10 Good Reasons to Fight the Proposed Food Irradiator

1.       Cobalt-60 (Co-60) is an intense source of nuclear radiation. Gray*Star's supplier in Canada (MDS Nordion) would ship it to Milford Township, Pennsylvania via rail or truck.

2.      Cobalt-60 releases strong gamma radiation, an electromagnetic wave similar to light but much more penetrating, and potentially damaging to life. It easily passes through packaging (or clothing) and hundreds of pounds of meat.

3.      According to documentation presented by Gray*Star to the NRC as part of the licensing process, a single cobalt-60 "pencil" is so active it is quite literally hot when new. In a "worst case scenario" the 30 or more such pencils within the irradiator might reach a surface temperature as high as 330 Celsius (or 626 Fahrenheit). Such conditions are unlikely -- but possible in the event of a power outage and obstruction of ventilation ducts in the plant.

4.      A single "pencil" releases several billion times the ordinary "background" exposure in Pennsylvania, even for those who have radon in their basements.

5.      Cobalt-60 is strongly desired by terrorists to build "dirty" radiological bombs. Co-60 has a half-life of 5.27 years. (This means that, after 5.27 years, it releases 1/2 as much radiation as it did when first measured.) Radiation sources are generally considered "safe" after about 10 half-lives, so Co-60 lasts in the environment for decades, "denying use" of an area to the human population for that time if spread by a high-explosive blast (e.g., dynamite).

6.      The words of the application made by CFC to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, dated February 19, 2003, acknowledge the risk of terrorist activity: Due to heightened awareness of security issues since September 11, 2001, the Applicant has taken extra measures to supplement existing security for the facility. The Applicant requests that this information be withheld from public disclosure. The public disclosure of this information might be used to endanger the facility and personnel. A person or persons intent on doing harm might be able to subvert the detailed security measures if they are provided this detailed information.

7.      According to the Federation of American Scientists, a bomb constructed with just one radioactive "pencil" of cobalt-60 could make New York City uninhabitable for decades and contaminate large parts of the surrounding tri-state region. Most of Manhattan could be as contaminated as the area around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. There would be enormous economic and psychological damage, in addition to long-term health risks, including cancer.

8.      Unlike large nuclear power plants, irradiation facilities tend to be small. They typically lack well-trained and well-armed security staff. This renders them especially vulnerable to terrorist attack. In addition, they require fresh supplies of radioactive material as aging sources grow weaker.

9.      According to CFC Logistics' permit application, local emergency responders are guaranteed only two hours of nuclear response training annually.

10.    The proposed Gray*Star Genesis irradiation unit is a prototype design untested in the marketplace. However, the irradiation industry has a demonstrated record of accidents, safety violations, fraud, and cover-ups over a period of decades.