On 5th of July 2002 the VROM-Inspection was alarmed by a metal scrap dealer about the detection of an increased radiation level in a truckload of metal scrap that came from a lead smelter. An inspector / health physicist of the VROM-Inspection started immediately with an investigation. On one side of the truck he found a radiation level of 150 microSv/h. With help of a collegue the cargo of the truck was carefully inspected. An unshielded encapsulated radiation source was found. It can be described as a metal disk of 15 cm in diameter with on one flat side a cone of 4 cm in height. At the bottom it has two inscriptions:"100" and "YVG Eu152". The results from the inspection of the source are: Eu-152; maximum radiation 15.8 mSv/h at 0.1 m, 365 microSv/h at 1 m and 41 microSv/h at 3 m; estimated activity 2 GBq. In annex 1 you can find two pictures of the recovered scource. The origin of the source could not be determined. We think that the source was manufactured in Eastern Germany or the Czech Republic. The source-container is supposedly smelted, so that the source was floating in the dross on the molten lead and was collected with the dross in a barrel that was shipped to the metal scrap dealer. The dose of one or two workers at the lead smelter is likely to be below 20 microSv. The truckdriver is supposed to have had a dose of 30 microSv. Other persons are supposed to have had a much lower dose.The source has been transported to COVRA, the radioactive waste facility in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands has agreed to allow Urenco to be used for the British military nuclear program. This clears the way for uranium enriched by Urenco to be used in nuclear weapons. With his decision, Foreign Minister Berendsen (CDA Christen Democrats) is departing from the principle that civilian and military nuclear applications must remain strictly separate. […]
Behnam Raeesian is an internationally recognized visual artist and poster designer from Iran, known for bold political and cultural works. Through exhibitions, workshops, jury roles, and collaborations with cultural institutions worldwide, he has built a strong voice in contemporary political graphic design. His projects confront complex issues such as nuclear risk and technological impact, transforming […]
Everywhere you look, the nuclear industry’s hype machine is in overdrive. Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and the UK government all tout small modular reactors as the silver bullet for climate change and energy security. Tech billionaires are hiring nuclear veterans. Wall Street is whispering about “round-the-clock power” for artificial intelligence data centers. For those old enough […]
Kernenergie en veiligheid: A wargame sought to test if a major radiological release that would prompt the evacuation of millions of civilians in South Korea could distract key US allies from assisting and rebuffing an all-out military invasion of Taiwan. The short answer was yes. The game originally presumed that China, wanting to keep the […]
Big batteries and EVs to the rescue again as faults with new nuclear plant cause chaos on Nordic grids The Finnish nuclear power plant Olkiluoto was finally connected to the grid last year, at an estimated cost of €11 billion compared to the original budget of €3 billion. That cost blowout forced its developer, the […]
