Re: Newspaper article on Plutonium

[Al Tschaeche <antatnsu@pacbell.net>]

Fischer, Karl wrote:
> 

> I encourage all radiation protection professionals who frequent RADSAFE
> to please check out this article and respond.  Call, write, e-mail the
> Free Press, do whatever it takes.  We simply can't allow this sort of
> irresponsible journalism to continue unchecked.
> 
> The site can be found at
> 
> http://www.freep.com/news/science/qspace25.htm

Thanks Karl.  I sent the following to freep:

I am a health physicist with 41 years' experience in radiation health
and safety.  I am sorry to say that you have been "taken in" again by
the anti-nuclear crowd.  There are probably hundreds of anti-nuclear
people who would criticize the Saturn Cassini probe if they knew there
were radioactive material aboard and particularly if that material were
plutonium.  They have done that for every radioactive-containing probe
the United States has launched recently.  But nothing has happened in
spite of their chicken littleing.  The capsule containing the plutonium
is designed and tested so that it cannot rupture if the rocket were to
explode on take off.  None of the other radioactive-containing rockets
have done so over the decades of such launches.  Even the one that
crashed off of Vandenburg, CA years ago did not release any radioactive
material and the capsule containing the radioactive material was
recovered intact.  No Floridians are in danger from the radioactive
material in this launch.  For the anti nuclear people to try and scare
the public about this lauch is irresponsible, immoral, and just plain
wrong!  

Even if the probe were to "slam into Earth's atmosphere during a flyby
in 1999" the capsule is designed to maintain its integrity and to not
release any radioactive material on earth.  "Nearly everyone on the
planet" could NOT be in peril.

Actually, a plutonium-carrying rocket did reenter the atmosphere decades
ago and did release all of its plutonium-238 into the atmosphere as it
was designed to do.  I have not heard of anyone dying or even being
injured because of the release of that plutonium all over the earth. 
After that incident, all American radioactive capsules were designed NOT
to release their contents even in the most serious accident
conceivable.  We are not "sitting on a powder keg."  There could not be
"hundreds of thousands or even millions of fatalities worldwide!"  

"Dr." Caldicot might have calculated that an evenly distributed pound of
plutonium theoretically could give lung cancer to every person on the
planet, but no one should take alarm at that statement.  First, it is
not possible to evenly or even approximately evenly distribute a pound
of plutonium over the planet.  Secondly, even if one could do so, notice
that she said "theoretically" it could give lung cancer to every person
on the planet.  There are absolutely no data that demonstrate such a
thing is really possible.  If it were, there would already be millions
dead from the incident to which I refered above.  And there aren't.

I understand your desire to report the "news from the anti nuclear
people," but nothing in the article that is attibuted to them is new or
news.  It is only another attempt by them to stir up the public against
something nuclear.  I should think by now that you would know enough to
either not print their drivel so as to not create more needless fear or
at least to get some data about the truth of the matter from those who
know (besides the NASA folks who do state the truth, but who may not be
so credible as some of us who have no ax to grind in this matter).

Maybe some other radsafers can add to this.  Al Tschaeche
antatnsu@pacbell.net