Two years after the disaster at the Fukushima Daichi nuclear plant in Japan -- called the "worst accidental release of radiation to the ocean in history" -- a fish with staggering levels of radiation has reportedly been found in the vicinity of the plant.
According to French newspaper Le Monde, the fish was caught last Friday. It reportedly contained more than 2,500 times the legal limit for radiation in seafood.
[Plant operator] Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) said caesium equivalent to 254,000 becquerels per kilogramme -- or 2,540 times more than the government seafood limit -- was detected in a "murasoi" fish.
The fish, similar to rockfish, was caught at a port inside the Fukushima plant, a TEPCO spokesman said.
The find is a stark reminder that fears of radiation continue to haunt the island nation years after the nuclear catastrophe rocked Japan's waters.
The Fukushima disaster occurred in 2011 after the plant was ravaged by a devastating tsunami following an earthquake. The facility's emergency generators were flooded, causing meltdowns in three reactors. As radiation spewed into the surrounding waters and atmosphere, thousands of residents were evacuated and fishing around Fukushima was stopped. At the time, the government reportedly also "banned beef, milk, mushrooms and vegetables from being produced" in the surrounding areas.
Sale of some kinds of seafood and produce have since resumed, according to the Jiji Press.
Since the Fukushima catastrophe -- the largest nuclear disaster since Chernobyl -- scientists have attempted to figure out the spread and impact of the radiation that was released that fateful day.
In April 2012, researchers from the U.S.-based Woods Hole Institution, led by marine chemist Ken Buesseler, announced that they had found "elevated levels" of radiation in the marine environment around Fukushima.
Then in October, Buessler and his colleagues revealed that about 40 percent of the fish caught near the nuclear plant was found to be contaminated with radioactive caesium above government safety limits. According to the Guardian, Buesseler warned at the time that Fukushima fish "may be inedible for a decade."
As NTD-TV notes, the scientist also suggested that radiation could still be leaking from the crippled Fukushima plant.
"We can't sell any of these fish, it's such a waste," Kozo Endo, a Japanese fisherman from the Fukushima area, told ABC Radio Australia last November. "We can only catch them for radiation sampling."
Both the Japanese government and TEPCO have said in the past that the tainted fish that have been found in the waters near the nuclear plant may not have been caused by the Fukushima fall-out. According to ABC, Japan's Fisheries Agency said last year that the contamination was "sinking deeper into the seabed and is not entering the food chain," while TEPCO maintained that no "tainted water is leaking from the facility."
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Radiation Scanners Identify Concealed Guns
The NYPD has unveiled a new "weapon" in its arsenal to fight illegal guns: a radiation scanner that can spot concealed guns from a distance — no need for controversial stop-and-frisks.
NYPD commissioner Raymond Kelly announced Wednesday that the police will soon deploy and test the portable radiation scanner on the streets, as reported by the New York Daily News. The high-tech machine reads terahertz radiation, the energy naturally emitted by people and objects, from a distance, allowing police officers to see through people's clothes and potentially spot guns.
"If something is obstructing the flow of that radiation, for example a weapon, the device will highlight that object," Kelly said.
The idea is to put these scanners in police cars or at notoriously violent corners and monitor passersby to see if any of them has a suspicious object hidden under his or her clothes. The NYPD showed a video of how this works at a Police Foundation breakfast on Wednesday. In the video, a police officer is standing on the street, wearing a New York Jets jersey. A superimposed image taken from a scanner shows a black object, which appears to be a gun, on his belt.
The scanner, which was developed by a contractor in conjunction with the London Metropolitan Police, is still in its trial phase. "We still have a number of trials to run before we can determine how best to deploy this technology. We’re also talking to our legal staff about this. But we’re very pleased with the progress we’ve made over the past year," Kelly said.
At this point, it's hard to tell how effective these machines will be. And the ACLU raised privacy concerns over these "virtual pat downs" last year. Some questions, for now, remain unanswered. Is being scanned randomly on the street a search without a probable cause? If it is, that would go against the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches.
In a statement sent to Mashable, New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman said that "any technology that allows police to peer into a person's body or possessions raises a lot of questions that have yet to be resolved. But to the extent that this technology reduces the abuse of stop and frisk that harms hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers every year, we're intrigued by the possibilities."
NYPD commissioner Raymond Kelly announced Wednesday that the police will soon deploy and test the portable radiation scanner on the streets, as reported by the New York Daily News. The high-tech machine reads terahertz radiation, the energy naturally emitted by people and objects, from a distance, allowing police officers to see through people's clothes and potentially spot guns.
"If something is obstructing the flow of that radiation, for example a weapon, the device will highlight that object," Kelly said.
The idea is to put these scanners in police cars or at notoriously violent corners and monitor passersby to see if any of them has a suspicious object hidden under his or her clothes. The NYPD showed a video of how this works at a Police Foundation breakfast on Wednesday. In the video, a police officer is standing on the street, wearing a New York Jets jersey. A superimposed image taken from a scanner shows a black object, which appears to be a gun, on his belt.
The scanner, which was developed by a contractor in conjunction with the London Metropolitan Police, is still in its trial phase. "We still have a number of trials to run before we can determine how best to deploy this technology. We’re also talking to our legal staff about this. But we’re very pleased with the progress we’ve made over the past year," Kelly said.
At this point, it's hard to tell how effective these machines will be. And the ACLU raised privacy concerns over these "virtual pat downs" last year. Some questions, for now, remain unanswered. Is being scanned randomly on the street a search without a probable cause? If it is, that would go against the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches.
In a statement sent to Mashable, New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman said that "any technology that allows police to peer into a person's body or possessions raises a lot of questions that have yet to be resolved. But to the extent that this technology reduces the abuse of stop and frisk that harms hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers every year, we're intrigued by the possibilities."
Forewarning to Nuclear Terrorists in New Orleans
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| NNSA helicopter |
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said on Jan. 24 that it will be flying a helicopter over portions of the Louisiana city between Jan. 25 and Jan. 29, 2013 to measure naturally-occurring radiation in the area.
The NNSA said its Remote Sensing Laboratory (RSL) Aerial Measuring System (AMS) out of Joint Base Andrews near Washington, DC, will perform the assessment for local law enforcement in New Orleans.
NNSA officials said the radiation assessment will cover approximately 30 square miles. The agency said it would use a helicopter equipped with remote gamma radiation sensing technology to complete the assessment. The helicopter will fly in a grid pattern over the areas, 200 feet (or higher) above the ground surface, at a speed of approximately 80 miles per hour, it said, only during daylight hours. The agency said the assessment would take about four days to complete.
The measurement of naturally occurring radiation to establish baseline levels is a normal part of security and emergency preparedness.
