PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

August 2, 2001

Contact: Harry Williams (865-661-9550)

Janet Michel (865-966-5918)

Coalition for a Healthy Environment questions DOE's trustworthiness with

radioactive metal reuse and objects to any unrestricted release of the metals

The Coalition for a Healthy Environment (CHE) wishes to remind everyone

that DOE admitted putting workers in harm's way, not protecting them, and

lying to them. Now DOE asks you to believe that they are trustworthy

enough to allow them to follow the rules and regulations and release into

commerce radioactive scrap metals without harming anyone.

Is what was good for DOE workers now good enough for the public?

DOE and its contractors have shown many times they disregard the rules of

operations from health and safety to contracting and following

environmental regulations.

DOE would prefer us to debate the finer points of levels of radioactivity.

The most important point is that DOE, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and

their contractors must be able to show consistent ability to act lawfully,

competently, and openly in matters that expose the public to unlabelled and

unrestricted reuse of radioactive contaminated metals. So far, they have not.

CHE believes that no radioactively contaminated metal should be released

into commerce for unrestricted reuse without provisions for 100%

verification of the released metals and labeling and recall of the released

materials.

However, DOE's Inspector General confirmed that the public cannot rely on

the integrity of verification procedures. DOE cannot ensure that recycling

will not increase public risk. In addition, independent verification will

not be reliable either for protecting the public.

CHE knows from first hand experience of its members that there were and are

many problems with dosimetry. Items of office furniture that have been

released at auction that were later found to be contaminated. The public

should be reminded of the Atomic City Auto Parts and the contaminated

Witherspoon site in Vestal (south Knoxville). And now we are expected to

trust that these examples will never happen again?

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