Re: Hanford Site Cleanup Standards

[Doug Aitken <daitken@sugar-land.oilfield.slb.com>]

At 11:17 AM 9/2/2003 -0400, William V Lipton wrote:

>...........One area where standards are being applied retrospectively, big 

>time is asbestos.  This was the miracle fiber, in the 1950's. I believe 

>that some construction codes actually required the use of asbestos as a 

>fire retardant.  Now, companies are being forced into bankruptcy by health 

>claims, or being forced to spend big $$ on remediation.  I'm not saying 

>that I approve, just that the way society treats radioactive material is 

>not unique.  (It's worthwhile noting

>that the asbestos situation was probably exacerbated by the initial denial 

>of responsibility by many corporations.  There's an interesting series of 

>articles on this in "The New Yorker," ca. 1971-1972, written by Bill 

>Johnson, a classmate.)



No doubt that there was (in some applications) a real hazard created by 

asbestos. also quite probably the situation was exacerbated by corporate 

denial.



However, IMHO, much of the "damage" has been created by bottom-feeding 

lawyers and political/public activism.....

And the true hazard often increased by the enforced "remediation" activities...



A rant, maybe. But a sad state of affairs......

Regards







Doug Aitken		Schlumberger Drilling and Measurements QHSE 

Advisor

Phone (Sugarland):   	281 285-8009

Phone (Home office): 	713 797-0919	

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Principal E-mail: jdaitken@earthlink.net

Schlumberger E-mail: daitken@sugar-land.oilfield.slb.com

Mail: 	300 Schlumberger Drive MD2, Room 111

	Sugar Land, TX 77478









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