Posted on Jun 29, 2017
Repeated radiation warnings go unheeded at sensitive Idaho nuclear plant
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Not surprised by this at all. While undergoing prototype training at Idaho Falls in 1969, myself and three other trainees were offered th opportunity to enter the reactor room while the reactor was shut down. Naturally we all wanted to see what the actual equipment looked like. We all suited up and were given individual dosimeters to wear while we were in the reactor room for nearly an hour -- tracing pipes, valves and instrumentation. Afterwards, we monitored each other with portable scanners and then removed the protective gear in accordance with the established radiological safety protocols - our dosimeters were then handed over for processing.
Month or so later when I picked up my health records I reviewed the entries for radiologic exposure -- mine was listed as 'zero'. When I questioned the entry I was told that if were not zero it would limit the time I could be deployed at my first command and that "I wouldn't want to do that" since it would impact my promotability and utility to my first operational command. LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow 1LT Sandy Annala Col Rebecca Lorraine Maj Kim Patterson CMDCM Gene Treants
Month or so later when I picked up my health records I reviewed the entries for radiologic exposure -- mine was listed as 'zero'. When I questioned the entry I was told that if were not zero it would limit the time I could be deployed at my first command and that "I wouldn't want to do that" since it would impact my promotability and utility to my first operational command. LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow 1LT Sandy Annala Col Rebecca Lorraine Maj Kim Patterson CMDCM Gene Treants
Repeated radiation warnings go unheeded at sensitive Idaho nuclear plant
Posted from salon.com
Nuclear
Safety
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 1
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PO1 Tony Holland you have got to be kidding? They falsified your dosimeters? I would have fried some people for that... unreal...
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PO1 Tony Holland - The article is somewhat hard to believe because all of the claimed doses are stated in rem units - and often in hundred plus rem units - which if delivered in a short period of time would cause acute radiation sickness and death in many cases. More likely the dose numbers are actually mrem (millirem) units - so the doses would not be as astonishing as claimed. Warmest Regards, Sandy :)
n.b. For perspective compare the SL-1 reactor excursion accident that occurred on 1/3/1961 - resulting in radiation exposure fields up to 1,000 rem/hour above the reactor core. The fuel element ruptures produced radiation nowhere near as intense as the SL-1 reactor excursion.
https://atomicinsights.com/january-sl-explosion-aftermath/
CPT Jack Durish PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SFC William H.
n.b. For perspective compare the SL-1 reactor excursion accident that occurred on 1/3/1961 - resulting in radiation exposure fields up to 1,000 rem/hour above the reactor core. The fuel element ruptures produced radiation nowhere near as intense as the SL-1 reactor excursion.
https://atomicinsights.com/january-sl-explosion-aftermath/
CPT Jack Durish PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SFC William H.
January 1961: SL-1 Explosion Aftermath - Atomic Insights
At 9:01 pm on January 3, 1961, the first indication of trouble at SL-1 was received at Atomic Energy Commission Fire Stations. The alarm, which was trigger
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1LT Sandy Annala I was a career Navy Nuke. I know about SL-1, and I've been in reactor compartments many times. I have a lifetime dosage of about 1.5 REM, most of which comes from maintenance periods inside reactor compartments. Especially bad were S5W submarine plants, because of a CRUD trap...
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Subsequently. it became a moot issue since I was pulled from Submarine training the first day for blood in the urine. Ended up being an ambulatory patient for a year. Assigned to Sick Call where I ran the triage desk.
Upon discharge from the hospital my nuclear designator was pulled supposedly because of a temporary surplus of Reactor Operators at that time. Normally I should have gone back to Idaho Falls for a six week refresher course. Instead I was shanghaied to SEAL Team One -- best duty assignment I ever had.