Re: Niagara Falls Electromet

[NiagaraNet@AOL.COM]

Hello jeffriesc@epa.nsw.gov.au and Radsafers:

    

Dear Jeffriesc:


You would have to understand the industry that was devoted to MED and AEC activities in Niagara Falls, New York, along with individual company selected expertise. With the massive hydroelectricity available, carbon and chemical industries located within Niagara Falls (including Harshaw Chem.), Niagara was a natural for all aspects within the beginning fuel cycle start up. There were several (read many) facilities that participated in the processing of legacy materials there. Not just Electromet was involved. E-Met was a division of Union Carbide Corporation and that corporation, through one of its war time affiliates, processed U ore in the vicinity of the plant complex. So, in effect they, meaning Union Carbide, did in fact make refinements to ore in the process. Nearby, in Niagara Falls also, there was a refinery that historically extracted radium, vanadium and U (pre MED and AEC) directly from ore. That complex was later consigned to the UCC Corp (I believe) and then co-opted by the US gov. for participation in the MED--This I know from my own research.

 That facility was later scrapped entirely in about the early 1960s. (If interested, I can get the exact date.)


While the documentation from the DOE Human Radiation Openness web site may at first seem misdirected, it is in fact correct in the context that UCC-E-Met was located within a complex that conducted such operations and research. 

(BTW--The "shame"-ful citation that you mention in your post is from the DOE and not me. My phraseology would have been more concise.)  Pity indeed. 


The chemistry and metallurgy that took place at Niagara was astonishing. I suppose because of the war time secrecy, Niagara was purposely left out of nearly all historical accounts of early atomic activities. It was the lack of Niagara mention in publications that got me interested in the history of the MED/AEC at Niagara in the first place.


I will make this very strong statement and stand by it -- Western New York, and in particular Niagara Falls, was handling radioactive materials for the war effort before the first light bulb glowed at the Los Alamos lab.

Formula and specific directions were sent to UCC-E-Met from the Chicago Met. Lab for the creation of materials in the furnaces of that burgeoning industrial center. Keep in mind that Niagara was the premiere chemistry location of the time, perhaps in the entire world.


I hope this helps you to better understand the original fuel cycle start up and early operations of the MED and AEC in the Niagara Falls area.


Best regards,

L.H. Ricciuti

NiagaraNet@aol.com