Posted on 07/25/2013 10:31:27 PM PDT by informavoracious
MIAMI — Part of the Opa-locka Executive Airport in South Florida had to be temporarily evacuated after a 55-gallon drum containing depleted uranium aircraft parts was found.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue spokesman Arnold Piedrahita Jr. reports that the unsealed drum was found Thursday near a dismantled plane at the airport. A hazmat team from Miami International Airport went to the site, but only minimal levels of radiation were detected.
Officials initially cleared a 150-foot perimeter around the drum, but that circle was later reduced to 5 feet.
Airport spokesman Marc Henderson said no flights were disrupted and the airport never closed.
(Excerpt) Read more at ocala.com ...
This ranks as at least stupidest item of the month at least. DU weights/parts are used in aircraft. Freakin’ idiots...
Dang. I knew I left that thing somewhere...
What part of the word ‘depleted’ don’t people understand? DEPLETED - as in depleted of its radioactive isotopes and therefore NON-RADIOACTIVE. It’s not nuclear physics, people. Actually, I guess it is. :=)
Used to fly into Opa Locka all the time, and one thing that was remarkable about the airport was that it was a dump, with aircraft carcasses strewn about all over the place. Always concerned that I'd be able to get in to Miami, but would have a bit of trouble leaving, as I'd come to leave and find my transportation in a similar carcass state. It was always a relief to get there and find my property survived one more risky adventure.
Not to mention it is used for making bullets for 20 MM and larger(not sure if it is used for other calibers or not, someone on FR must know).
Talk about Heavy Metal LOL
Someone tell that Zimmermann Juror that WORDS HAVE MEANING.
I’m fairly certain that it’s also used for the 30mm in the A-10’s Gatling gun. It may be used in some M1A1 tank rounds as well.
Dats what dey do.
Luv it.
It is radioactive but not so anyone would notice.
U238 is an Alpha particle emitter; the radiation could be shield with a sheet of paper. Pretty harmless unless you breathe it, eat it or get it in your eye.
It is a heavy metal so it is pretty poisonous. But if these are solid parts none of those dangers exist and the parts are contained in a drum so even an alpha particle is not going to bump in to anyone.
This was a pretty ridiculous fire drill however. Depleted Uranium used to be easily available in just about any arts and crafts store as a paint pigment. But we do now live in a nanny state where the sheeple must be protected from themselves.
Depleted of fissionable material, having been separated out as fuel grade or weapons grade U-235, but U-238 is still mildly radioactive. It’s nothing to panic over, however. Liberals instead complain about its toxicity when used as bullets. Excuse me nice liberals, but they’re bullets. They’re not supposed to be healthy.
Should I have it pulled? I thought it was funny. I guess not.
The story is funny because it shows the stupidity of those causing it. They hear the word “uranium” or “radiation” and automatically freak out. Like lab rats trained to react to certain stimuli. The line between dangerous and harmless depends on how you’re exposed to it.
“U238 is an Alpha particle emitter; the radiation could be shield with a sheet of paper. Pretty harmless unless you breathe it, eat it or get it in your eye.
It is a heavy metal so it is pretty poisonous. But if these are solid parts none of those dangers exist and the parts are contained in a drum so even an alpha particle is not going to bump in to anyone.”
Uranium burns relatively easily for a metal, and disperses in the air as uranium oxide. That is why some airlines are changing over to other ballast weights. While depleted uranium from enrichment programs contain little U-235, the depleted uranium from reactor cores can contain much more and , in addition, other, more dangerous elements, such as plutonium.
It depends on how much radiation your exposed to, and if you eat it, or you are exposed to it.
Depleted Uranium from reactor cores would not be found in a drum at an airport or anywhere else other than a Reactor Fuel reprocessing plant or a nuclear waste facility.
You are correct in stating that the depleted Uranium from spent fuel would be mixed with the fission daughter nuclides of U235 and Pu239. This mixture would be radioactive enough that if in this drum would kill anyone with in that 150 foot radius in a few seconds.
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