Re: Please critique this fact sheet!

[JMUCKERHEIDE@delphi.com]

Frank Borger writes:

> >Tritium has a half life of 12.5 years. At this rate it will be in our
> >waters and food chain (shellfish and finfish) for approx. 250 years.
> >
> >Strontium-90 is defined in Webster's Dictionary has "a deadly radioactive
> >isotope of strontium" with a half life of 30 years, it will be in our
> >waters and food chain for 600 years.
> 
>         By requiring 20 half-lives they are waiting for the activity
>         to die down to 1 part in a million. They also conveniently
>         ignore any possible chemical reaction or sedimentation. Rumor
>         mongering of the first class.

Another "fact" in the context of "rumor mongering" this time. 

>         Unfortunately, its almost impossible to refute wild claims
>         (tritium causing breast cancer for example,) when emotions are
>         involved.

The public isn't stupid. They are reacting to what they are told by the vested 
interests, and not just the "bad guy fear mongers" who "the public" have a
history of running out of town on a rail if the responsible parties make a
rational case. They do have fear and emotion, but its based on the "facts". 

>         About the only things I would suggest would be.
> 
>         1/ Talk about the actual cost of remediation vs lives saved.
>            From the levels I would generate a SWAG that actual studies
>            would generate odds of something of 0.1 to .01 lives saved for a
>            cost of $20-million or so. Contrast that with spending the same
>            money to re-design the rr crossing NW of Chicago where we just
>            had that tragic school bus vs train accident.

And we are responsible!

>         2/ Maybe its time to get Frontline to do a story. 

I'd support that!
 
> Frank R. Borger - Physicist     ___      "If I ever had to pick 6 guys to
> Michael Reese - U of Chicago   |___      storm a pillbox, and there was no
> Center for Radiation Therapy   | |_) _   coming back, I'd pick 6 White Sox
> net: Frank@rover.uchicago.edu    | \|_)  fans, because all they've ever known
> ph: 312-791-8075 fa: 791-2517       |_)  is loosing, and death holds no terror
>                                          for them anymore." - Gene Shepard

Thanks.

Regards, Jim Muckerheide
jmuckerheide@delphi.com