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From: mwg@petrus.UUCP (Mark Garrett)
Newsgroups: net.physics,net.sci
Subject: Re: effects of pollution
Message-ID: <281@petrus.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 20-Aug-86 13:55:01 EDT
Article-I.D.: petrus.281
Posted: Wed Aug 20 13:55:01 1986
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++
> >> The effects
> >> of a nuclear accident, either reactor failure or waste spill is
> >> localized. It is very bad for those close to it, but has almost no
> >> effect on those farther away...
> >> Joel Swank
> 
> >This is ridiculous.  Tell the northern Italians and the Welsh that waste
> >from Chernobyl was localized!!
> >-Mark
> 
> Well although the media once again went into the panic mode, when they heard
> the word nuclear, the facts speak for themselves....
> In Kiev, let alone the West Europe, the dose received in the 
> first four days was about 300 millirems, or roughly the dose 
> recieved by citizens daring to live in Colorado for a year....
> The dose received by West Germans was estimated at 
> about 25 millirems.
> Michael V. Stein

Well perhaps I should elaborate.  I checked with my "source," a friend
working in a nuclear research lab in Ispra, Italy.  That lab is
administrated by the Commission of European Communities (part of the
EEC).  I wasn't sure if the information he told me was public before,
so I didn't give any details.

Ispra is close to the Italian/Swiss boarder.  After Chernobyl they
measured radiation levels "far in excess" of normal conditions for
the area and discovered traces of radioactive iodine, cesium and other
fallout.  They are very worried and are sure that health problems
due to this contamination will become apparent in the next 10-15 years.

I also heard on the radio (the week after the accident) that a shipment
of vegetables arriving in Vancouver, Canada from northern Italy had
to be dumped because of radiation problems.

Radiation levels were unacceptably high in meat of Lambs in Italy
and Wales (although I can't remember the source for that one).
The Italians were particularly upset because they had been consuming
the meat for a few weeks before it was discovered.

Anyway my impression from talking to my friend (and visiting Ispra
in July) was that they are quite concerned and angry because a)
this accident happened in the first place, b) the soviets were
irresponsible in notifying affected populations in Europe and
c) there are not sufficient international means for controlling
such contamination and accidents.

-Mark Garrett