The Nation : Ohio Plant’s Radiation Exceeds Estimate

The government has increased by one-third its estimate of how much radiation a uranium processing plant in Ohio has released into the environment. The U.S. Department of Energy said that 88,000 more pounds of uranium and 16,100 more pounds of thorium, a uranium substitute, had been released than previously estimated since the 1951 opening of the Feed Materials Production Center in Fernald. A firm estimate of emissions from the Energy Department-owned plant is needed before the start of a health study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. The government now estimates 297,000 pounds of uranium and 17,590 pounds of thorium were released. The Fernald plant has been the subject of scrutiny because of contamination problems and allegations that its radioactive and chemical discharges may have harmed people who live and work nearby.