RE: Metal Recycling in the news

["Johannes Strydom" <fritz.strydom@ors.gatech.edu>]

John,

ABC did a rather poor job on this story.  I couldn't really figure out what
the main story was about, but they talked about tons of radioactive metal
that had been released from Oak Ridge and other govt. sites.  Of course, the
metal had been decontaminated and was free released.  The reporter made a
point to mention that no one knows where this metal ended up:  in your
eyeglasses, silverware, kitchen, etc.  I'm not surprised that no one knows
where this metal went because it was FREE RELEASED, i.e. not
contaminated/activated.

They also mentioned that there was a lot of radioactive nickel with
"contamination throughout it not just on the surface" and that the govt.
wanted to recycle it.  God forbid the govt. try and get some money for their
waste products.  If the levels of activation are low enough, what's the
problem with recycling it rather than filling up waste disposal sites with
items that are not very radioactive.

My favorite line was from one of the antis who said something to the effect
of how terrible the world would be if all of the things around us had
radioactivity in it.  Hope he doesn't find out that the ground he walks on
and the air he breathes is radioactive. :)

Johannes "Fritz" Strydom
Health Physicist
Office of Radiological Safety
Georgia Institute of Technology
(404) 894-3605  (404) 894-9325 Fax
fritz.strydom@ors.gatech.edu

-----Original Message-----

Radsafers,
I missed this one. Did anyone see it and care to briefly summarize? Many
thanks.

John Laferriere
DuPont Pharmaceuticals
Medical Imaging Division>>>

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