The assessment is one of many the agency has been conducting in the past few months. It regularly notifies the public of the upcoming flights to ensure citizens who see the low-flying aircraft aren’t alarmed.
It conducted a similar assessment in Washington, D.C., between Dec. 27 and Jan. 11 and Dec. 26. The agency has conducted similar overflights in other cities, including Baltimore and San Francisco, earlier in 2012.
Blogger Note: While its nice to have transparency with our own people, it just does not seem right to give nuclear terrorists advance notice (if there be any).
Oil and gas drilling radiation study
The state Department of Environmental Protection has announced a yearlong study of radiation levels in equipment and wastes associated with oil and gas development it says will be the "most extensive and comprehensive" ever conducted.
The regulatory agency announced the study Thursday and said it will test radiation levels at dozens of well pads, wastewater treatment plants and waste disposal facilities statewide.
Oil and gas-bearing rock formations like the Marcellus Shale contain naturally occurring radiation that is brought to the surface in wastewater and rock waste. It can concentrate on pipes or equipment or in wastewater sludges. Some fluid samples from shale drilling indicate "significant concentrations" of radium 226, a naturally occurring radioactive metal, according to the study proposal by Perma-Fix Environmental Services of Pittsburgh.
The department said data it has reviewed to date show "very low levels of natural radioactivity" in oil and gas wastes and "do not indicate the public or workers face any health risk from exposure to radiation from these materials."
Less than half a percent of the Marcellus Shale rock waste taken to state landfills in 2012 triggered radiation monitors, DEP said, and tests in 2011 of rivers and drinking water intakes downstream of facilities that once treated and discharged Marcellus Shale wastewater found that any detected radiation was below safe drinking water standards.
The study "is aimed at ensuring that public health and the environment continue to be protected," the agency said.
DEP spokesman Kevin Sunday said the study is "very forward-looking" with a goal of adapting to changing technology. For example, the now common practice of recycling or reusing wastewater from one well to extract gas from another helps keep the fluid out of streams, but it may increase radioactivity in sludges.
"We want to make sure those continue to be disposed of safely," he said.
The study will evaluate radiation across the oil and gas production process, including drilling, storage, transportation, treatment and disposal. It will look at radon levels in natural gas, radiation in the leachate collected at 54 landfills in the state, and potential exposure pathways for workers and the public. It will also evaluate the potential need to set radioactivity limits in wastewater permits.
The DEP said it will seek a peer review of its study plan and begin sampling "in the coming weeks." It will also post the peer-reviewed plan online, provide progress reports to its advisory councils and make the final report available to the public.
The regulatory agency announced the study Thursday and said it will test radiation levels at dozens of well pads, wastewater treatment plants and waste disposal facilities statewide.
Oil and gas-bearing rock formations like the Marcellus Shale contain naturally occurring radiation that is brought to the surface in wastewater and rock waste. It can concentrate on pipes or equipment or in wastewater sludges. Some fluid samples from shale drilling indicate "significant concentrations" of radium 226, a naturally occurring radioactive metal, according to the study proposal by Perma-Fix Environmental Services of Pittsburgh.
The department said data it has reviewed to date show "very low levels of natural radioactivity" in oil and gas wastes and "do not indicate the public or workers face any health risk from exposure to radiation from these materials."
Less than half a percent of the Marcellus Shale rock waste taken to state landfills in 2012 triggered radiation monitors, DEP said, and tests in 2011 of rivers and drinking water intakes downstream of facilities that once treated and discharged Marcellus Shale wastewater found that any detected radiation was below safe drinking water standards.
The study "is aimed at ensuring that public health and the environment continue to be protected," the agency said.
DEP spokesman Kevin Sunday said the study is "very forward-looking" with a goal of adapting to changing technology. For example, the now common practice of recycling or reusing wastewater from one well to extract gas from another helps keep the fluid out of streams, but it may increase radioactivity in sludges.
"We want to make sure those continue to be disposed of safely," he said.
The study will evaluate radiation across the oil and gas production process, including drilling, storage, transportation, treatment and disposal. It will look at radon levels in natural gas, radiation in the leachate collected at 54 landfills in the state, and potential exposure pathways for workers and the public. It will also evaluate the potential need to set radioactivity limits in wastewater permits.
The DEP said it will seek a peer review of its study plan and begin sampling "in the coming weeks." It will also post the peer-reviewed plan online, provide progress reports to its advisory councils and make the final report available to the public.
Monks recorded ancient radioactive mystery
In the year 774 A.D., something bizarre happened. The Earth was bathed in potentially deadly gamma radiation. They mystery of course, is where did it come from, and why did we survive? Thanks to the diligent work of Catholic monks who lived during the time, scientists may have a clue.
The Anglo Saxon Chronicle mentions the red crucifix in the western sky at sunset. This may be one of the best clues astronomers have for identifying the cause of the 774 event.
Tree rings from around the globe all show the same thing. As scientists date ancient trees they find evidence that in 774 A.D., something caused a dramatic spike in the amount of radioactive carbon in their cores. Nothing like it has been recorded on Earth, before or since.
The tree rings also correlate perfectly with Antarctic ice cores which show a spike in an isotope of beryllium from the same year.
The evidence is clear. In the year 774, A.D., the entire planet was mysteriously bathed in a flash of gamma radiation.
Gamma radiation is one of the most severe types of radiation to come as a result of nuclear processes. The high frequency gamma rays are the cause of cellular damage in the body at the DNA level, and can cause radiation burns and sickness in all organisms. The radiation is deadly, and can kill victims bathed in it within a matter of minutes or hours.
In space, gamma radiation is common, hence the need for protective layers in spacesuits and spacecraft. However, the Earth is largely protected from gamma radiation, which is largely absorbed by the atmosphere. It takes a tremendous amount of gamma radiation to affect life on Earth.
Scientists are startled by the evidence from 774, because the only way to get so much radiation to the Earth's surface would require an amazing, astronomical event, at close range to Earth. There are only four events likely to create such a burst of energy close to the Earth. The first is a nearby supernova, the second would be an exceptionally powerful solar flare. The third would be a collision of two neutron stars. The last would be the formation of a black hole, with its polar axis pointing right at Earth.
So what was it? The leading theory has been that the sun must have belched an epic-sized solar flare directly at Earth. However, such a flare would have also caused spectacular auroras around the globe, which would have been widely recorded. None were.
As for neutron stars colliding and black holes forming, these could have done it, but none have been observed in the vicinity of Earth, close enough to bathe us in such radiation. The odds of such an event happening nearby are also astronomically incredible, although new mergers are recorded daily across the universe by orbiting space telescopes. In any given galaxy however, they are quite rare.
