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*
PLUTONIUM AND PUBLIC HEALTII
Donaid ?. Geesamin
.
s
ee
.
Author's
Pe:
Note--June 1972.
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=4
On May 11, 1969
a major
fire
occurred at
tha large Rocky Plats
i vi
plutonium facility lo
ocated northvest of Denver, Colorado, and operated for
the AEC byJ the
:
bee
.
Dow Chemical Company;y.
J
For description
of this fire see
:
.
ALC. press releases MM-121, May 20, 1969, and M-257, November
°
15,
155 3.
185
,
Consequent to this fire E.A. Martell and 5.E. Post conducted a
oy
pilot study on the plutonium contamination of surface soils in the Racky
:
rete +
Ea
-
Wlats environs. Their results suggested an off site contamination that was
2
:
orders of magnitude larger than that which woulkl have been
expected from
.
Be
_
the measured p?lutonium releases in the air effluent of the facility.
tes
a
.
.
i
Ina letteer of January 13, 1970 to Glenn Sex200rg, then chairraan
a
of the AEC, and ina press release of February 24, 1970 by the Colorado
x
4
.
“Te
t
Lond
.
v
°
>
woummittee on Enviconrmantel Information, Mertell et al. colled attention
a Bey Hey Oe aoom ne Gene,ie
tl
.
°
.
c
.
~
.
°
~
to this anomalous contamination and expressed concern over its uncertain
7
esa?
origin
and over its significance to public healihn.
In response the AEC fixed
the probable origin of the off site contamination as wind dispersal of plutonium leaking from rusted barrels of coi:taminated cutting oil, and denied
that cuusea existed for concern over havards to public health (sce AIC
presg celensa N-S2)
Pebranry 16, 1970),
wee .
{twas my conviction that the AMO respance provide