Re: Deadly Chlorine Leak: a Rant

["jjcohen" <jjcohen@prodigy.net>]

    In developing our health and safety policies, if government safety

authorities had the ability to distinguish actual hazards from those that

are largely imaginary and hyped by a technologically illiterate media

(radioactivity, dioxin, asbestos, etc),  tragic deaths  as experienced in

the recent South Carolina chlorine leak might have been avoided. Directing

our limited health and safety resources toward real hazards as determined by

scientific risk assessment, as opposed to the "threat-of-the-day" hyped in

the popular news might save many lives. I believe our health and safety

would be far better served if decisions were made by those with a background

in science rather than by lawyers, journalists, and politicians.

    Concerns related to the transport of low-level radioactive waste as

compared to those related to transport of chlorine provide a classic example

of the problem.





----- Original Message -----

From: Stabin, Michael <michael.g.stabin@vanderbilt.edu>

To: radsafe <radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu>

Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2005 7:07 AM

Subject: Deadly Leak Underscores Concerns About Rail Safety





>

> At last! Some focused concern where concern is due. A quick call or two

> to some of us could provide some pretty useful experience about safe

> transit of hazmat.