Re: O'Leary, plutonium & Vietnam

[rkathren@tricity.wsu.edu (Ron L. Kathren)]

This very morning, our local newspaper (Tri-City Herald) carried a front
page story featuring a photograph of HPS member Wally Hendrickson, a local
resident, who, along with the near legendary John Horan, CHP and past
president of both the HPS and AAHP, attempted to recover the Pu at
considerable personal peril.  They mistakenly recovered a polonium source
instead.  But the rescue story is quite exciting, what with a helicopter
rescue from the embassy roof, shooting and all.  Pu must be hazardous stuff!

Ron Kathren


 >Here she goes again!!!!!   Anyone see the muzzle?
>-----------------
> LAS VEGAS, Nev., Jan. 15  -- The U.S. Department of Energy says 
> about 3 ounces (80 g) of American-supplied plutonium for a test
>reactor was left behind after the fall of South Vietnam in 1975. 
> In an announcement touting the department's new ``openness'' policy, 
> Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary said Wednesday the highly radioactive
>material ``does not present a special proliferation concern.'' 
> But she said the department is working with the International Atomic 
> Energy Agency to verify its status and ``take any necessary 
>action.''  O'Leary said two American volunteers tried to retrieve the 
>plutonium,  but failed. 
> The department also released 6,500 government films of open air 
>nuclear tests and other aspects of the atomic age. 
> Also released was a report identifying the potential health, safety 
>and environmental risks associated with the storage of highly enriched
>uranium - a key part of nuclear warheads. 
> Another report gives the first comprehensive analysis of the  
>environmental impacts associated with the production of nuclear
>weapons over the last 50 years. 
>
>Sandy Perle
>Technical Director
>ICN Dosimetry Division
>Office: (800) 548-5100 Ext. 2306 
>Fax: (714) 668-3149
>
>E-Mail: sandyfl@ix.netcom.com    
>
>Personal Homepages:
>
>http://www.netcom.com/~sandyfl/home.html
>http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/1205
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>