Iridium stolen/Holland.
(January 22, 1993) On 9 Jan. a container of iridium-192 was stolen from a car in an industrial area in Breda, Holland. The driver had left the car for only a few minutes, to pick up something else. When he returned, the car was gone. It was found a few hours later, but without the container, of course. Iridium-92 is used for industrial purposes, such as checking welds (as in this case), as well as for medical purposes. If it is released, the surrounding area - from 15-20 meters - will be endangered. An IAEA document on fatal radiation accidents lists three previous incidents with iridium resulting in deaths. In 1978, in Algeria, a lost radiography source of iridium resulted in the death of one member of the public. In 1981, in Oklahoma, US, one worker was killed as a result of a problem with industrial radiography. In 1984, in Morrocco, a source was again lost, resulting in the deaths of eight members of the public. Volkskrant (NL), 12 Jan. 1993; Herman Damveld, 19 Jan. 1993
Accident in Sweden revealed. In the last week of October 1992, the management of the Barsebäck nuclear plant in southern Sweden confirmed that an accident had occurred at the station three months earlier, on 28 July. According to the statement, 2100 cubic meters radioactive contaminated water was released from the plant into the Öresund (the sea between Sweden and Denmark). -Tageszeitung (FRG), 30 Oct. 1992
Radwaste falls off back of truck/Scotland. In November, a 30-tonne load of low-level radioactive waste fell from the back of a truck on its way to the Drigg waste dump near Sellafield. The accident occurred at a busy round-about when the cargo slipped from the low-loader, bursting the contamination retention packaging. Monitoring teams were rushed to the scene and later declared that there was no radiation danger to the public. The Waste Paper (UK), Winter '92
UK N-subsidies: Money to burn. A statement by a former commercial director of British Coal makes interesting reading in the present debate on the future of coal mining in Britain and its comparison with nuclear power as an energy source. Malcolm Edwards recently said, "If British Coal were paid the same subsidy per unit as Nuclear Electric, British mines could supply their coal to the generators free, deliver it free, give the generators ,10 a tonne to burn it and leave themselves with another ,10 profit." The Waste Paper (UK), Winter '92
US Doctor wins status as whistleblower. A doctor who says that toxic releases from US weapons plants have harmed his patients has won protection from job discrimination under the US "whistleblowers" act. The doctor, William K. Reid, an oncologist at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge, says that 40 of his patients have high levels of toxic heavy metals that are used in nuclear weapons production. The high levels, he says, have caused increased rates of auto-immune deficiencies and cancer. In a complaint to the Department of Labor, Reid contended that the contractor managing the weapons plants for the Energy Department conspired with the Methodist Medical Center to prevent him from linking his patients' problems to the releases from the federal plants. To quiet him, he said, the hospital began a medical peer review of his treatments. The hospital says the peer review was begun because of concern over Dr. Reid's treatments.
Whistleblower status gives Dr. Reid the right to take his case to a federal administrative law judge and to win damages if he can prove the hospital's action was discriminatory. The Labor Department ruling did not evaluate the merit of Dr. Reid's assertion of harm to his patients. When asked about the accusations, the Energy Department, which operates the weapons plants, said that releases of toxic substances over the years had been too small to be harmful. The New York Times (US), 20 Dec. 1992 (GreenNet, gn:nuc.facilities, 1 Jan. 1993)
Reactor deal/Russia-China. Chinese President Yang Shangkun and Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed an agreement for China to buy two VVER-1000 PWR's. The memorandum of understanding was signed in Beijing on 18 Dec. 1992. There are no details in it about payment. However, it is expected that China would pay the Russian industry largely in foreign exchange. Russia plans to supply all equipment and material for the two reactors, but some officials are claiming that China might request that 'some specialized equipment' be supplied by western industry. The partners named in the contract for further commercial contracts talks are the Russian Zarubeshatomenergostroy and China's National Nuclear Corporation. The agreement calls on Minatom (Ministry of Atomic Energy for the Russian Federation) to supply all enriched uranium for the VVER's in China. Die Tageszeitung (FRG), 18 December 1992; Nucleonics Week (US), 31 December 1992