In fact, the only evidence we have that hints at a particular, astronomical event, is found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a book detailing the Anglo-Saxon history of England that was widely distributed and updated in monasteries across medieval England.
In the Chronicle, a reference is made to the appearance of a blazing red crucifix in the sky, seen in the western sky, shortly after sunset, in the year 774 A.D.
It is possible then, that a still, unrecognized supernova might have created the burst? While astronomers think such an event would be recorded around the globe and its after-effects visible to astronomers, it is possible that the event took place behind a cloud of dust, thus rendering it invisible.
In fact, many historically recorded supernovas are missing to modern astronomers.
This happens, because clouds of dust commonly obscure large portions of the deep sky from astronomers. The presence of the dust could also explain the red color that was recorded. The dust would have absorbed the other wavelengths of light causing the event to appear red to observers on Earth.
It's occurrence near sunset would have also made it difficult to observe from around the world, explaining why it was recorded in only one place - it was not readily visible anywhere else.
So did a supernova cause the Earth to be bathed in radiation n 774 A.D.?
Maybe, however it will require more study and more evidence before the mystery can be solved. Scientists remain divided on the issue.
Another competing school of thought is suggesting that the merger of two neutron stars.
The best way to verify what really happened might be a repeat of a similar event near Earth. However, Earth of 774 A.D. wasn't harmed because the planet was not dependent on orbiting satellites and electronic devices. The world of today is much different, and a repeat would shut down every satellite in orbit, without warning and without hope of repair or recovery.
Such an event would return the world to the age before satellites and mass communication, all within the space of a few seconds.
So naturally, scientists hope the event is not repeated nearby.
For now, the Chronicles faithfully recorded by ancient monks remains the best evidence we have of something that happened in 774 A.D., and there's nothing wrong with that.
The Anglo Saxon Chronicle mentions the red crucifix in the western sky at sunset. This may be one of the best clues astronomers have for identifying the cause of the 774 event.
Tree rings from around the globe all show the same thing. As scientists date ancient trees they find evidence that in 774 A.D., something caused a dramatic spike in the amount of radioactive carbon in their cores. Nothing like it has been recorded on Earth, before or since.
The tree rings also correlate perfectly with Antarctic ice cores which show a spike in an isotope of beryllium from the same year.
The evidence is clear. In the year 774, A.D., the entire planet was mysteriously bathed in a flash of gamma radiation.
Gamma radiation is one of the most severe types of radiation to come as a result of nuclear processes. The high frequency gamma rays are the cause of cellular damage in the body at the DNA level, and can cause radiation burns and sickness in all organisms. The radiation is deadly, and can kill victims bathed in it within a matter of minutes or hours.
In space, gamma radiation is common, hence the need for protective layers in spacesuits and spacecraft. However, the Earth is largely protected from gamma radiation, which is largely absorbed by the atmosphere. It takes a tremendous amount of gamma radiation to affect life on Earth.
Scientists are startled by the evidence from 774, because the only way to get so much radiation to the Earth's surface would require an amazing, astronomical event, at close range to Earth. There are only four events likely to create such a burst of energy close to the Earth. The first is a nearby supernova, the second would be an exceptionally powerful solar flare. The third would be a collision of two neutron stars. The last would be the formation of a black hole, with its polar axis pointing right at Earth.
So what was it? The leading theory has been that the sun must have belched an epic-sized solar flare directly at Earth. However, such a flare would have also caused spectacular auroras around the globe, which would have been widely recorded. None were.
As for neutron stars colliding and black holes forming, these could have done it, but none have been observed in the vicinity of Earth, close enough to bathe us in such radiation. The odds of such an event happening nearby are also astronomically incredible, although new mergers are recorded daily across the universe by orbiting space telescopes. In any given galaxy however, they are quite rare.
In fact, the only evidence we have that hints at a particular, astronomical event, is found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a book detailing the Anglo-Saxon history of England that was widely distributed and updated in monasteries across medieval England.
In the Chronicle, a reference is made to the appearance of a blazing red crucifix in the sky, seen in the western sky, shortly after sunset, in the year 774 A.D.
It is possible then, that a still, unrecognized supernova might have created the burst? While astronomers think such an event would be recorded around the globe and its after-effects visible to astronomers, it is possible that the event took place behind a cloud of dust, thus rendering it invisible.
In fact, many historically recorded supernovas are missing to modern astronomers.
This happens, because clouds of dust commonly obscure large portions of the deep sky from astronomers. The presence of the dust could also explain the red color that was recorded. The dust would have absorbed the other wavelengths of light causing the event to appear red to observers on Earth.
It's occurrence near sunset would have also made it difficult to observe from around the world, explaining why it was recorded in only one place - it was not readily visible anywhere else.
So did a supernova cause the Earth to be bathed in radiation n 774 A.D.?
Maybe, however it will require more study and more evidence before the mystery can be solved. Scientists remain divided on the issue.
Another competing school of thought is suggesting that the merger of two neutron stars.
The best way to verify what really happened might be a repeat of a similar event near Earth. However, Earth of 774 A.D. wasn't harmed because the planet was not dependent on orbiting satellites and electronic devices. The world of today is much different, and a repeat would shut down every satellite in orbit, without warning and without hope of repair or recovery.
Such an event would return the world to the age before satellites and mass communication, all within the space of a few seconds.
So naturally, scientists hope the event is not repeated nearby.
For now, the Chronicles faithfully recorded by ancient monks remains the best evidence we have of something that happened in 774 A.D., and there's nothing wrong with that.
Hydraulic Fracturing Causing NORM Disposal Problems
Through a drilling technique known formally as hydraulic fracturing, a stratum of shale rock one mile beneath the surface is blasted with chemically laced, high-pressure water to release pockets of natural gas. That water, now containing mineral debris from the rock formation, is then sucked back out of the earth to be disposed of or recycled.
A constituent element of that wastewater is radium-226. The Marcellus shale is full of it.
Mark Engle, a U.S. Geological Survey research geologist, said the main reason the Marcellus shale is so high in radium is because the shale contains enriched concentrations of uranium, which has a half-life of 4.5 billion years. That means, Engle said, “these rocks will continue to generate radium and other uranium series progeny for a very long time.”
Engle co-authored a USGS report that found that millions of barrels of wastewater from unconventional (fracked) wells in Pennsylvania and vertical wells in New York were 3,609 times more radioactive than the federal limit for drinking water and 300 times more radioactive than a Nuclear Regulatory Commission limit for industrial discharges to water. He also said the Marcellus’ high levels of uranium and radioactivity has to do with the surrounding geology.
Marvin Resnikoff, a physicist at the University of Michigan and senior associate at Radioactive Waste Management Associates, said the Marcellus shale contains about 30 times the amount of radium found in topsoil sampled from New York and Pennsylvania.
