Re: Brookhaven Nat'l Lab issues

[Andy Hull <hull@mail.sep.bnl.gov>]

At 09:07 PM 9/10/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Radsafers,
>
>In the next week or two I will have the opportunity to advise US
>Congressman Bill Pascrell D-NJ on science and technology issues. I would
>like to recommend against closing the Fast Flux Reactor at Brookhaven.  
>The issue relates to the H-3 leak into groundwater and to reactor
>safety.
>
>As you know, Senator D'Amato will sponsor a bill to close the reactor,
>with an identical bill in the House.
>
>Can anyone lead me to summaries, papers, evaluations, risk assessments,
>etc. relating to the H-3 leak or the reactor's safety.
>
>Thanks
>
>Wes
>-- 
>Wesley R. Van Pelt, Ph.D., CIH, CHP                KF2LG
>President, Van Pelt Associates, Inc.     
>Consulting in radiological health and safety.
>mailto:VanPeltW@IDT.net        
>http://shell.idt.net/~vanpeltw/index.html
>
Wes,
Yesterday, I returned from a mini-vacation from BNL and my access to Radsafe
and found several messages concerning the HTO leakage and groundwater
"contamination" (concentrations in sampling wells exceeding the current EPA
standard of 20,000 pCi/L) downstream of the HFBR.  As I assume that you are
aware, I provided some background on this in the April, July and August 1997
HPS Newsletters.  Additional background on the leak and its etiology may be
found in two reports:

l. Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Environmental, Safety and Health
Decision Making at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Chair R.A. Bari, April
29, 1997.

2. Integrated Safety Management Evaluation (ISMW) Report, DOE Office of
Oversight, Office of Environment, Safety and Health, May 1, 1997.

In view of the widespread interest on Radsafe, I plan to write up a brief
review of the events chronicled in these two documents for dissemination on
it, either tomorrow or early next week.  

Regards,
Andy Hull
SEP-BNL
Upton, N.Y. 11973
Ph. 516-344-4210
Fax 516=344-3105