The nuclear machine rolls on..

Can you hear that grinding, crushing noise as it runs us over...?




Nuclear site scrap metal could be headed to recyclers
[link to www.post-gazette.com]
[link to www.post-gazette.com]

[snip]

"This involves risk. Radiation causes cancer," said Daniel Hirsch, president of the Committee to Bridge the Gap. "The U.S. population should not be used as a disposal facility."

Mr. Hirsch -- whose nonprofit examines nuclear safety, waste disposal and related issues -- said rescinding the scrap recycling moratorium that has been in place since 2000 demonstrates the Energy Department's "callous disregard for the public."

Despite radiation detectors at scrap yards and metals plants, there have been cases of radioactive metals making it into mills as well as onto store shelves.

Last year, Bed, Bath and Beyond pulled metal tissue boxes out of about 200 stores after it was discovered that the household items emitted low levels of radiation. Although the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determined the tissue holders did not pose a health threat, the retailer said it pulled them off the shelf "out of an abundance of caution."

"We're not going to take anything that goes above background radiation levels," he said. "It's the end of the story at that point."

Mr. Wittenborn questions the DOE's estimate that about 14,000 metric tons of scrap would be recycled. He said estimates based on 2007 inventories at sites managed by DOE and the NRC indicate there may be as much as 1 million tons of the scrap.