And with higher levels of radium in the black shale itself comes increased levels of radium in wastewater, Resnikoff said.
While the radioactive materials contained within the Marcellus during fracking are naturally occurring, experts say high levels still pose a threat to health.
The EPA classifies radon, radium and uranium as “naturally occurring radionuclides found in the environment.” But the EPA also classifies both radium and radon as “potent carcinogens.” The agency says that radium, through oral exposure, can cause lung, bone, head and nasal passage tumors. And radon, if inhaled, causes lung cancer.
Resnikoff agrees.
“Radium is of concern because when ingested or inhaled, it concentrates in bone and can give rise to leukemia,” he said.
While the World Nuclear Association says that naturally occurring radiation makes up for the average person’s annual exposure and is usually not a threat, it also says that certain industries handle significant quantities of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material, or NORM, which usually ends up their waste streams.
“Over time, as potential NORM hazards have been identified, these industries have increasingly become subject to monitoring and regulation,” the association said. “However, there is as yet little consistency in NORM regulations among industries and countries. This means that material which is considered radioactive waste in one context may not be considered so in another. Also, that which may constitute low-level waste in the nuclear industry might go entirely unregulated in another industry.”
That’s why the nuclear industry is subject to much stricter regulations than the gas industry in terms of regulating potentially radioactive waste, said David Lochbaum, a nuclear engineer who heads the Nuclear Safety Project for the Union of Concerned Scientists.
“NRC’s regulations require that every drop of water and every molecule of air discharged from a plant be monitored for radiation,” Lochbaum said.
Ivan White, a career scientist for the National Council on Radiation Protection, said radiation exposure to humans should be limited.
“The goal is to limit the total radiation dose to large populations because of the increased probability of health effects,” he said. “In the current case, the uncontrolled release of hazardous waste could result in the exposure of millions of people over decades.”
White also authored a report issued by the New York-based Grassroots Environmental Education that says fracking can produce waste much higher in radiation than previously thought.
And environmentalists say that radiation is becoming a serious issue in the disposal or treatment of fracking waste.
“The issue with oil and gas development — and especially fracking, given the large amount of fluids injected — is that the deep drilling and fracking bring these NORMs back up to the surface as drill cuttings and wastewater,” said Adam Kron, attorney for the Environmental Integrity Project.
“As fracking has rapidly expanded, we’re seeing much more of this radioactive waste, which is a problem, since traditional landfills and wastewater treatment plants aren’t accustomed to handling it,” he said. “In fact, wastewater treatment plants aren’t able to remove radioactivity, and we’re starting to hear accounts of landfills receiving — and sometimes turning away — radioactive cuttings and sand from across state lines.”
A constituent element of that wastewater is radium-226. The Marcellus shale is full of it.
Mark Engle, a U.S. Geological Survey research geologist, said the main reason the Marcellus shale is so high in radium is because the shale contains enriched concentrations of uranium, which has a half-life of 4.5 billion years. That means, Engle said, “these rocks will continue to generate radium and other uranium series progeny for a very long time.”
Engle co-authored a USGS report that found that millions of barrels of wastewater from unconventional (fracked) wells in Pennsylvania and vertical wells in New York were 3,609 times more radioactive than the federal limit for drinking water and 300 times more radioactive than a Nuclear Regulatory Commission limit for industrial discharges to water. He also said the Marcellus’ high levels of uranium and radioactivity has to do with the surrounding geology.
Marvin Resnikoff, a physicist at the University of Michigan and senior associate at Radioactive Waste Management Associates, said the Marcellus shale contains about 30 times the amount of radium found in topsoil sampled from New York and Pennsylvania.
And with higher levels of radium in the black shale itself comes increased levels of radium in wastewater, Resnikoff said.
While the radioactive materials contained within the Marcellus during fracking are naturally occurring, experts say high levels still pose a threat to health.
The EPA classifies radon, radium and uranium as “naturally occurring radionuclides found in the environment.” But the EPA also classifies both radium and radon as “potent carcinogens.” The agency says that radium, through oral exposure, can cause lung, bone, head and nasal passage tumors. And radon, if inhaled, causes lung cancer.
Resnikoff agrees.
“Radium is of concern because when ingested or inhaled, it concentrates in bone and can give rise to leukemia,” he said.
While the World Nuclear Association says that naturally occurring radiation makes up for the average person’s annual exposure and is usually not a threat, it also says that certain industries handle significant quantities of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material, or NORM, which usually ends up their waste streams.
“Over time, as potential NORM hazards have been identified, these industries have increasingly become subject to monitoring and regulation,” the association said. “However, there is as yet little consistency in NORM regulations among industries and countries. This means that material which is considered radioactive waste in one context may not be considered so in another. Also, that which may constitute low-level waste in the nuclear industry might go entirely unregulated in another industry.”
That’s why the nuclear industry is subject to much stricter regulations than the gas industry in terms of regulating potentially radioactive waste, said David Lochbaum, a nuclear engineer who heads the Nuclear Safety Project for the Union of Concerned Scientists.
“NRC’s regulations require that every drop of water and every molecule of air discharged from a plant be monitored for radiation,” Lochbaum said.
Ivan White, a career scientist for the National Council on Radiation Protection, said radiation exposure to humans should be limited.
“The goal is to limit the total radiation dose to large populations because of the increased probability of health effects,” he said. “In the current case, the uncontrolled release of hazardous waste could result in the exposure of millions of people over decades.”
White also authored a report issued by the New York-based Grassroots Environmental Education that says fracking can produce waste much higher in radiation than previously thought.
And environmentalists say that radiation is becoming a serious issue in the disposal or treatment of fracking waste.
“The issue with oil and gas development — and especially fracking, given the large amount of fluids injected — is that the deep drilling and fracking bring these NORMs back up to the surface as drill cuttings and wastewater,” said Adam Kron, attorney for the Environmental Integrity Project.
“As fracking has rapidly expanded, we’re seeing much more of this radioactive waste, which is a problem, since traditional landfills and wastewater treatment plants aren’t accustomed to handling it,” he said. “In fact, wastewater treatment plants aren’t able to remove radioactivity, and we’re starting to hear accounts of landfills receiving — and sometimes turning away — radioactive cuttings and sand from across state lines.”
French doctors and radiologist jailed for overdoses
Overdoses were given to nearly 450 cancer patients at the Jean Monnet hospital in Epinal in northeastern France between 2001 and 2006. It is the most serious incident of its kind France has known.
As a result of the errors, many of the affected patients suffered sexual dysfunction as well as serious digestive and urinary problems.
The doctors and the radiologist, who have all denied the charges, had been charged with manslaughter, failure to help people in danger and destroying evidence.
