Radioactive Metals -Reply

[Joelle Key <jkey@mail.state.tn.us>]

Well, I can tell you what I know about this.  The DOE sight in Oak RIdge
formerly known as K-25 but now called ETTP (East Tennessee
Technology Park) has entered into a contract with BNFL (British Nuclear
Fuel Limited(?)) to clean up the K-29, K-31 and K-33 buildings.  These are
the old gaseous diffusion buildings.  Instead of DOE paying the entire
cost of the cleanup, they have worked out a deal whereby BNFL can
recycle material with low or no contamination and get money for that
material.  

BNFL has experience in this arena,  they heve cleaned up up a similar
facility in Britain and by all accounts I have heard it was a highly
successful venture.  They are also working with a licensee in TN, MSC
(Manufacturing Sciences Corp.), to recycle this material.  Most of the
material will be release under Reg. Guide 1.86, in other words in will
have only surface contamination.  A small portion of the material, (mostly
nickel I believe) has small amounts of volumetric contamination.  It is my
understanding that MSC plans to request a license amendment to recycle
this volumetrically contaminated material.  I may be wrong on that point.
They may  be planing to recycle the material under DOE orders.

About a month ago, this environmental organization (sorry I don't have
the press release on hand so I can't tell you for certain their name)
started issuing press releases claiming that this cleanup will lead to
among other things (paraphrased) radioactive contamination of children's
toys and braces.  One congressman, Klink from Pennsylvannia, has
actually gone so far as to claim "The state of Tennessee will decide in a
closed process what everyone in the United States will be exposed to."  

I think this is what you were refering to and if you or anyone else would
like more detailed information I will be happy to answer any questions.

Please note that this is my understanding of the situation and may not
accurately represent the true situation.  It also may not represent the
opinions of my employer (State of Tennessee).

Joelle Key
Health Physicist
TN Division of Radiological Health
jkey@mail.state.tn.us