@swri.edu OR jhageman@swri.org





> -----Original Message-----

> From: owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu

> [mailto:owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu]On Behalf Of Susan Gawarecki

> Sent: Friday, December 14, 2001 3:32 PM

> To: RADSAFE

> Subject: Energy Dept. May Recycle Nuke Metal

>

>

> From Sandy's news posting:

> > Watchdog groups said Wednesday they were disappointed to learn

> the agency was

> > considering modifying the ban before its own study is completed.

>

> And other "watchdog" groups, such as the Local Oversight Committee,

> would be pleased to see this ban lifted.  Again, the ban was a result of

> the "fear factor" of radiation, not from any scientific or medical

> evidence that the decontaminated recycled metal was harmful in any way.

>

> > Critics say all metals

> > from nuclear sites should be treated as radioactive waste

> because of the difficulty in

> > ensuring they are uncontaminated.

>

> In fact, the multistep independent verification process worked very

> well.  Recycling of the high-value metals (nickel, copper) is

> worthwhile, but recycling of steel depends completely on market

> prices--most any steel thought to be contaminated is disposed of as

> waste rather than investing manhours into decontamination and

> verification.

>

> > The steel industry also complained that recycling the

> > scrap could create a perception of that American steel was

> somehow corrupted and

> > could lead to a glut on the steel market.

>

> The steel is not the issue--the metals markets don't want the huge

> quantities of nickel from the Oak Ridge gaseous diffusion plant to drive

> down the prices.  I haven't heard any complaints about the legally

> recycled radioactive metals from the nuclear power industry or those

> that are imported as consumer products from overseas.

>

> If DOE is looking for a way to make D&D more competitive, then

> offsetting the cost by recycling decontaminated metal (instead of paying

> to dispose of it) makes a lot of sense.

>

> I expect that there will be an Environmental Impact Statement regarding

> this issue early in the new year.  Stay tuned.

>

> Susan

> --

> .....................................................

> Susan L. Gawarecki, Ph.D., Executive Director

> Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee

> Please visit our Web site - http://www.local-oversight.org

> .....................................................

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