By: RadConTech on 1/12/10
Dear Dr. Kestner,

I read your post and have to say that I understand your concern and surprise to learn that a landfill near your home will begin accepting low level radioactive waste.

If I may, I'd like to respond to some of the points you make in your post. Before I do that however I'd like to provide some background about myself. I have worked in the nuclear industry for many years and have specialized in the area of radiological controls. More specifically, I have specialized in the supervision of radiological work to ensure the safety of the public as well as the individuals actually working with radioactive material.

I'll start by agreeing with the assurance that you were given, namely that "there is no harm" with one caveat... That being this - there is no harm as long as the rules (state and federal regulations) are followed. The regulatory bodies that oversee these matters are very strict and have specific guidelines written with the public in mind... If you are concerned with the landfill accepting radioactive material I would encourage you to see what part in the regulatory process you can become a part in. As for the remark about shipping it all the way from California defending the viewpoint that there is danger lurking - I would disagree. Locations for storage of radioactive waste are selected based on many factors. Some of them logistic, others being economic and still others being political. Look into the Yucca Mountain project... That facility was planned, agreed upon, most of the way built and now disputed as to whether or not it can be used... States agree to take on the waste based on the economical advantages having such an operation would bring, weighed heavily on the reaction of the folks living in the state and the benefit in the way of jobs, federal money etc that will come to the state. Location selection for sites like these is a very in depth topic and not in my specific area of expertise so I'll leave that with you as food for thought regarding location selection and sending things all the way from California.

You can read a very good description of what "Low Level Radioactive Waste" is at this link:
http://ohioline.osu.edu/rer-fact/rer_10.html

To touch breifly on the topic of radioactive material in the home - you mentioned smoke detectors... Smoke detectors have a small amount of Americium-241 in them. I just looked at mine and it is labeled as having 0.9 MicrCuries - most likely < 1/2000th of a gram of material. This is a miniscule amount and it is housed in a chamber that protects it from being released. Am-241 emits Alpha radiation... When smoke is present the smoke literally SHIELDS the alpha radiation. The smoke detector alarms when the alpha radiation sensor STOPS detecting the alpha radiation from the Am-241 source due to being shielded from the smoke. In essence your smoke detector is a "loss of radiation alarm". The fact is that alpha radiation is very easily shielded. The layer of dead skin cells of your body are enough to shield you from its radiation. Alpha radiation becomes a danger to you only if ingested by eating / drinking / inhaling it. Having a smoke detector in your home poses absolutely no harm from radioactivity whatsoever. The safety factor of having a smoke detector is infinitely more valuable to you and your family.

The name of the "overly bright but poorly supervised boy scout" as you describe him is David Hahn. David received the Atomic Energy merrit badge and thirsted to learn more and experiment with nuclear power. He did in fact produce many nuclear reactions... He used Am-241 from smoke detectors to create an alpha radiation stream which he then using other materials converted that alpha stream into a neutron stream which he was able to then "irradiate" other materials eventually creating "fuel" for his reactor which he then successfully operated. It was at this point when he began to understand he was over his head. At about that point he was discovered and the federal government stepped in and cleaned up the areas that he had contaminated.

Flying across country in an airplane at high altitude does increase one's exposure to cosmic radiation however we are all exposed to cosmic radiation. Those who reside at lower altitudes recieve lower amounts that those who live at higher altitudes. Driving long distances on our highways also provides a source of exposure depending on the materials that the road is constructed from. Do you have granite countertops in your home? You may be reciving a dose from that depending on where the granite came from and what concentrations of Uranium are present.

In terms of a device to measure radiation there are a few out on the market. The one that I would recommend can be found at:
http://www.gammascout.com/

Dr. Kestner, with all due respect, it is my opinion that your fear and concern on this matter stem from two apects. The first is fear of the unknown and the second is distrust of the nuclear industry / government. The first is easily overcome with some research. As for the latter... unfortunately, a small percentage in the nuclear industry have given reason for people to distrust the entire lot and the government has had its issues as well.

I will email you privately with a copy of this post and my contact information.

Regards,
RadConTech