4 ms·
radioactive material in trains? Have they not learnt anything from Broken Arrow?
by srndh 7y ago
radioactive material in trains? Have they not learnt anything from Broken Arrow?
- ggm 7y agoIt was before that. The test plutonium microgramme samples being purified by Glenn Seaborg went by train under armed guard but according to Richard Rhodes would 'wander' in the foil packaging. They talk of plutonium migrating upstream against an article even.
- Symbiote 7y agoRadioactive material is regularly transported by train in Europe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_flask https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_flask
- chris_mc 7y agoHow else do you ship it? Radioactive materials count as pretty much anything irradiated, so for a Navy nuclear plant (something they transport on trains that is radioactive) that's every pipe, valve, and metal fitting from the primary loop. You're not shipping all that by truck or plane with more security than a train, which is pretty unstoppable and it's easy to anti-air missiles and stuff to a train vs. a truck. Also, you'd need dozens of trucks or planes for one reactor decommissioning vs. one fairly compact train.
- ggm 7y agoit was a point in time. I have no problem with casks on secured trains. I've even watched the crash-test videos for amusement like everyone else. I'm talking about ancient history where they put two guys on a train with a box. This 'its the company don't ask questions' airline is much more what I would have expected, back in the day. I would have expected they detailed off a truck and some troops to do the drive. But no: they gave a suitcase to somebody and sent it on the red-eye.
- chris_mc 7y agoWell that's terrifying, I am glad they have stopped that sort of thing!