Six years after the first complaints were lodged with the authorities, the judges found radiologist Joshua Anah, 54, guilty of manslaughter and destroying evidence, sentencing him to three years in prison of which 18 months were suspended.
The court also ordered him to pay 10,000 euros (£8,600) in damages and banned him from practising radiography for five years.
The two doctors, Jean-Francois Sztermer, 64, and Michel Aubertel, 62, were convicted of manslaughter and for not helping people in danger.
They were each given four-year prison terms, of which two and a half years were suspended. They were also each fined 20,000 euros and banned for life from practising medicine.
Three health executives who had been charged with failure to help people in danger were cleared of the charges against them while the hospital was absolved of criminal responsibility.
At least 24 people treated between May 2004 and August 2005 received 20 per cent more radiation than recommended due to a calibration error linked to the introduction of new machines in 2004.
Human error also led to 424 other prostate cancer patients being administered with overdoses of between eight and 10 per cent between 2001 and 2006.
The mistakes were made in the calculation of the doses as previous treatments were not correctly taken into account.
Anah, who was in charge of calibrating the machines, has admitted to "inadmissible negligence" related to the installation of the new machines, as well as in the training of technicians using them.
The prosecutor had not argued for the two doctors to be convicted of manslaughter but the court still upheld that charge.
In his closing remarks, the chief prosecutor delivered a damning indictment of the doctors' "desire to hide the truth from the victims and their attempts to play down, even disguise their mistakes".
Throughout the case, lawyers representing the victims accused the doctors of playing God with their patients' lives and trying to bolster their professional reputations by using experimental techniques without taking the sufficient precautions.
The doctors blamed the mistakes on staff shortages and bureaucratic complexity of the rules surrounding radiation therapy.
Gerard Welzer, a lawyer who represented many of the victims, said he was very happy with the outcome.
"When it comes to the public health system these days, convictions are becoming more and more rare," he said outside court.
Gold shell keeps radiation in one spot
Typically, when radiation treatment is recommended for cancer patients, doctors are able to choose from several radiopharmaceuticals that use low-energy radiation particles, known as beta particles.
For years, scientists have been studying how to use “alpha particles,” which are radioactive particles that contain a large amount of energy, in cancer treatments.
The challenges to using alpha particles, which are more than 7,000 times heavier than beta particles, include confining the powerful alpha particles in a designated location inside the body while preventing radiation from wandering to healthy organs and tissues.
“If you think of beta particles as slingshots or arrows, alpha particles would be similar to cannon balls,” says J. David Robertson, director of research at the University of Missouri Research Reactor and professor of chemistry in the College of Arts and Science.
“Scientists have had some successes using alpha particles recently, but nothing that can battle different cancers. For example, a current study using radium-223 chloride, which emits alpha particles, has been fast-tracked by the US Food and Drug Administration because it has been shown to be effective in treating bone cancer.
“However, it only works for bone cancer because the element, radium, is attracted to the bone and stays there. We believe we have found a solution that will allow us to target alpha particles to other cancer sites in the body in an effective manner.”
Building the device
Robertson and researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the School of Medicine at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville used the element “actinium,” which is an element known as an “alpha emitter” because it produces alpha particles. As it decays, actinium creates three additional elements that produce alpha particles.
Due to the strength of these particles though, keeping the elements in place at cancer sites was not possible, until Robertson and Mark McLaughlin, University of Missouri doctoral student and co-author on the study, designed a gold-plated nanoparticle that serves as a holding cell for the elements and keeps them in place at the cancer site.
Robertson’s nanoparticle is a layered device. At the core is the original element, actinium. Robertson’s team then added four layers of material and then coated the nanoparticle with gold. This made the nanoparticle strong enough to hold the actinium—and the other alpha emitters that are eventually created—long enough for any alpha particles to destroy nearby cancer cells.
“Holding these alpha emitters in place is a technical challenge that researchers have been trying to overcome for 15 years,” Robertson says. “With our nanoparticle design, we are able to keep more than 80 percent of the element inside the nanoparticle 24 hours after it is created.”
While alpha particles are extremely powerful, they don’t travel very far, so when the nanoparticles get close to cancer cells, the alpha particles move out and destroy the cell much more effectively than current radiation therapy options, Robertson says.
“Previously, basic research had established that scientists can attach antibodies onto gold nanoparticles that help drive the nanoparticles to the tumor sites in the body,” Robertson says. “Without that groundbreaking work, we would not have been able to put this puzzle together.”
The early-stage results of this research are promising. If additional studies are successful within the next few years, university officials will request authority from the federal government to begin human drug development (this is commonly referred to as the “investigative new drug” status). After this status has been granted, researchers may conduct human clinical trials with the hope of developing new treatments for cancer.
The US Department of Energy and the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine provided funding for the research.
For years, scientists have been studying how to use “alpha particles,” which are radioactive particles that contain a large amount of energy, in cancer treatments.
The challenges to using alpha particles, which are more than 7,000 times heavier than beta particles, include confining the powerful alpha particles in a designated location inside the body while preventing radiation from wandering to healthy organs and tissues.
“If you think of beta particles as slingshots or arrows, alpha particles would be similar to cannon balls,” says J. David Robertson, director of research at the University of Missouri Research Reactor and professor of chemistry in the College of Arts and Science.
“Scientists have had some successes using alpha particles recently, but nothing that can battle different cancers. For example, a current study using radium-223 chloride, which emits alpha particles, has been fast-tracked by the US Food and Drug Administration because it has been shown to be effective in treating bone cancer.
“However, it only works for bone cancer because the element, radium, is attracted to the bone and stays there. We believe we have found a solution that will allow us to target alpha particles to other cancer sites in the body in an effective manner.”
Building the device
Robertson and researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the School of Medicine at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville used the element “actinium,” which is an element known as an “alpha emitter” because it produces alpha particles. As it decays, actinium creates three additional elements that produce alpha particles.
Due to the strength of these particles though, keeping the elements in place at cancer sites was not possible, until Robertson and Mark McLaughlin, University of Missouri doctoral student and co-author on the study, designed a gold-plated nanoparticle that serves as a holding cell for the elements and keeps them in place at the cancer site.
Robertson’s nanoparticle is a layered device. At the core is the original element, actinium. Robertson’s team then added four layers of material and then coated the nanoparticle with gold. This made the nanoparticle strong enough to hold the actinium—and the other alpha emitters that are eventually created—long enough for any alpha particles to destroy nearby cancer cells.
“Holding these alpha emitters in place is a technical challenge that researchers have been trying to overcome for 15 years,” Robertson says. “With our nanoparticle design, we are able to keep more than 80 percent of the element inside the nanoparticle 24 hours after it is created.”
