Posted on 07/09/2005 5:42:24 AM PDT by leadpenny
WHEELING - One day after bombs exploded in downtown London, a West Virginia official painted a grim picture of what might happen if a "dirty bomb" were detonated in downtown Washington, D.C.
Nearly 7 million people would head for West Virginia, said Jim Spears, state director of Military Affairs, Veterans Affairs and Public Safety. He plans to ask for $15 million in additional federal homeland security dollars this week to build a communications network for use in the event of such an emergency. Spears addressed the 87th Annual American Legion West Virginia State Convention on Friday at the Ramada Plaza City Center Hotel in Wheeling prior to the main speech given by Gov. Joe Manchin. As director of public safety, Spears oversees homeland security concerns in the Mountain State.
Spears worked in Washington prior to taking the director's job, and he told those present Friday that the No. 1 concern of homeland security officials there was that a dirty bomb might be detonated in the downtown. Such a device is actually a crude bomb that nevertheless contains radioactive agents, and even a small dirty bomb is capable of sending a radioactive plume into the air, according to Spears. Those in the immediate area would be affected.
There are 7 million people living in the Baltimore-Washington area, Spears noted, not including those who live in outlying rural areas.
"If you were one of these people home watching news of the bomb on television, would you stay home and wait for the wind to shift the radioactivity your way or would you try to leave the area?" he asked.
Spears speculated most would try to flee the Baltimore-Washington area, creating major gridlock on the highways.
The cars likely would head toward exits in West Virginia, and the state of 1.8 million residents would be absorbing 7 million visitors.
"They would be entering in some of the roughest areas of our state," he pointed out. "There would be widespread panic. There would be a shortage of medical supplies, water, decontamination sites and fuel for those who want to move on further."
Washington homeland security officials term the idea of a dirty bomb there "a highly possible scenario," Spears said.
"We don't know when or where terrorist attacks will occur, but we are sure there will be continued attacks," he added. "We are just trying to think ahead and about stockpiling supplies that can be brought out at the right moments to stop a panic.
"This week I will go to Washington to ask for $15 million to build a communications network in the state. This would enable us to put the right people in the right place at the right time if a large number of people from out of state start to come in."
West Virginia is a homeland security target for other reasons, according to Spears. There are 109 chemical facilities in the state.
This site used to let you map your odds of survival but it seems to be disabled now.
http://www.nuclearterror.org/blastmaps.html
They would be welcome to camp in our lower field. There are trees for them to pitch their tents under, and plenty of rabbits for the stew pot.
Now...saying that, they should not presume they can tell me not to show up carrying a Glock 17 and cradling my Remington 870 tactical shotgun.
All of you are forgetting radiation hormesis: it has been repeatedly proven that 10,000 mrem a year would make us healthier and we'd live longer.
I would never evacuate. The risks are MUCH higher on the roads than closing windows, reducing air intake and waiting for the stupid little cloud of rad gas to dissipate. The fear-driven maniacs on the highways are guaranteed to kill more than if we all stayed put. Of course 30 years of mind-numbing propaganda by media and most textbooks has thoroughly mis-taught millions of Americans. As a result they will die needlessly in traffic jams.
Hormesis proof:
Is Chronic Radiation an Effective Prophylaxis Against Cancer?
at
http://www.jpands.org/jpands0901.htm
Afraid of Radiation? Low Doses are Good for You
http://www.lewrockwell.com/miller/miller12.html
And here's another reason to NOT evacuate after a dirty bomb.
Hurricane Dennis comments by Neil Boortz (11Jul05):
Many reporters asked residents why they didn't evacuate. There's one unspoken reason many of them didn't voice. If they left government bureaucrats would make it all but impossible for them to return. Today there will be thousands of people who want to get back to their homes, check for damage and start the recovery process. The government won't let them. Next time they'll just stay.
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