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RE: near miss
Ted,
I think most, if not all of us, would agree with you. It is interesting
that the tornado passes within 2 miles of the Calvert Cliffs NPP. Of
course, across the inlet is a liquid natural gas storage facility. Of
course, there were no concerns about the tornado would not damage it,
because LNG is not dangerous.
-- John
John Jacobus, MS
Certified Health Physicist
3050 Traymore Lane
Bowie, MD 20715-2024
E-mail: jenday1@email.msn.com (H)
-----Original Message-----
From: Ted Rockwell [mailto:tedrock@CPCUG.ORG]
Sent: Thursday, May 02, 2002 4:32 PM
To: Jerry Cohen; Jim Hardeman; radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu
Subject: RE: near miss
> Such a tidal wave could possibly drown
millions of people living in coastal areas, but as implied in the article,
the really serious consequence of such an occurrence would be the possible
release of some radioactivity from nuclear plants in the affected areas.
________________
Friends:
That is the point that a lot of nuclear advocates just don't get. The
article is saying that a little bit of leaked radioactivity is more fearsome
than a storm that wipes out whole cities. And many people would agree.
"NOTHING can compare with radiation as a threat to public health."
That's why we have to keep hammering on the point that radiation is NOT in a
class by itself. It's just another thing that can be helpful in tolerable
amounts but can hurt if you get too much. Like almost everything else.
It's natural, it's extraordinarily easy to detect (unlike bacteria,
chemicals, natural gas, etc.), and we know how to deal with it.
That's why, when somebody says that the radioactivity in a given reactor
core is enough to kill x million people, you say that the water in a
municipal swimming pool is also capable of that. But we don't think of the
pool as a dreadful threat, and FOR EXACTLY THE SAME REASON, we shouldn't
think of a reactor as a public health hazard. Yes, it is possible to hurt
someone with fps, and yes, it's possible to drown in a pool. But it is easy
to live with both.
. . .
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