[ RadSafe ] RE: statements by Lockheed Martin Corporation's employee Don Mercado

[Mercado, Don]

You can read anything you what in books, post as many links as you want,
as long as you choose them to agree with your agenda, but in the real
world, they don't always agree with what is. The MSDS says it doesn't
spontaneously ignite, and in reality, mine doesn't. Who am I going to
believe? You, with a lack of education and real world experience, and an
obvious agenda, or what's happening with this stuff I'm holding in my
hand? I have a book *and* an MSDS here that says that finely divided
Mg-Th metal is pyrophoric. But I've shipped HUNDREDS of 55 gallon drums
of the stuff to low level radioactive waste sites without a problem.
Driven forklifts over the stuff. Ground it between my palms. I don't
know who writes some of those books and documents, but a lot of times
they don't reflect reality. Just like your statements. Ever read an MSDS
for distilled water? That stuff will KILL you!

As far as my familiarization with our products, that's a red herring
tossed in on your part. This company is massive. I'm sure even the CEO
isn't familiar with the details of all our products. On average, we do
GREAT things. I am proud of this company, what we do and produce. Peace
through strength. Those who beat their swords into plowshares will be
ruled by those who don't. Our products protect your right to freely post
your opinions, no matter how eclectic, and advance mankind's knowledge
of this universe. I'm lucky enough to get a ring side seat to it all.  

Sadly, you resort to another familiar anti-nuke tactic. If you can't
debate the argument, assassinate the character of the messenger. I'd
stack my education, experience and objectivity up against yours any day.

-----Original Message-----
From: James Salsman [mailto:james at bovik.org] 
Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2005 9:26 PM
To: Mercado, Don; radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: statements by Lockheed Martin Corporation's employee Don
Mercado


Don Mercado, who works for Lockheed Martin Corporation, which sells
weapons systems that use PGU-14/B armor piercing incendiary 30mm
ordnance, proves that he is willing to suggest that uranium is not
pyrophoric, and therefore that he is unfamiliar with the weapons that
his employer manufactures.  He writes:

>... since my U powder and DU doesn't burst into flames, I'd  trust  the

>MSDS first.

The U.S. Department of Energy's technical standard handbook, "Primer on
Spontaneous Heating and Pyrophoricity," states:

"Uranium in finely divided form is readily ignitable, and uranium scrap 
from machining operations is subject to spontaneous ignition.... 
Grinding dust has been known to ignite even under water, and fires have 
occurred spontaneously in drums of coarser scrap after prolonged 
exposure to moist air.... The pyrophoric characteristics of uranium are 
similar to those of plutonium except that uranium forms do not ignite as

easily as those of plutonium. Both form pyrophoric oxides and hydrides."

-- http://www.eh.doe.gov/techstds/standard/hdbk1081/hbk1081e.html

Please see also:  http://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/pgu-14.htm

Does Mr. Mercado's unfamiliarity with his own company's weapons systems,
along with his eagerness to suggest that uranium is not pyrophoric, even
though that property has been established for more than a century, mean
that he is also unqualified to be a health professional working with
uranium hazards?

Does it prove that Lockheed Martin Corporation employs health
professional personnel who are willing to deceive others about Lockheed
Martin Corporation's weapons systems in order to downplay their health
risk?  I see no reason why that fact is not entirely proven by example.
I have other emails from Mr. Mercado, dated on or about 12 April 2005,
claiming directly that uranium is not pyrophoric, and his response to my
reply proving that it is.

What have the standards of professionalism in the U.S. come to?

Sincerely,
James Salsman