On March 11, 2005, a California industrial radiography licensee notified the state that two of its employees may have incurred an occupational overexposure. The licensee reported that two radiographers were conducting radiographic operations at a refinery located in Carson, CA using an Industrial Nuclear Corporation Model IR 100 exposure device. The device contained an iridium-192 sealed source with an activity of approximately 3.3 terabecquerels (90 Curies). The licensee reported that subsequent to performing several radiographic exposures (approximately 10), the radiographer approached the camera without any survey instrumentation and disconnected the guide tube. After disconnecting the guide tube, it became apparent to the radiographer and his assistant that there was a problem because their survey instruments were reading off-scale. Additionally, the radiography crew checked their pocket reading dosimeters and observed they were reading off-scale. The radiographer used pliers to successfully retract the source into the shielded position. On March 17, 2005, the State of California provided the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) with updated dosimetry results that revealed that the radiographer and his assistant received a whole body dose of 16 millisievert (1.6 rem) and 27 millisievert (2.7 rem) respectively. Additionally, dose reconstruction results indicated that the radiographer received a shallow dose equivalent of 550 millisievert (55 rem) to the hands, a dose in excess of the NRC’s applicable limit of 500 millisievert (50 rem). There were no reported physical abnormalities related to the exposure. The radiographic device was sent to the manufacturer for evaluation and repair.
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 […]
