Re: Cats at San Onofre; Other experiences

[jgbarnes@ix.netcom.com (JAMES BARNES)]

We had several cats wander into the PAB at Indian Point II in the early 1980's.  
Generally, they became a bit contaminated.  We would keep them in the decon area, 
feeding and watering them well.  While waiting for the contamination to be 
eliminated they were pampered and generally enjoyed a celebrity status.  When 
they had eliminated the contamination, they were usually adopted by a plant 
worker.

We also had some problems with skunks entering the locker room looking for 
handouts from the workers, but none of them ever entered the controlled area 
(thank God:  would you like to have to frisk an angry skunk?).

At our Los Angeles D&D sites, we will periodically pull a rattlesnake out of some 
of the piping troughs and bunkers.  We generally cool the snake off a bit to make 
them a bit more docile, GeLi them, and then, if clean, free release them (as in 
released to the wild).  [None have been contaminated, so I don't know what we 
would do if they were. I personally don't think I could justify killing an animal 
just because it happened to have a bit of radioactivity in it.]

Out of curiosity, is the media portraying this as a horror story or are they 
presenting it as a positive human interest story?

Jim Barnes, CHP
RSO
Rocketdyne Division; Rockwell Aerospace
jgbarnes@ix.netcom.com
---------------------------------------

You wrote: 
>
>     Joel write:
>
><    I've  been  hearing reference(s) to radioactive cats at San Onofre
><    Generation Station.  What gives??
><
><    Joel Baumbaugh (baumbaug@nosc.mil)
><    NRaD
>
>     HISTORY
>
>     On January 31st of this year, an adult cat was captured in our Owner
>     Controlled Area outside our Restricted Area.  Our practice is to
>     relocate any captured animal to a suitable environment.  In this case,
>     the cat was relocated away from the plant to a remote location
>     elsewhere on San Onofre property.
>
>     On February 1st, four young kittens were heard "meowing" between the old
>     and new Unit 1 Administration Buildings.  Unit 1 was retired
>     in 1992 after 27 years of service and is no longer operating.  As the
>     kittens were being taken from the Restricted Area through the Security
>     Processing Facility, the exit portal monitors alarmed.
>
>
>     ACTIVITY
>
>     When found, each kitten measured about 6000 cpm with a standard frisker.
>     After a warm bath and shampooing the levels dropped to about 1000 cpm.
>     Radioassay by a HpGe showed that 98% of the activity was from
>     cesium-137, about 1% from cesium-134 and a smaller percentage from
>     cobalt-60.  Activity measured with a SAM-9 on Feb 2nd indicated 1000
>     nCi.  The effective half life appears to be 6 days (they averaged 550
>     nCi yesterday).  The kittens are about 3 weeks old and require bottle
>     feeding.  They are being cared for by site employees and have been
>     nicknamed Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Neutron.  All appear to be contented
>     and are gaining weight.
>
>     After the discovery of the kittens, an effort was made to learn more
>     about the cat that had been relocated the previous day.  Trace levels of
>     contamination (2.4 nCi) were found in bedding material used to transport
>     the cat.
>
>     RESPONSE TO THE DISCOVERY
>
>     There has been substantial media attention regarding the kittens
>     including newspapers and TV, both nationally and internationally.
>
>     The site's response to this discovery has included voluntary reports to
>     Nuclear Regulatory Commission and additional emphasis on controlling the
>     animal population on site property.
>
>     I'd be interested to hear from any RADSAFER's who have had similar
>     experiences and efforts taken as a result.
>
>
>
>
>                              Scott Medling, CHP
>                              Manger, Regulatory Projects
>                              San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station
>                              medlines@songs.sce.com
>
>