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RE: lochbaum's bio - yo susan g



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>From: Steven Dapra <sjd@swcp.com>

>Feb. 21



>	So David Lochbaum *is* a nuclear engineer.  Big deal.  If he is

> a real engineer why isn't he out building or operating power reactors

> instead of moving heaven and earth to make it difficult or impossible

> for them to operate?



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--- In Know_Nukes@yahoogroups.com, "Jim Hoerner" <jim_hoerner@h...> wrote:



To: Know_Nukes@yahoogroups.com

Cc: dlochbaum@ucsusa.org, downwinders@yahoogroups.com,

nuclearengineering@yahoogroups.com, nucnews@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Lochbaum on Limerick Dropped Fuel



Crew Drops Fuel Rods at Limerick, Pa., Nuclear Power Plant By Dawn

Fallik, 

The Philadelphia Inquirer -- Feb. 6



Two bundles of new fuel rods were damaged last week when workers at the 

Limerick nuclear station neglected to ensure that the rods were

strapped down, officials from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said

yesterday. No workers were injured in the Jan. 29 incident and there

was no radioactive release, said Neil Sheehan, an NRC spokesman. The

event will be documented as part of a larger inspection report but

there will not be a separate investigation, he said.



New fuel rods, about 12 feet long and about the same diameter as pencil 

erasers, are not radioactive in the same way as used fuel. Holding them 

would result in a mild sunburn, said David A. Lochbaum, a nuclear

safety engineer for the Union of Concerned Scientists.



[ False.  The dose rate at the surface of a UO2 assembly is on the

order of 0.25 millirem/hr (1).  It takes on the order of 300 Rem

*acute* dose to cause erythema (2).  Not to mention that nuclear plant

workers are limited to 5 REM per year unless they are protecting life

or property.



1) http://www.ornl.gov/nama/pubs/pdf_tm/tm1999_207.pdf , Table 3.1

2) http://www.radsafe.pitt.edu/ManualTraining/SectionIII.htm



Regards,

Jim ]



"If you're going to drop a fuel rod, that's the time to drop it," he said.



The rods did not break but the metal frame holding them in place was 

damaged, Limerick spokeswoman Lisa Washak said. Each bundle weighs

about 700 pounds and holds around 100 fuel rods. The plant receives

the fuel from General Electric in Wilmington, Washak said.



"There's some slight damage, but we'll be sending them back as a 

precaution," Washak said. "They won't be used in the generator." She

said that each bundle costs about $200,000.



The utility immediately called for a cessation, or stand-down, of 

fuel-handling activities until the cause of the event was determined, 

Sheehan said.



[No web link available, but a similar story is at

http://www.pottstownmercury.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=6969324&BRD=1674&PAG=461&dept_id=18041&rfi=6

No radiation released in accident, Limerick nuke plant officials say ]



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From:  "Jim Hoerner" <jim_hoerner@hotmail.com>

To: Know_Nukes@yahoogroups.com

Cc: dlochbaum@ucsusa.org, downwinders@yahoogroups.com,

nuclearengineering@yahoogroups.com

Date:  Fri Feb 14, 2003  7:30 pm

Subject:  Re: Lochbaum on Limerick Dropped Fuel



>From: "John Hughes <jsong123@yahoo.com>" <jsong123@yahoo.com>



>Good example of Lochbaum's limitations. His stories only go so far.

>

>I uploaded a photo of the Limerick dropped fuel to the photos section

>of this message board.

>

>John Hughes



Thanks for your photo, John (uploaded to the "accidents" section of the

photos). I was rather taken back by the statement in the article.

Could be a press misquote, but I doubt they'd come up with it entirely

by themselves.  What I'm really curious about is if Dave will attempt

to correct the orders-of-magnitude error. Shoot, even when Norm

teaches me something in a Yahoo Group (as he's done like two times), I

say "Thanks for the correction.  I apologize for my error and will not

repeat it."



Regards,

Jim

Wishing he had some sunburn



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