Nuclear Weapons Site Still Unsafe (new wildlife refuge needs warning)

[papau]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-rocky6jan06.story
THE NATION
Nuclear Weapons Site Still Unsafe, Says Ex-FBI Agent
The man who led the raid on Rocky Flats calls plans for a national wildlife refuge there irresponsible. Officials deny the allegation.
By David Kelly
Times Staff Writer

January 6, 2005

DENVER — The FBI agent who led the raid on the Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant in 1989 charged the federal government Wednesday with deceiving the public about cleanup efforts at the facility and said plans for a national wildlife refuge there were irresponsible.

"Public recreation at Rocky Flats is a foolish idea driven by politics, not by facts," said Jon Lipsky, who took early retirement from the FBI to speak out against the refuge. "It's dangerous and scientists say they can't make it safe."

Lipsky and other critics held a news conference Wednesday where they said the U.S. Department of Energy and the Justice Department had minimized the extent of radioactive contamination at the site to save money and not alarm local residents. Lipsky said radioactive ash, contaminated soil and water still posed hazards but were being ignored by the government. The 6,420-acre site is just west of Denver.

Federal officials deny the allegation.

Wes McKinley, former head of the grand jury that investigated Rocky Flats and now a Democratic state legislator, will introduce a bill requiring future wildlife refuge managers at Rocky Flats to warn visitors about potential dangers.<snip>

[Massacure]

1. Many species of animals have more immunity to radiation than humans do.

Some plants and animals thrive at Chernobyle now, even though many places can still kill a human.

I'm not saying leaving waste sitting around is a good thing, but it is an interesting thing to point out.

[NNadir]

2. It is not true that humans are especially more prone to radiation

effects than other mammals or animals.

Other than the core itself, there are very few places in the exclusion zone at Chernobyl that would now be immediately fatal to humans or any other animals.

http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/chernobyl/pg_frame.htm

As for Rocky Flats, I personally hope that huge signs (the size of small buildings maybe) with the words "Danger!!!!!!!!!! PLUTONIUM!!!!!!!! are placed prominently around it. Preferably those signs would prominently display the international radiation symbol and lots of skulls and cross bones symbols.

I can think of nothing that would better protect a wildlife preserve that that sort of posting.




http://www.biol.ttu.edu/faculty/facpages/chesser/homepage/Mammals_from_ChernobylSite.pdf

[Massacure]

3. It doesn't necessarily have to be immediately fatal.

I'm sure that there are places that would take a couple months to kill you, but animals survive in. I've also heard that certain insects like cockroaches require many times more radiation than humans to kill them.

Are the above statements not true? If the cockroach one is true, isn't it possible that it could also extend to other animals as well?

edit: oh and I should mention I've only skimmed that pdf file. I'll try to read it when I have some spare time, tommorow hopefully. My parents want me in bed now.