Luckey plant update

[atomicarcheologist]

http://www.13abc.com/content/news/Luckey-Beryllium-clean-up-to-cost-taxpayers-244-million-488547111.html

[Dave Warren]

Very familiar with this place. Past and present. The writing in this piece is dramatic, at best, like normal write ups on these types of facilities. These people have never faced the challenges of trying to clean up beryllium. Its not like sorting rad contaminated soil, its a whole different ballgame.

[Mounder]

"Production of the first nuclear weapons, basically it produced beryllium compounds, which are used in the nuclear industry," Vriesen said.  Poor choice of wording...
The author probably thinks beryllium is a radioactive element, as would most the readers.

[TVA]

"Production of the first nuclear weapons, basically it produced beryllium compounds, which are used in the nuclear industry," Vriesen said.  Poor choice of wording...
The author probably thinks beryllium is a radioactive element, as would most the readers.

You do realize beryllium is radioactive right?

[Marlin]

You do realize beryllium is radioactive right?

Not to the point it is a radiological concern as it's specific activity is so low that it is essentially stable with the trace amount of the radioactive isotopes non-detectable.

[TVA]

Agreed but that isnt what Mound said.

[Marlin]

Agreed but that isnt what Mound said.

Yes, poor inaccurate reporting. We should be use to that, unfortunately one of nuclear's consistent shortfalls is poor public education

[TVA]

Except Mound is a nuke. He stated beryllium isnt radioactive when in fact it is.

[Mounder]

Clearly the natural beryllium created at luckey (forerunners of Brush Wellman) was used for a number of downstream products, including those that would induce it's neutron release.  No one cares about Be9.

[Marlin]

Clearly the natural beryllium created at luckey (forerunners of Brush Wellman) was used for a number of downstream products, including those that would induce it's neutron release.  No one cares about Be9.

Be 9 is virtually %100 of natural beryllium, it causes Berylliosis as a sensitizer. Beryllium is as regulated in its powder form as is any other hazardous material. As a side note it is common in making golf club heads.

[SloGlo]

Be 9 is.... common in making golf club heads.

sew keep that driver down wind when going fore the for hundred yarder.

[Dave Warren]

The farmer next to this site grew all his crops there for many many years and he worked at the plant when it was running. The beryllium took him to heaven 5 years ago, he had so many problems internally. His wife said he never had a night where he slept all the way through without a coughing fit. No respirators, no PPE, just run up and down the stairs with sacks of this stuff.