Senate Bill to:"Protect America Against Nuclear and Radiological Terror"

[Stewart Farber <farbersa@optonline.net>]

A link is supplied below to a well-intentioned bipartisan bill just introduced in the US Senate by Sen. 

Biden, Clinton, Schumer, and others intended to: "Protect America Against Nuclear and Radiological 

Terror":



http://foreign.senate.gov/press/02/021016.html



Unfortunately, the press release by Sen. Biden on the bill's release contains some unfortunate and 

surprisingly inaccurate information making reference to concerns which include "radioactive sources 

worldwide -such as certain x-ray equipment......[that] are abandoned or stolen and leak out of the 

existing control system."



The use of emotive [and in some ways unintentionally humorous] language by Sen. Biden such as sources 

[including x-ray equipment?] that "leak out" of present control systems only further confuses and in some 

ways terrorizes the public about this important issue and radiation technologies in general. To the 

layman the difference between Co-60 teletherapy units and an x-ray machine may be minor but lets not 

confuse matters even more! Referring to sources "leaking" out of "control systems" seems to imply that 

liquid sources are flowing down the gutter of American cities everyday into sewers and threatening water 

supplies. Powerful imagery, but not very accurate.  The press release by Biden notes:



"Testimony at a Foreign Relations Committee hearing on dirty bombs in March revealed that a weapon using 

small amounts of radiological material could, if detonated, create serious economic or psychological 

damage in the United States."



Unfortunately, the press release by Sen. Biden could be viewed as contributing to a self-fulfilling 

prophecy in that fears of even minute quantities of radioactive material dispersal will lead to actions 

such as deciding per the Press Release by Biden that:



"Contaminated buildings within the area of detonation might have to be abandoned, destroyed, and trucked 

away as radioactive waste."



The Press Release link cited above notes:  “The threat of radiological terrorism, and even of true 

nuclear terror attacks, is real,” Biden said.  “We know that most radiological attacks will kill few 

Americans, but we are just as certain that they will be economic crimes of the greatest consequence. We 

must do something to head off the nuclear and radiological terrorist threat where it will most likely 

first appear.”  



Worthwhile goal. But non-inflammatory rhetoric and avoiding emotive and even inaccurate information is 

vital if unwise actions are to be avoided in dealing with the threats -- real and perceived that we face 

as a nation regarding a "dirty bomb" radiological threat. 



Stewart Farber, MSPH

email: farbersa@optonline.net

 





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