[Southack]

This is a non-story.

Clay is radioactive. Some kitchen tiles from Mexico will peg your geiger counter.

Oil companies drill down through clay to reach oil.

They lay pipe through this clay to pump the oil through.

This pipe becomes tainted with radiation that would get regulators to close most American nuclear facilities (only because the radioactivity of a normal, healthy banana peel would likewise get a nuke plant closed).

Whoa. Oil company gets some old pipe stolen. Yeah, it's radioactive, but not dangerous to human health, and certainly not "weapons grade".

Unless some major details are missing from the report above, this is a non-issue.

[freeperfromnj]

This is a non-story.

Tell it to the AP. I don't feel comfortable with radioactive material of any type, in the hands of possible operatives in that part of the world.

[error99]

I do not know anything about a one curie source that got lost down a test well. At least that is what my supervisor told me to say if anyone ever asked about it (back in the 70's)...

[MHGinTN]

Well and truly stated. But, look at the source, AP ... Anti-american Pukes.

[AdamSelene235]

I deliberately have increased my gamma dose to 20 X the background. Great for auto-immune disorders such as asthma.

[Dog Gone]

That's correct. Oil companies have to take precautions with the material, but only because of an abundance of caution. It's not going to hurt anyone.

[browardchad]

This AP story from Tuesday speculates that the material is cesium-137. Nigeria has no known nuclear program and no known uranium. No info on the quantity or the exact time frame it “disappeared.”

I can’t help wondering if this (the possibility of a dirty bomb) is intentionally designed to scare us into holding off on Iraq – a bit much of a coincidence: think North Korea, and Iran's casual tip-off that it just happens to be mining fissionable ore.