The blind leading the stupid

If you need to, read my post Depleted Uranium... One step forward, Two steps back so that when you read this article, you can have yourself a good laugh... then cry.

Just to catch you up real quick, Sequoyah Fuels in Oklahoma was to remove 1.5 million pounds (750 tons) of DU to be stored at a former atomic-bomb test site in Nevada, when all of a sudden a leak was discovered.

"... the breach occurred because the drums have been exposed to the elements for the past 13 or 14 years."

After extensive online research, I have discovered Sequoyah Fuels "Safety" Checklist to include, AND limited, to the following...

1. Store DU in 55 gallon drums... CHECK
2. Seal drums... CHECK
3. Stack drums... CHECK
4. Store stacked drums in steel container... CHECK
5. Seal steel container... CHECK

Lessons Learned: In future maneuvers, insert new step 1...

1. Ensure 55 gallon drums that have been exposed to the elements for the past 13-14 years DON'T FUCKING LEAK!

"Officials say it will take another two weeks before removal of the 95,000 tons of radioactive waste remaining at the site can resume."

Not to belabor the issue of stupidity and the amateur hour that is the Associated Press, but there are 2000 pounds in one ton, but of course that was like, third grade science, so it's hard to remember. But then there is the trouble with math, and all of those zeroes can get really, REALLY confusing. And who wants to do Long Division?! Thank the LORD for Google Calculator!

Considering the fact that there are five containers remaining, that would mean that each container weighs 19,000 tons = 38 Million pounds! A Class IV Gross trailer weight rating is rated to 10,000 lbs (5 tons).

Basically it's a typo, but still something we can poke fun at and do absurd math tricks with until our calculator button pushing fingers turn blue, but all we really need to do is to change 'tons' to 'pounds' and we still have a little problem. 95,000 pounds to go, until everyone in OK is a-ok... (far from it). Ok, a little more math here (and one more okay... Okliedokliedoo),



That means they transported 1.405 millions pounds out of 1.5 million pounds to Nevada before they figured out that they were leaking? So, if you're travelling down Highway 40 jamming to a little Corey Hart, and you find the road well lit by a creepy green light, don't start turning you're lights on and off proclaiming, "Look ma, no hands!" Not only is it dangerous, but it makes the DU mad.

I'm not proud about the accuracy by which I can point out the failures of depleted uranium maneuvers, but ever since my Atari joystick broke I have had no other means by which to gauge the successes in my life.

Now back to that whole War-with-Iran thing leading up to World War III for which I will score mega points! Hooray for me :(

Depleted Uranium... One step forward, Two steps back

It seems the Army is concerned about depleted uranium affecting their own soldiers who handle the munitions, so they are developing a less lethal way to kill people. Hooray for nano-ammo?

"Department of Energy officials say the use of depleted uranium in projectiles has caused concern among soldiers storing and using the material." Not to mention the fact that it is killing innocent Iraqi civilians and children, laying waste to their immune systems, ecosystems, and perpetuating birth defects for generations to come. But hey, our soldiers are concerned, so maybe we should think of alternatives.

"So scientists at the government`s Ames Laboratory at Ames, Iowa, created a nanocomposite of tungsten and metallic glass -- both of which are environmentally safe materials that work even better than depleted uranium." Yeah!!! They kill people even better! ...and environmentally friendly to boot. I can see it now - a new slogan, "Organic bombs, not hugs!" for a newer, greener generation of war criminals, I mean Republicans - no Democrats... oh fuck it... Americans. It's a good feeling being on the side of the guys with the guns. Makes me feel all safe and warm inside.

But wait, that's not all... In other make-depleted-uranium-go-away news, it seems that Sequoyah Fuels in Oklahoma is prepping for the removal of a 1.5 million pounds (750 tons) of DU to be stored deep within, uhm, sealed 55 gallon drums. But not to worry, because those 55 gallon drums will be stacked on top of each other for maximum safety. Not only will they be stacked, but those very same 55-gallon drums will be stored deep within, uhm, a much larger steel container! No worries - it will be welded AND sealed... Hooray!! Our depleted uranium woes are no longer!!! Yes indeed, no sense worrying about DU anymore. Why, I'll just go ahead and unsubscribe from my "Depleted Uranium" Google Alerts and then on to bigger and better news stories... like butterflies... and other, uhm, things.

What's that you say? Where will they store those welded AND sealed steel containers full of stacked 55-gallon drums of bright green depleted uranium? Hmmm, where has all of this been leading? Perhaps they will be stored deep within the EARTH? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH... HAHAHA... uhm, no. Nevada... stoopid!

Although the article actually says it will be buried in Nevada, I believe that "buried" is simply a euphemism for "put San Francisco at risk of breathing in DU aerosols from DU weapons testing causing severe health problems, from cancers to diabetes, asthma, birth defects, organ damage, heart failure and auto-immune system diseases." But that's kind of reading a lot into one little word... or is it?

It seems that a lab outside of SF is going to be stepping up their DU weapons testing.

"Livermore National Laboratory has been testing radioactive devices – exploding depleted uranium and tritium into the open air – just 50 miles east of San Francisco since 1961. And now the lab has a permit to raise the amount of radioactive material they detonate yearly from 1,000 to 8,000 pounds."

So maybe it's all speculation, since 8000 lbs is a far cry from 1M, but still, we are about to launch a nuclear war against Iran (hence "testing"), don't want this nasty stuff on our own soil (hence packaging for transportation), can surely turn a profit selling it to Israel (aka "in bed with")...