On August 3, 2004, a licensee notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) an individual’s June film badge had a deep dose reading of 1.2 Sv (121 rem), potentially indicating an exposure in excess of NRC’s regulatory limit of 50 mSv (5 rem) total effective dose equivalent (whole body).
The badge was imaged to determine whether the dose was static or dynamic, but the results were inconclusive. The individual’s self-reading pocket dosimeter, which was worn in the same location as his whole-body dosimeter, only collected 90 uSv (9 mrem) during the month of June 2004. The licensee’s consultant stated that the individual did not exhibit any symptoms of overexposure. The individual is a manager and was in the field for only three days in June 2004, and was not present during any abnormal occurrences. Co-workers that were in the field with the individual did not have any abnormal results when their badges were processed. The individual was sent for blood cell analysis to assist in validating the dosimeter results. The blood cell analysis results were normal. The licensee also arranged for the individual’s blood to be drawn for cytogenetic testing. Results revealed that no aberrations were noted that would indicate an exposure to radiation greater than background. It is believed that there may have been an error in dosimetry processing.
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 […]