While alpha particles are extremely powerful, they don’t travel very far, so when the nanoparticles get close to cancer cells, the alpha particles move out and destroy the cell much more effectively than current radiation therapy options, Robertson says.
“Previously, basic research had established that scientists can attach antibodies onto gold nanoparticles that help drive the nanoparticles to the tumor sites in the body,” Robertson says. “Without that groundbreaking work, we would not have been able to put this puzzle together.”
The early-stage results of this research are promising. If additional studies are successful within the next few years, university officials will request authority from the federal government to begin human drug development (this is commonly referred to as the “investigative new drug” status). After this status has been granted, researchers may conduct human clinical trials with the hope of developing new treatments for cancer.
The US Department of Energy and the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine provided funding for the research.
DHS juggling its rad monitor program
As the radiation portal monitors deployed to ports of entry start to reach the end of their lifecycle, the Homeland Security Department's Domestic Nuclear Detection Office will not necessarily replace them with additional, similar monitors.
"Future strategies will not be a one-for-one portal exchange," said Huban Gowadia, acting director of the office, while testifying July 26 before the House Homeland Security subcommittee on cybersecurity, infrastructure protection and security technologies.
DHS began deploying the monitors in 2003 and some are starting to reach the end of their expected service life. DHS officials told (.pdf) Government Accountability Office auditors that they plan to deploy 1,537 such monitors in total and that 95 percent of them are already in place, with the remainder set for deployment by December 2014.
Gowadia said the service life of the monitors "may be significantly longer than originally anticipated," but DNDO is nonetheless studying how to change its mix of monitoring technology.
"We will need cost effective detectors that can be widely deployed and detection systems that can search wide areas, even in the most challenging environments," Gowadia said.
The office released in April a global nuclear detection architecture strategic plan for domestic aspects of radioactive cargo detection that proposed to spend about $1 billion over 5 years, according to Subcommittee Chairman Dan Lungren (R-Calif.).
The office has come under criticism in the past for not focusing enough on radiation detection between ports of entry nor on small maritime ports and air cargo.
According to the GAO, some smaller seaports may not be equipped with portal monitors, and DNDO officials themselves believe that additional portals might be needed in larger ports to avoid creating delays in shipping.
DHS officials have also characterized international rail traffic as one of the most challenging environments for radiation detection, since trains can be up to 2 miles long. The distance required to stop moving trains, the difficulties in separating individual cars out for further examination if warranted and the fact that being more effective would require scanning trains while they're still on Mexican or Canadian soil combine to create challenges.
When it comes to air cargo, DHS has concluded that it can't deploy portals since air cargo lacks natural choke points and there are no procedural or operational changes that could easily overcome that.
During the hearing, Gowadia said her office is "making significant progress" with international rail and air cargo.
"Future strategies will not be a one-for-one portal exchange," said Huban Gowadia, acting director of the office, while testifying July 26 before the House Homeland Security subcommittee on cybersecurity, infrastructure protection and security technologies.
DHS began deploying the monitors in 2003 and some are starting to reach the end of their expected service life. DHS officials told (.pdf) Government Accountability Office auditors that they plan to deploy 1,537 such monitors in total and that 95 percent of them are already in place, with the remainder set for deployment by December 2014.
Gowadia said the service life of the monitors "may be significantly longer than originally anticipated," but DNDO is nonetheless studying how to change its mix of monitoring technology.
"We will need cost effective detectors that can be widely deployed and detection systems that can search wide areas, even in the most challenging environments," Gowadia said.
The office released in April a global nuclear detection architecture strategic plan for domestic aspects of radioactive cargo detection that proposed to spend about $1 billion over 5 years, according to Subcommittee Chairman Dan Lungren (R-Calif.).
The office has come under criticism in the past for not focusing enough on radiation detection between ports of entry nor on small maritime ports and air cargo.
According to the GAO, some smaller seaports may not be equipped with portal monitors, and DNDO officials themselves believe that additional portals might be needed in larger ports to avoid creating delays in shipping.
DHS officials have also characterized international rail traffic as one of the most challenging environments for radiation detection, since trains can be up to 2 miles long. The distance required to stop moving trains, the difficulties in separating individual cars out for further examination if warranted and the fact that being more effective would require scanning trains while they're still on Mexican or Canadian soil combine to create challenges.
When it comes to air cargo, DHS has concluded that it can't deploy portals since air cargo lacks natural choke points and there are no procedural or operational changes that could easily overcome that.
During the hearing, Gowadia said her office is "making significant progress" with international rail and air cargo.
Problems Plague EPA's Radiation Program
Assistant administrator Gina McCarthy is widely expected to be President Obama's choice to head the Environmental Protection Agency, but a key program under her oversight has drawn sharp criticism from its internal watchdog.
Soon after a huge earthquake and tsunami damaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant in March 2011, the EPA announced that its U.S. air-monitoring system had detected very low levels of radioactive material associated with the Japanese disaster.
But as a critical report from the EPA's inspector general later detailed, the monitoring network, known as RadNet, was in disarray when radiation began spewing from Fukushima. Fully 20 percent of RadNet monitors across the United States were inoperative, and had been for an average of 130 days.
Monitors in Laredo, Harlingen, El Paso, Lubbock and Corpus Christi were among the 25 that were inoperative at the time of Fukushima.
In its report, the inspector general faulted maintenance of the monitors and also pointed out that implementation of the program was incomplete and years behind schedule.
Now, nearly two years after Fukushima, the EPA did not specifically respond to questions about which monitors are now working, and whether an additional 10 planned monitors have been installed. "EPA is actively working to address questions and concerns within the inspector general's report," an agency official said this week.
The April 2012 inspector general's report was unequivocal. "Because EPA did not manage RadNet as a high-priority program, parts shortages and insufficient contractor oversight contributed to the extensive delay in fixing broken monitors," it said.
The EPA official said Tuesday that even with the broken monitors, the RadNet system was able to provide sufficient data to determine airborne levels of radioactivity from Fukushima.
In a random sampling of 12 monitors from May 1, 2010 to April 30, 2011, the inspector general's office found more than 41 percent of filter changes were not made. At the Houston monitoring station, for example, 30 of the 104 changes were not made, and in Fort Worth, 39 were not made.
Soon after a huge earthquake and tsunami damaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant in March 2011, the EPA announced that its U.S. air-monitoring system had detected very low levels of radioactive material associated with the Japanese disaster.
But as a critical report from the EPA's inspector general later detailed, the monitoring network, known as RadNet, was in disarray when radiation began spewing from Fukushima. Fully 20 percent of RadNet monitors across the United States were inoperative, and had been for an average of 130 days.
Monitors in Laredo, Harlingen, El Paso, Lubbock and Corpus Christi were among the 25 that were inoperative at the time of Fukushima.
