RE: DU suitcase shipment (reply)

["Jaro" <jaro-10kbq@sympatico.ca>]

Mike Borisky wrote on Friday, September 12, 2003 11:29 AM

To: radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu

Subject:



Radsafers,



Did anyone notice on the evening news last night that when (I think) NBC was

describing how NBC was able to secretly ship 15 pounds of DU from Indonesia

to Los Angles without it being detected at our borders, NBC called it

"harmless"?  They then said DU has roughly the same radiation signature as

bomb material that is shielded to avoid detection, so secretly shipping the

DU served as a test run for the ability to detect something not so harmless.

I wonder if the next time that NBC airs a story about the purported health

hazards of DU on past and present battlefields, they will remember that when

it served their purpose, they described DU as "harmless"

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^





Anyone know whether NBC had a license for the DU ?



As far as I know, according to US regulations, an unlicensed individual is

only allowed to own up to 8 lbs of DU -- making the 15 pound shipment

illegal & potentially subject to a fine.



Also, Mike may actually have heard of an old ABC (not NBC) stunt a couple of

years ago, reported as follows:





NEI Identifies Flaws in ABC News Report On Transport of Depleted Uranium



WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 11, 2002-The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)

cautioned today that some news outlets unintentionally may be alarming

citizens with investigative reports that draw conclusions unsupported by the

investigation itself.

NEI cited tonight's much-promoted ABC News report on an international

shipment of a suitcase containing 15 pounds of uranium as a case in point.

According to ABC News.com, "It was the kind of uranium that - if highly

enriched - would, by some estimates, provide about half the material

required for a crude nuclear device and more than enough for a so-called

dirty bomb, the nightmare scenario for American authorities."

The report continues, "But this particular uranium was depleted and not

highly enriched, therefore not dangerous-but similar in many other key

respects."

Notwithstanding the network's desire to inform viewers about potential

terrorist threats, the conclusions reached by ABC News about movement of

radioactive materials are not supported by this specific investigation,

NEI's vice president for communications, Scott Peterson, said. The depleted

uranium transported by ABC could not be used to make a nuclear bomb and,

thus, one material cannot be linked to the other.

"Transport of 15 pounds of depleted uranium is perfectly legal and poses no

threat to the public. The ABC correspondent might just as well have been

carrying 15 pounds of oranges in a suitcase, because one activity is just as

legal and safe as the other," Peterson said.

Depleted uranium is shipped daily around the world and routinely used as

counterweights in airplanes and elevators, he noted. The Title 10 Code of

Federal Regulations Section 40.22 reads: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission

has evaluated this amount of material for safety considerations and believes

the risk to the public are minimal therefore, a specific license is not

required.

"The nuclear energy industry understands and appreciates the goal of the

reporting. However, this was a flawed investigation that runs the risk of

needlessly alarming viewers at a time of heightened sensitivities. We

respectfully urge greater caution in this area," Peterson said.

<snip>





 Jaro





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