Media Misinformation

[xat@inel.gov (Alden Tschaeche)]

Sandy Perle's new news service turned up an interesting story about a
Palisades Nuclear Power plant worker who was reported by the UPI news
service to be "recovering after falling into a pit of spent nuclear
fuel."  Further, the article said: "Plant spokesman Mark Savage said
Thursday that Cossey's protective jumpsuit apparently saved him from
radiation exposure."  

I called Mark and he said that he had said no such thing.  Mark sent me
a copy of the Palisades press release that read as follows: "WORKER
INJURED IN CASK WASHDOWN PIT AREA   At 1:50 p.m. this afternoon, Billy
Cossey and a tem of HP technicians were decontaminating the cask
washdown pit area near the spent fuel pool.  Billy was on a ladder in
the pit and apparently slipped and fell.  He was able to climb up the
ladder to receive medical attention.  
Plant EMTs assisted in the medical call, preparing Cossey for the Covert
Ambulance as a potentially contaminated, injured worker.  
The full extent of his injuries are still being determined by hospital
staff.  Initial examinations at the hospital revealed that Billy was not
seriously injured and was conscious during the entire time.
A plant accident investigation has been started.  We will keep you
informed of any further developments." Tom Palmisano, Plant General
Manager.

The local paper, the Herald-Palladium of St. Joseph, Michigan got the
story much more correctly than UPI.

I called the UPI reporter who wrote the story.  He said that there would
be a follow-on correcting the details.  When I attempted to discuss the
matter with him, he clearly didn't want to talk about it.  Nor, I'm
afraid will his follow-on help much.  However, he knows now that there
are some of us out there who care about the truth and will not stand for
dishonesty in reporting.  If, every time one of us sees a strange
looking story, we find out the truth and complain to those who have
generated that story, and at least try to get them to understand the
facts, we might have a little more chance at educating the public.
Al Tschaeche xat@inel.gov