In its report, the inspector general faulted maintenance of the monitors and also pointed out that implementation of the program was incomplete and years behind schedule.
Now, nearly two years after Fukushima, the EPA did not specifically respond to questions about which monitors are now working, and whether an additional 10 planned monitors have been installed. "EPA is actively working to address questions and concerns within the inspector general's report," an agency official said this week.
The April 2012 inspector general's report was unequivocal. "Because EPA did not manage RadNet as a high-priority program, parts shortages and insufficient contractor oversight contributed to the extensive delay in fixing broken monitors," it said.
The EPA official said Tuesday that even with the broken monitors, the RadNet system was able to provide sufficient data to determine airborne levels of radioactivity from Fukushima.
In a random sampling of 12 monitors from May 1, 2010 to April 30, 2011, the inspector general's office found more than 41 percent of filter changes were not made. At the Houston monitoring station, for example, 30 of the 104 changes were not made, and in Fort Worth, 39 were not made.
Radiation Leaking from Iran Nuclear Facility
Radiation is leaking from Iran’s nuclear facility at Fordow, which suffered devastating explosions on Jan. 21, WND has learned, and the regime has ordered millions of antidote iodine pills from Russia and Ukraine amid fears the radioactivity will spread.
Many of the personnel, who arrived after the explosion to assist with the cleanup at the site, have been taken to a military hospital suffering from headache, nausea and vomiting, according to a source in the security forces protecting Fordow.
A special team of nuclear experts was ordered to the site days ago, the source said, and detected high levels of radiation.
Fordow fuel enrichment plant - DigitalGlobe image on day of reported explosion, Jan. 21, 2013
The number of confirmed dead from the explosions has risen to 76, said the source, who provided exclusively to WND the names of 14 Iranian scientists and one North Korean who died in the blasts.
Security forces have arrested 17 high-ranking officers, including majors and colonels, over the incident and summarily executed Maj. Ali Montazernia, a member of the security forces in charge at Fordow.
The Islamic regime has put up a wall of silence surrounding the explosions, but with the possibility of radioactive fallout creating grave health and environmental disasters in the nearby holy city of Qom and other surrounding cities, it may not be able to maintain the secret, the source suggested.
WND reported exclusively on Jan. 24 that explosions rocked Iran’s nuclear facility at Fordow on Jan. 21, with updates on Jan. 27, 29, 30, 31, and Feb. 3, 6, 13 and 23. The blasts at first trapped 219 workers, including 16 North Koreans: 14 technicians and two military attaches.
Iran denied the incident, and its official news agency, IRNA, in a report, called WND a “mouthpiece of the CIA” and Reza Kahlili a CIA agent whose reporting was mere propaganda by the West. Regime media have also attacked Hamidreza Zakeri, a former officer of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, now living in Europe, who has provided information on the Fordow explosion and other valuable insights into the regime’s illicit nuclear activities.
In an unusual move on Jan. 29, the spokeswoman for the International Atomic Energy Agency, Gill Tudor, emailed reporters a brief statement: “We understand that Iran has denied that there has been an incident at Fordow. This is consistent with our observations.”
When pushed by WND, however, Tudor could neither confirm nor deny the incident had taken place and would not say whether IAEA inspectors had visited the site after the explosions, despite some media reports that they had.
The IAEA’s latest report, released on Feb. 21, states that a physical inspection of Fordow was done between Nov. 26 and Dec. 3, well before the reported explosions. The report said that as of Feb. 17, Iran continued to feed hexafluoride gas into all four cascades of centrifuges at Fordow to enrich uranium, but this information was solely based on what Iranian officials told the U.N. nuclear watchdog.
Even the regime’s Fars News Agency, in covering the recent IAEA report, confessed to that by running this headline: “Fordow site is active, according to information provided by Iran to the IAEA.”
The Fars story reported, “The IAEA in part of its report verifies that the Fordow site, based on the Design Information Questioner filed by Iran, is active.”
The Fars story shows a high level of uncertainty even within Iran about whether Fordow suffered the explosions, WND’s source said, and the regime is trying to keep morale high for its forces and allies, because the Fordow explosions would show the regime’s deep vulnerability.
Iranian officials have repeatedly lied about previous acts of sabotage, including the effect of the Stuxnet virus and the status of the Bushehr nuclear power plant. The BBC, in a Feb. 22 report, said the Bushehr plant has again been shut down and that Russia has confirmed it, despite the Iranian regime’s earlier denial.
IAEA officials were denied access to Fordow during their last inspection trip. IAEA requests to inspect the Parchin military site and four other suspect sites were also denied. The regime also failed to respond to IAEA inquiries on its activity involving laser technology for uranium enrichment.
An exclusive WND report on Jan. 22 revealed that Russians are helping to enrich uranium using lasers at the secret Bonab site. The IAEA has revealed that Iran’s heavy-water plant in Arak could likely become operational in the first quarter of 2014. The plant, once live, could provide enough plutonium for several bombs just in its first year of operation.
The latest IAEA report also indicated that the regime has started the process of installing its advanced centrifuges at its Natanz nuclear facility, which the U.S. State Department called “yet another provocative step.”
Furthermore, 252 parliamentarians of the Islamic regime issued a statement today asserting, “There is no stopping in the Iran’s nuclear train,” and that despite the psychological war by America and all the sanctions in place, the country’s nuclear program will continue.
The statement advises America and “its western allies” to accept the reality of the Islamic regime’s nuclear program and change their policies.
DigitalGlobe image Jan. 21, 2013 - Across from Fordow Plant, written on the mountain in Farsi: "Fadayat Rahbar," to be sacrificed for the leader - and in smaller print: "Sar Allah," shedding blood for Allah, or blood for the path of Allah
Iran and the 5-plus-1 countries (the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China, plus Germany) are to hold another round of nuclear talks on Feb. 26 in Kazakhstan, though expectations are low for any meaningful process.
Although the West has demanded Fordow be shut down as a precondition to easing sanctions, and though Iran has responded that it won’t comply, this is merely a political game, WND’s source said, in which the West knows what has happened at Fordow and is leaving a face-saving way out for Iran to still engage in dialogue to avoid further pressure. Despite this, the regime is actively trying to develop nuclear weapons at several secret sites.
The source provide these names of those killed at Fordow:
Five from a research team of the Center for Defensive Studies of the Jame Imam Hossein University of Tehran: Mohammad Rosham Entezar, Samad Doorbash, Jalal Namdar, Abdolreza Samadi and Mehdi Sufiaei.
Three from the Center for Research and Nuclear Support of Imam Hossein University in Tehran: Ali Ebadi, Majid Fakhri and Mehdi Jasoor.
Two from Physics University of Isfahan: Ahmad Abdolahipour and Alireza Parhizkar.
