Editorial: Another legacy of atomic age

Friday, Jan. 14, 2000 | 9:27 a.m.

Common sense finally has won out in a controversial plan that would have allowed the sale of thousands of tons of radioactive scrap nickel, which critics say could have ended up in a wide range of products: orthodontic braces, eyeglass frames, zippers, baby carriages, toys and eating utensils. On Wednesday U.S. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson blocked the sale until more is known about the risks posed by radioactive metals, which were left over from the production of nuclear weapons. Richardson's suspension of the sale came after concerns were raised by nuclear watchdog groups and Democratic congressmen.

What's terrifying is that the sale almost happened at all. In 1997 the U.S. Department of Energy and the state of Tennessee had agreed to let British Nuclear Fuel, which is cleaning up a former uranium enrichment plant in Oak Ridge, Tenn., sell the plant's 6,000 tons of radioactive nickel as scrap to private buyers. The sale was expected to fetch as much as $41 million sometime later this year. While dollar signs were flashing before everyone's eyes, no one had determined whether in fact this type of radioactive metal was safe for the public.

While three House Democrats and public interest groups led the opposition, they were joined by businesses who could have purchased the radioactive metal. As the New York Times reported, even scrap dealers and steel industry executives were dumbfounded by the plan. "It would hurt our workers and our facilities, if it isn't in fact safe, and the people won't ever believe it's safe," said Thomas Sneeringer, senior vice president of the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Complicating matters has been the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's reluctance to intervene, since the commission didn't believe it had the power to regulate the sale of these radioactive metals, a position that angered the congressmen. The outcry over the lack of public input and any scientific determination regarding safety finally prompted Richardson to intervene. In addition to halting the sale, Richardson called on the NRC to develop national standards for these contaminated metals.

Although this was the right decision by Richardson, it's amazing that the DOE had agreed to the sale two years ago. The DOE's track record in nuclear matters -- whether it's the agency's botched efforts to clean up its former weapons production sites or its dangerous plans to bury high-level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain -- hardly has been inspiring. It shouldn't be too surprising, then, that there will be skepticism if the DOE ultimately claims the radioactive metal is safe. One of those skeptics is Wenonah Hauter, director of the Public Citizen Critical Mass Energy Project, who voiced her doubts to an Associated Press reporter. "Even if you believe that metal contaminated on the surface by radioactive isotopes can be adequately cleaned, and we believe it can't, who would possibly believe DOE can competently carry out a radioactive recycling program ?" Indeed.