Activist calls radium loss at plant scary

[theHandpuppet]

http://www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com/articles/2007/03/15/news/local_news/2news_radium.txt

Activist calls radium loss at plant scary

By JEFF BARRON

Wednesday, March 14, 2007 11:00 PM EDT


PDT Staff Writer

A local nuclear activist said the loss of a capsule of radium at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant is scary.

“They claim they don't have radium at the site,” said Vina Colley, president of Portsmouth/ Piketon Residents for Environmental Safety and Security. “So here we go again. They're covering it up.”

U.S. Department of Energy spokeswoman Laura Schachter said the vial was still missing on Wednesday.

Colley also expressed concern that the DOE is just now notifying the public of the loss that was discovered on Feb. 28.

“It doesn't surprise me,” she said. “In 1992 a valve came off of a depleted uranium cylinder. I notified a reporter in Columbus and they told him the valve came from a propane tank. They had a leak for four hours. They've never notified the public anytime they've had a leak.”

MORE

[Ian David]

1. Small bar of radium is missing from a former uranium enrichment plant in Piketon, Ohio

See prior thread:

Small bar of radium is missing from a former uranium enrichment plant in Piketon, Ohio
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=116&topic_id=14633&mesg_id=14633

[theHandpuppet]

2. Yep... gives all the details -- and there's more to this story!

Since I'm from that area and read the local paper online, I was posting yesterday's update.

This is really a subject that needs exposure. This plant in is Jean Schmidt's district. Mean Jean hates the folks in the Appalachian counties of her district, which have overwhelmingly voted for her Dem opponent in the last two elections. One of the first things she announced after barely squeaking by this last go round was that she would consider putting a nuclear waste dump in Pike County, one of the four that carried the vote for her opponent.

This is Schmidt's version of payback to the four rebellious counties in her district. They need your support -- and that means giving legs to this story. Just because this isn't happening in a major urban area doesn't mean it isn't important. Don't let these bastids get away with this crap!!!