One from the University of Tabriz, Faculty of Physics: Hassan Soltan Nejad.
Three from Sharif University of Technology – The Center for Research of Physics: Faramarz Naghsh Ara, Hamid Boroostani and Saeid Fazeli.
One North Korean from the Atomic Research Center of Yongbyon: Chin-Hae Kang-Jun
WND will attempt to contact the families of the named deceased to further verify the report, although initial feedback verifies that the immediate families of the deceased are being monitored by Iranian regime security forces.
Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/02/radiation-reported-from-irans-nuclear-explosion/#erp2TwKHl0A8HjfE.99
Many of the personnel, who arrived after the explosion to assist with the cleanup at the site, have been taken to a military hospital suffering from headache, nausea and vomiting, according to a source in the security forces protecting Fordow.
A special team of nuclear experts was ordered to the site days ago, the source said, and detected high levels of radiation.
Fordow fuel enrichment plant - DigitalGlobe image on day of reported explosion, Jan. 21, 2013
The number of confirmed dead from the explosions has risen to 76, said the source, who provided exclusively to WND the names of 14 Iranian scientists and one North Korean who died in the blasts.
Security forces have arrested 17 high-ranking officers, including majors and colonels, over the incident and summarily executed Maj. Ali Montazernia, a member of the security forces in charge at Fordow.
The Islamic regime has put up a wall of silence surrounding the explosions, but with the possibility of radioactive fallout creating grave health and environmental disasters in the nearby holy city of Qom and other surrounding cities, it may not be able to maintain the secret, the source suggested.
WND reported exclusively on Jan. 24 that explosions rocked Iran’s nuclear facility at Fordow on Jan. 21, with updates on Jan. 27, 29, 30, 31, and Feb. 3, 6, 13 and 23. The blasts at first trapped 219 workers, including 16 North Koreans: 14 technicians and two military attaches.
Iran denied the incident, and its official news agency, IRNA, in a report, called WND a “mouthpiece of the CIA” and Reza Kahlili a CIA agent whose reporting was mere propaganda by the West. Regime media have also attacked Hamidreza Zakeri, a former officer of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, now living in Europe, who has provided information on the Fordow explosion and other valuable insights into the regime’s illicit nuclear activities.
In an unusual move on Jan. 29, the spokeswoman for the International Atomic Energy Agency, Gill Tudor, emailed reporters a brief statement: “We understand that Iran has denied that there has been an incident at Fordow. This is consistent with our observations.”
When pushed by WND, however, Tudor could neither confirm nor deny the incident had taken place and would not say whether IAEA inspectors had visited the site after the explosions, despite some media reports that they had.
The IAEA’s latest report, released on Feb. 21, states that a physical inspection of Fordow was done between Nov. 26 and Dec. 3, well before the reported explosions. The report said that as of Feb. 17, Iran continued to feed hexafluoride gas into all four cascades of centrifuges at Fordow to enrich uranium, but this information was solely based on what Iranian officials told the U.N. nuclear watchdog.
Even the regime’s Fars News Agency, in covering the recent IAEA report, confessed to that by running this headline: “Fordow site is active, according to information provided by Iran to the IAEA.”
The Fars story reported, “The IAEA in part of its report verifies that the Fordow site, based on the Design Information Questioner filed by Iran, is active.”
The Fars story shows a high level of uncertainty even within Iran about whether Fordow suffered the explosions, WND’s source said, and the regime is trying to keep morale high for its forces and allies, because the Fordow explosions would show the regime’s deep vulnerability.
Iranian officials have repeatedly lied about previous acts of sabotage, including the effect of the Stuxnet virus and the status of the Bushehr nuclear power plant. The BBC, in a Feb. 22 report, said the Bushehr plant has again been shut down and that Russia has confirmed it, despite the Iranian regime’s earlier denial.
IAEA officials were denied access to Fordow during their last inspection trip. IAEA requests to inspect the Parchin military site and four other suspect sites were also denied. The regime also failed to respond to IAEA inquiries on its activity involving laser technology for uranium enrichment.
An exclusive WND report on Jan. 22 revealed that Russians are helping to enrich uranium using lasers at the secret Bonab site. The IAEA has revealed that Iran’s heavy-water plant in Arak could likely become operational in the first quarter of 2014. The plant, once live, could provide enough plutonium for several bombs just in its first year of operation.
The latest IAEA report also indicated that the regime has started the process of installing its advanced centrifuges at its Natanz nuclear facility, which the U.S. State Department called “yet another provocative step.”
Furthermore, 252 parliamentarians of the Islamic regime issued a statement today asserting, “There is no stopping in the Iran’s nuclear train,” and that despite the psychological war by America and all the sanctions in place, the country’s nuclear program will continue.
The statement advises America and “its western allies” to accept the reality of the Islamic regime’s nuclear program and change their policies.
DigitalGlobe image Jan. 21, 2013 - Across from Fordow Plant, written on the mountain in Farsi: "Fadayat Rahbar," to be sacrificed for the leader - and in smaller print: "Sar Allah," shedding blood for Allah, or blood for the path of Allah
Iran and the 5-plus-1 countries (the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China, plus Germany) are to hold another round of nuclear talks on Feb. 26 in Kazakhstan, though expectations are low for any meaningful process.
Although the West has demanded Fordow be shut down as a precondition to easing sanctions, and though Iran has responded that it won’t comply, this is merely a political game, WND’s source said, in which the West knows what has happened at Fordow and is leaving a face-saving way out for Iran to still engage in dialogue to avoid further pressure. Despite this, the regime is actively trying to develop nuclear weapons at several secret sites.
The source provide these names of those killed at Fordow:
Five from a research team of the Center for Defensive Studies of the Jame Imam Hossein University of Tehran: Mohammad Rosham Entezar, Samad Doorbash, Jalal Namdar, Abdolreza Samadi and Mehdi Sufiaei.
Three from the Center for Research and Nuclear Support of Imam Hossein University in Tehran: Ali Ebadi, Majid Fakhri and Mehdi Jasoor.
Two from Physics University of Isfahan: Ahmad Abdolahipour and Alireza Parhizkar.
One from the University of Tabriz, Faculty of Physics: Hassan Soltan Nejad.
Three from Sharif University of Technology – The Center for Research of Physics: Faramarz Naghsh Ara, Hamid Boroostani and Saeid Fazeli.
One North Korean from the Atomic Research Center of Yongbyon: Chin-Hae Kang-Jun
WND will attempt to contact the families of the named deceased to further verify the report, although initial feedback verifies that the immediate families of the deceased are being monitored by Iranian regime security forces.
Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/02/radiation-reported-from-irans-nuclear-explosion/#erp2TwKHl0A8HjfE.99
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