RE: Uranium Expert

[Wes <vanpelt@ios.com>]

Hi Matt and Fellow Radsafers,

I was pleased to be able to add to the NJN TV coverage of this "event".  They taped about 5 minutes me being interviewed by an environmental reporter which included my explaination of how Ra is naturally occuring and how the reported levels (about 30 pCi/l) are on the high end of the normal distrubution of Ra in well water.

However, NJN Nightly News only aired one sentence which was my conclusion that there was no public health danger.

cheers,
Wes Van Pelt
vanpelt@ios.com

PS  It was Ra not U in the well H2O.

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From: 	Matthew Williamson[SMTP:mattw@eml.doe.gov]
Sent: 	Friday, April 19, 1996 7:31 AM
To: 	Multiple recipients of list
Subject: 	Uranium Expert

Sue Dupre had mentioned the story run in the NJ Star Ledger concerning the
leaching of radioactivity into the local water supply.  The NJN TV network
covered the story as well.

NJN never even mentioned that this was naturally occuring radioactive
material.  After watching the piece, my wife asked WHO put the RAM in the
ground.  I explained natural deposits of Uranium, radon gas, and other
natural background forms of radiation.  I can imagine that most of the
viewers asked the same question, but weren't able to get the right answer.

The station was able to contact an expert.  Wes Van Pelt, a fellow HP and
RADSAFE'r, commented on the insignificant risk due to the concentrations.
The local health departments expressed the same views.  Finally, the
scientific side was expressed.

The news story ended with a woman who had leukemia.  She will not dismiss a
link between her illness and the central New Jersey community in which she
lived.
These are my opinions and not those of my employer, blah, blah, blah...

Matthew Williamson
USDOE
Environmental Measurements Lab
201 Varick Street
New York, NY  10014-4811

tel:   212-620-3793
fax:  212-620-3600
email:  mattw@eml.doe.gov