Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-02-23


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radiation rising from the peace
full development Of atomic energy
may far outstrip that from cur
rent exposure due to weapons
testing or that necessary for med
ical and dental diagnosis.
More and more it is becoming
apparent that nobody knows what
the permissible levels Of exposure
to radiation really are.
Scores Of institutions and study
groups are going after solutions
by research into: Radiation effects
on the body; medical methods Of
combating radiation; guarding
against radioactive environment;
disposal of radioactive wastes;
methods Of detection and measure
ment; effects Of radiation on plant
and animal life. ocean conditions
and marine biology and on genetic
inheritance.
The Accident Hozord
Many experts, however. are
convinced that merely learning
the true effects of radiation, the
time required for them to become
apparent, and devising improved
methods of coping with them will
not solve the whole problem.
They point out that accidents
can happen and do. A serious nu-
clear burnup. or plant runaway.
occurred at Chalk River. Ontario.
in 1852. Cleaning up that atomic
mess has been likened to a goth
century version of cleaning the
mythical Aegean Stables. In May.
1857, at Houston, Tex, property
was contaminated and workmen
injured at the N. w. Kellogg Co.,
when an industrial pellet contain
ing radioactive cobalt and iridium
was accidentally broken. Six
months later a reactor accident
took place in Windscale, England,
which--Reuters reported-"show-
cred surrounding countryside with
radioactive fallout."
An Atomic Energy Commission
report in 1857 on the theoretical
possibilities of major" accidents
suggests that property damage
alone from a single "nuclear Incl
dent" might approach 81 billion.
In August, 1857, Congress passed
a law providing up to $500 million
Government indemnity for nuclear
accidents. And the insurance in
dustry has acknowledged the risks
of nuclear plant operators by re-
fusing to get involved except
through syndicates where re-
sources can be pooled-and then
only to a limited extent
A 1857 report by the Atomic In
dustrial Forum. Inc. says the haz-
ard from radioactive waste ma
terials and efforts to dispose Of
them is probably as great as the
hazard from all other sources" So
far, little radioactive waste has
been disposed Of. Virtually all the
high level waste has been
stored in special underground
tanks. But tanks don't. last for
ever; they are also subject to
leakage and earth tremor damage.
Can we bury the waste. In the
oceans? Since much Of it has a
half-life exceeding several decades,
there is still the container prob
lem. Plus the added danger that
a contaminated ocean would even
tually affect all life.
The Fusion Process
These problems derive mainly
from atomic fission, the breaking
up of nuclear fuels such as
uranium into energy and radioac-
tive by-products.
Will the evolution of H-power.
or thermonuclear, processes elimi-
nate the radiation dangers?
H-power involves the fusion, or
joining. of atoms with an accom-
panying release Of energy. Fusion
occurs only in the presence of
immense temperatures and has
not vet been produced except in
explosions triggered by atom
bombs or for tiny segments Of
time in electromagnetic labora-
tory experiments. There is enough
H-power source in the oceans,
some scientists say. to provide
our planet with all the power 1t
will need for billion years.
H-power does not produce the
radioactive wastes of atomic ifs
sion. And this, from the stand
point of both public safety and
legal control, is an extremely i'm
portant characteristic. In fact, &C