Depleted Uranium at Opa-Locka Airport

[Bosonic]

Source: NBC Miami

A 55 gallon drum of depleted uranium was found in the area of a dismantled airplane at Opa-locka Executive Airport in Miami and hazardous materials crews were on scene.

The airport, located 14201 NW 42nd Avenue, is a reliever airport to the Miami International Airport, which offers aircraft maintenance and repair servivces. It is also the base of the U.S. Coast Guard air and sea rescue station.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue evacuated a 150-foot perimeter to assess the hazard, spokesman Arnold Piedrahita tweeted.

Officials said there were no injuries.

Read more: http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/Depleted-Uranium-Found-at-Opa-Locka-Airport-216946071.html

[TexasProgresive]

1. Stuff is harmless.

[dipsydoodle]

2. So its hazardous in Miami

but not on shell tips in Iraq ?

Depleted uranium used by US forces blamed for birth defects and cancer in Iraq .

The US military’s use of depleted uranium in Iraq has led to a sharp increase in Leukemia and birth defects in the city of Najaf – and panicked residents are fearing for their health. Cancer is now more common than the flu, a local doctor tells RT.

The city of Najaf saw one of the most severe military actions during the 2003 invasion. RT traveled to the area, quickly learning that every residential street in several neighborhoods has seen multiple cases of families whose children are ill, as well as families who have lost children, and families who have many relatives suffering from cancer.

Speaking on the rooftop of her house instead of her laboratory, Dr. Sundus Nsaif says the city has seen a “dramatic rise” in cancer and birth defects since the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. Nsaif said the alternative location was chosen because there is an active push by the government not to talk about the issue, perhaps in an effort not to embarrass coalition forces.

“After the start of the Iraq war, rates of cancer, leukemia and birth defects rose dramatically in Najaf. The areas affected by American attacks saw the biggest increases. We believe it’s because of the' illegal' weapons like depleted uranium that were used by the Americans. When you visit the hospital here you see that cancer is more common than the flu," Nsaif told RT's Lucy Kafanov.

http://rt.com/news/iraq-depleted-uranium-health-394/

[dgibby]

5. USA! #1 in exporting death and destruction

since, like, forever.

[bemildred]

3. And we spread this shit all over Iraq. nt

[Walter-White]

4. From what I understand. The US Military uses Depleted Uranium for Armor on The M1A2 Abrams.

[Igel]

7. More than that.

Also body armor.

It's used in radiation shielding and for counterweights and flywheels.

Stuff's dense, so if you want to absorb kinetic energy or store kinetic energy, it's a good choice. Since it's dense, it's also like lead in protecting against radiation, so you can line the drums used to transport radioisotopes with it. Ahem.

It's toxic, so you want to make sure it doesn't flake or get pulverized, but plating it or sheathing it does the job. DU powder or DU that's reacted and in solution as uranium ions would be bad. Can cause liver damage but it's also mutagenic for reasons of chemistry and not nuclear decay.

(I learned something today. Thought I'd share.)

[bluedeathray]

9. Also used as the penetrator

On tips of Abrams APDS ammo. Armor Piercing Discarding Sabot. Because of its density.

[ManiacJoe]

10. The body armor claim seems odd.

Got any sites for that?

[hack89]

16. DU is found on nearly every commercial aircraft

made by Boeing and MacDonald Douglas. It is use as ballast and as counterweights for control surfaces.

[truthisfreedom]

6. Hmm. I don't like Depleted Uranium. I do like DU.

[GreenStormCloud]

8. Depleted uranium's only danger is as a toxic heavy metal.

The longer the half-life of a substance, the lower the radioactivity is. DU's half-life is 4.5 BILLION years. That is a very, very, long half-life. It is an extremely stable isotope.

[madokie]

11. But when its pulverized or vaporized its some nasty shit

been shown to cause all kinds of maladies from birth defects to cancer.
I'd be pissed if I was in Iraq and having to live with this toxic material that we left them.

[GreenStormCloud]

13. Yes. Powdered DU is to be avoided, just as powdered lead is to be avoided.

Lots of otherwise harmless stuff can be nasty in powder or vapor form.

[YOHABLO]

12. Depleted Uranium? In a 55 gallon drum? Really? Why? So much for National Security!

[ManiacJoe]

14. Had to put it somewhere.

Where would you have put it?

What does national security have to do with it?

Laziness seems to be a poor reason for not following the proper disposal methods....

[hack89]

15. DU is found on many commercial aircraft

it is use for weight ballast and counterweights for control surfaces.

There is nothing unusual about finding the stuff. I am not sure about the regulations regarding how it is handled when an aircraft is dismantled.

[UglyGreed]

17. A sprinkle here

a drum there what's the big deal.......

[UglyGreed]

18. I just has a thought

maybe we can get Zimmerman to remove the barrel and fly it to the moon!

[RebelOne]

19. I lived in Opa-Locka and took flying lessons at the airport. n/t