Cesium availability in the U.S.A.

[schadt@interserv.com]

RadSafers,  I am sure that many of you are aware of the 
ever-dwindling supply of domestic Cesium-137 and Sr-90 and the 
supply/cost problems that arose when we started to rely upon 
foreign production and supplies.  With that awareness in mind, I 
am forwarding the following anouncement.  If you live/work in the 
areas near these meetings, consider attending.

   The DOE will be holding open meetings concerning the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Hanford Site Tank 
Waste Remediation System.  Included in this project is the 
management or disposal of approximately 1,930 large radioactive 
cesium and strontium source capsules currently on loan or stored 
at Hanford.  These capsules will be disposed unless it can be 
shown that these capsules have further beneficial use. The cesium 
capsules (WESF) contain the only domestic feed stock supply of 
Cesium. Currently, all large sources (more than 30 
curies of Cs-137 or 1 curie of Strontium approximately) are 
imported.  Disposal of this stock will guarantee that the U.S.A. 
will never make large cesium sources again. [Editor's note -- it 
will also guarantee even higher prices for those sources.]

The May 2, 1996 open meeting is from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm in the 
Hawk Union Building, West Dining Room, Columbia Basin College, 
2600 North 20th Avenue, Pascal, Washington.

The May 7, 1996 open meeting will be held in the Washington, DC 
area.  It is from 6 to 9 pm in the Cavalier room of the Sheraton 
National Hotel, 900 Orme Street (near Columbia Pike and 
Washington Boulevard), Arlington, Virginia.

The May 9, 1996 open meeting is from 6 to 9 pm in the Multnomah 
Room at the Red Lion Hotel, 1000 NE Multnomah Drive, Portland, 
Oregon.

Comments are due by May 28, 1996 to Carolyn Haass, DOE TWRS EIS 
NEPA Document Manager, Richland Operations, P.O. Box 1249, 
Richland, Washington 99352. The information phone numbers I have 
are: (1) Hanford Information Line (800) 321-2008 or (2) Carol 
Borgstrom at (800) 472-2756 or (202) 586-4600.

Sincerely,

Bill Schadt
Radiation Technology, Inc.
P.O. Box 10457
Silver Spring, MD 20914-0457
              (301) 622-9644 (voice)
              (301) 622-1582 (fax)
              info@chammp.com (email)