Re[2]: Industry Event

[sandy_perle@email.fpl.com]

     I agree totally. My opinion had more to do about "what" is not 
     included in a press release than the fact that the incident might have 
     no consequence at all. While I understand that no press release will 
     contain all the scientific information to facilitate a thorough 
     understanding of an event, it would be prudent for the report to 
     include the extent of and how much of what is being discussed, to be 
     reported. Your point Ron, that the contamination might be Pu is pretty 
     much what I was referring to. Was the contamination Pu, which we would 
     expect not to be the case, or was it Co-58, Co-60, etc. That 
     information is needed to determine potential consequences. Was it 
     fixed or removable contamination would be of interest as well. 
     
     So, I believe we both agree. Any contaminated materials do not belong 
     outside of a protected and controlled environment. The fact that 
     something does get out has more to do with the monitoring program and 
     the controls in place to ensure that contaminated materials are not 
     free-released. The fact that it does get released can not 
     automatically be correlated to a significant risk. That is determined 
     based on the particulars of the contamination.
     
      
     
     Sandy Perle
     Supervisor Health Physics
     Florida Power and Light Company
     Nuclear Division
     
     (407) 694-4219 Office
     (407) 694-3706 Fax
     
     sandy_perle@email.fpl.com
     
     HomePage: http://www.lookup.com/homepages/54398/home.html


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Industry Event
Author:  radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu at Internet-Mail
Date:    3/20/96 10:22 PM


Sandy --

It's all in how you look at things; presumably you mean 1000 dpm/100 square
cm.  Let me ask the question:  would you want your children (or newly
pregnant wife, for that matter) playing in an area with that level of
contamination (especially if it's Pu -- I know, I know, power plants are
concerned with beta activity!)?  That level of contamination over a wide
area might be of concern; if confined to a small area might be
insignificant.  The problem is somewhat more complex, I think, than you suggest.

Cheers,

Ron Kathren