re: Nuclear carriers and subs

[Michael Williamson <m.williamson@mailbox.uq.edu.au>]

Zack Clayton wrote:

>Besides, how much publicity can you get out of pointing to the big bad
>conning tower and barely visible deck of a submarine.
>
>I think we established a while ago that the anti's take their publicity
>the >easy way.  The public acceptance and long familiarity with the
>submarines means >that its not a hot button to push.

I'd like to offer another perspective on this issue.  In Australia we have
periodic visits by US Navy nuclear powered ships. In my experience, if the
general public can't actually see the ships they are oblivious to them.
Not so the activists; they often mount vigils and demonstrations, mainly of
a quiet and peaceful nature.  Publicity hogs like Greenpeace sometimes do
make a scene zooming around in rubber dinghys and the like but many visits
go off without a hitch.

On the more technical side, the State and Commonwealth governments in
Australia do carry out radiation monitoring while such ships are in port.
They also have emergency plans in place should any reactor leaks or other
incidents occur.  Exercises are held and organisational strengths and
weaknesses analysed.  Note I said *State and Commonwealth*,  not city
councils.  Local governments everywhere in Australia are anti-nuclear,
probably because they want to appear to be environmentally friendly - of
course they all have nuclear moisture density gauges ;-)

The monitoring and emergency planning is taken seriously by the radiation
protection agencies and is seen as worthwhile even though the risk is very
low - it is well recognised that it would only take one incident and the
news media would be screaming why the government didn't have something in
place.

THis should not be taken as criticism of the regulatory approach in the US:
we don't have much in the way of nuclear activities in Australia and can
afford to invest time and money into these fairly infrequent episodes, if
largely for the public relations value.

regards

Mike





Michael Williamson			Radiation Protection Adviser
(m.williamson@mailbox.uq.edu.au ) 	Occupational Health & Safety Unit
ph +61 7 3365 4504   			University of Queensland
fax +61 7 3365 1577			Brisbane 4072
					Australia

All opinions given in this message are those of the author and should not
be taken as representing the official policies of the University of
Queensland.




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