Low-Level Radioactive Waste Dumped In Local Landfills
State Claims Radioactive Material Is Safe
POSTED: 2:11 pm PST November 4,
2002
UPDATED: 3:35 pm PST November 4,
2002
SAN DIEGO -- Low-level radioactive material is being dumped in San Diego landfills, and some of it may be in your home, 10News has reported.
Most Californians believe that any radioactivity is dangerous, but the state of California apparently has other ideas.Officials say low-level waste is so safe that it doesn't need to be stored in an expensive licensed facility, and it can be dumped into landfills or, if it's metal, recycled into your home.
X-ray technician Bria Russman uses lead shields to prevent radioactive exposure."It can cause cancers ... and genetic mutations in children," Russman said of radiation.A recent federal government report said that the amount of radiation in just 2.5 chest X-rays per year is enough to give one person in 1,000 a fatal case of cancer, 10News reported. But the California Health Services Department said recently that such a small amount of radiation is safe.Safe enough, in fact, to allow low-level radioactive waste into landfills and metal recyclers and school yards, 10News reported.
Dan Hersch (pictured, right), a lobbyist for the Committee To Bridge The Gap, an anti nuclear organization, rails against the state health services department, and the industry that's creating the waste."That staggers me. How can someone sleep at night saying it's acceptable in order to save money? That one in a 1,000 innocent people should die?" Hersch said."I just think people would be outraged if they learned the department of health services says, 'It's OK for your kids to be exposed to low-level radiation,'" he added.Hersch told 10News, however, that low-level waste in schools has already happened. In 1994, the San Onofre nuclear power plant took 10 cubic meters of dirt contaminated with radioactive cobalt 60 and cesium 134, and sent it to be buried in the San Marcos Landfill.In another case, a scrap metal recycling plant in San Pedro got tons of radioactive waste from a site in Ventura County that was involved in building nuclear weapons, 10News reported.The sign on the recycling plant's gate shows that radioactive waste is prohibited, but a Los Angeles Times investigation found that radioactive waste could be taken to the plant and the operators would never know.Shortly after the Times' December 2001 report, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Energy, calling it a scandal. And Los Angeles' state senator authored a bill to stop it.But six weeks ago, Gov. Gray Davis vetoed the bill, issuing instead a temporary stop on low-level waste in public landfills. And he put the regional water quality control boards in charge of enforcement, 10News reported.
But San Diego's water quality control board Executive Director John Robertus (pictured, left) told 10News that it's up to industry to regulate itself. And he said one of his own board members is working for the "other side.""I don't have the capability to regulate radioactive discharges," he said.He went on to explain that board member Terry Ghio is a lobbyist for the industry her board has been charged with stopping.Recently, 10News caught up with Ghio as she lobbied against the bill that would have prevented the dumping. Time and again, she told lawmakers the ban on radioactive waste is a bad law.
Ghio (pictured, right) refused to speak with 10News on camera. But Robertus said that if the issue comes to a vote, he'll be talking with Ghio about possible conflicts of interest.Meanwhile, concern over low-level waste generates high-level anxiety.In City Heights, strontium 90 was found in an abandoned dump last year. Since then, resident Patrick Lillo said three of his neighbors have moved out.He said he doesn't want any extra radiation, even if the state says it's safe. He said he doesn't trust that he won't be that one in 1,000."I'd rather be safe than sorry," Lillo said.10News has asked the state for a list of companies generating low-level waste, but the department of health services refused, citing concerns about terrorism.When 10News asked where the low-level stuff was being sent, officials claimed that it was so safe that they didn't keep track.
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Dan Hersch (pictured, right), a lobbyist for the Committee To Bridge The Gap, an anti nuclear organization, rails against the state health services department, and the industry that's creating the waste."That staggers me. How can someone sleep at night saying it's acceptable in order to save money? That one in a 1,000 innocent people should die?" Hersch said."I just think people would be outraged if they learned the department of health services says, 'It's OK for your kids to be exposed to low-level radiation,'" he added.Hersch told 10News, however, that low-level waste in schools has already happened. In 1994, the San Onofre nuclear power plant took 10 cubic meters of dirt contaminated with radioactive cobalt 60 and cesium 134, and sent it to be buried in the San Marcos Landfill.In another case, a scrap metal recycling plant in San Pedro got tons of radioactive waste from a site in Ventura County that was involved in building nuclear weapons, 10News reported.The sign on the recycling plant's gate shows that radioactive waste is prohibited, but a Los Angeles Times investigation found that radioactive waste could be taken to the plant and the operators would never know.Shortly after the Times' December 2001 report, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Energy, calling it a scandal. And Los Angeles' state senator authored a bill to stop it.But six weeks ago, Gov. Gray Davis vetoed the bill, issuing instead a temporary stop on low-level waste in public landfills. And he put the regional water quality control boards in charge of enforcement, 10News reported.But San Diego's water quality control board Executive Director John Robertus (pictured, left) told 10News that it's up to industry to regulate itself. And he said one of his own board members is working for the "other side.""I don't have the capability to regulate radioactive discharges," he said.He went on to explain that board member Terry Ghio is a lobbyist for the industry her board has been charged with stopping.Recently, 10News caught up with Ghio as she lobbied against the bill that would have prevented the dumping. Time and again, she told lawmakers the ban on radioactive waste is a bad law.Ghio (pictured, right) refused to speak with 10News on camera. But Robertus said that if the issue comes to a vote, he'll be talking with Ghio about possible conflicts of interest.Meanwhile, concern over low-level waste generates high-level anxiety.In City Heights, strontium 90 was found in an abandoned dump last year. Since then, resident Patrick Lillo said three of his neighbors have moved out.He said he doesn't want any extra radiation, even if the state says it's safe. He said he doesn't trust that he won't be that one in 1,000."I'd rather be safe than sorry," Lillo said.10News has asked the state for a list of companies generating low-level waste, but the department of health services refused, citing concerns about terrorism.When 10News asked where the low-level stuff was being sent, officials claimed that it was so safe that they didn't keep track.Copyright 2007 by 10News.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
