Uranium found at Miami-area airport; surrounding area shut down

Bradenton Herald ^ | July 25, 2013 | Unattributed

[Ben Mugged]

A 55-gallon drum of uranium was found Thursday in the area of a dismantled airplane at Opa-locka Executive Airport, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

The area has been evacuated while a hazmat team from Miami International Airport assess the situation as well as a possible spill.

Teams are “monitoring levels of radiation,” fire-rescue spokesman Arnold Piedrahita said Thursday afternoon on Twitter. So far, “minimum” levels have been detected, he said.

[Ben Mugged]

Calling Homeland Security. Ever heard of a "dirty bomb"?

[BenLurkin]

55 gallons of uranium?

Is that worth...what...about $50,000,000?

[Ben Mugged]

I don’t know much about Uranium but I do know 55 gallons of it is a lot.

[Southack]

Trivial if yellowcake. Non trivial if enriched.

[Repeal The 17th]

Lots of strange goings-on have happened at Opalocka Airport over the years.
CIA used to operate out of there back in the 80’s.
(shhhhh don’t tell anybody)

[KC Burke]

As I recall that air-field is almost dormant. Used to be fairly active for small stuff twenty-five years back.

[Ben Mugged]

What’s Uranium in any form doing at a small airport? Even if it is yellow cake?

[BenLurkin]

I bet it’s more like a 1/4 teaspoon sized amount at the bottom of an old barrel.

Which is still more than I would want to have in the same room with me — but certainly not 55 gallons....

[molson209]

From one nation to another ,signed ,The Ayatollah

[GraceG]

You can buy uranium at Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BRIMXPY

[Repeal The 17th]

Dear NSA:
Should I expect a knock at my door?
Please, don’t bother.
Just something I heard from a guy that heard it from a guy that heard it from some other guy.
“I know nothink, nothink...” </Sgt. Shultz voice>

[null and void]

When I was in Jr Hi, we could get a couple pounds of uranium dioxide just for asking. It was a frequent sight at science fairs...

[Ben Mugged]

Now they are calling it "Depleted Uranium".

Depleted uranium (DU; also referred to in the past as Q-metal, depletalloy or D-38) is uranium with a lower content of the fissile isotope U-235 than natural uranium.[2] (Natural uranium is about 99.27% U-238, 0.72% U-235—the fissile isotope, and 0.0055% U-234). Uses of DU take advantage of its very high density of 19.1 g/cm3 (68.4% denser than lead). Civilian uses include counterweights in aircraft, radiation shielding in medical radiation therapy and industrial radiography equipment and containers used to transport radioactive materials. Military uses include defensive armor plating and armor-piercing projectiles.

[BenLurkin]

Heck. My folks didn’t trust me to handle chemistry set.

[Doogle]

...so many open questions, I’m sure Odungo will have ALL the answers...since they probably went over them last week...

just saying

[null and void]

Mine shouldn’t have...

[KrisKrinkle]

Wouldn’t a 55 gallon drum of enriched or depleted uranium be kind of ... heavy?

[Moonman62]

As I recall that air-field is almost dormant. Used to be fairly active for small stuff twenty-five years back.

It's still active. Coast Guard, lots of private jets and light aircraft.

[okie01]

Military uses include defensive armor plating and armor-piercing projectiles.

As in the A-10's 30mm anti-tank rounds....

[hoosiermama]

What the ?!!!!?!!?