Exposure

[boiler]

:surprise:

Thanks Bruce Power.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/767541--workers-face-long-wait-for-results-of-radioactive-exposure

I`m a tough fucker and can put up with a lot of corporate bull shit but I`ve about had it. The numbers that are being made public for possible exposures are imo, being greatly under estimated. I`m fucking mad. I have the whole code of conduct thing I signed, so I don`t want to talk a whole lot about it, but I`m quitting very soon and then they can go fuck themselves.

[bONES]

I take it you are one of the 195 workers exposed BR?

Shitty deal

I wish you the best.

bONES

[boiler]

actually, I`m not on that list but I certainly was involved in the work. Should I be on the list, Probably. I really have to be careful, I trust nobody right now.

Edited February 19, 2010 by Guest

[boiler]

That project is set up to fail. They brought the same American that got run out of Pickering for fucking that place up during, it`s last restart, to run that project at the Bruce. He has it even more fucked up than he did there. Mark my words, it was union busting since day one. Man I could go on and on, and some day I might, but not now.

Bruce Power has failed us in a big way.

I`ve always lived with the philosophy that wheather or not I agreed or disagreed with the Nuclear Industry, especially rebuilds, that they needed people like me there that would work hard and be responsible. I feel a real responsibilty to the public when I go to work to make sure the job gets done right. Well let me tell you these guys don`t give a fuck about me or what I think. It`s all about the money.

Edited February 19, 2010 by Guest

[Davey Boy 2.0]

facksakes, BR

Can you get tested somewhere not associated with the co.?

best of luck

[boiler]

facksakes, BR

Can you get tested somewhere not associated with the co.?

best of luck

no

[Asparagus]

Did they not assign TL dosimeters to the workers at the plant? I'm curious as to why Health Canada wasn't involved in the monitoring.

[phishtaper]

My Dad worked in the uranium mine in Port Radium, NWT when he was young. He died of myelodysplasic leukemia five years ago, brought about by exposure to radiation fifty years earlier. A couple of federal studies that I located indicated that many of the workers there subsequently died of the same radiation-related blood cancers. And many local residents, who didn't even work in the mines, have also died of radiation-related cancers. It's crazy shit.

[boiler]

We wear dosimetry, but not for the type of radiation that people were exposed to. In the news releases that have been coming out, they claim the dose rate aren`t enough to cause radiation poison, which would be an immediate effect. Gamma radiation passes through you and they can easily determine what dose rates they assign to you. Alpha radiation does not have the power to penetrate a piece of paper. However if it is ingested or breathed in, it stays in your body and attaches itself to your organs or just bounces around in you like a pinball. It has a 50 year biological half life. Which means the long term effects are far more dangerous than the immediate effects, imo. Bruce Power did not set their radiation protection procedures up to adequately protect against alpha, meaning respitory protection was often not required. It should have been. They are doing the same work in New Brunswick and at no time there were workers allowed to enter the vault without respitory protection. Bruce Power did not have the same requirements.

Edited February 19, 2010 by Guest

[edger]

This is scary. Wishing you all the comfort you can muster at this time. If you truly are interested in getting your story out now (or later) in an anonymous way I may know who to put you in contact with. But regardless of all that take care of yourself.

[Kanada Kev]

BR, this is crazy. Hoping for a safe and happy outcome to this for you and all involved.

As edger says, there are ways of getting your story out. Feel free to contact me. I have a few contacts here at the CBC who should be interested in hearing about this.

[boiler]

I still work there...right now. Tomorrow may be another story. I put most of my eggs into the Bruce Power basket so I'm very worried right now about the decisions I have to make. Being a whistle blower is not an option right now. I've already said more than I wanted to.

[boiler]

I just got the word from my union hall supporting me if I quit. Monday I'm going in and asking for a lay-off, if they say no, I quit. My hall says I can have my choice with work. I'll likely have a job by Monday afternoon. What a relief.

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

Very glad to hear things are settling more or less within the bounds of reason. All the more glad to hear you're not putting up with the fuckery and obfuscation.

[boiler]

Done deal. They wouldn't lay me off though, I had to quit. Just one last show of appreciation and graciousness.

Here's a little info on Radiation and how it affects you.

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2010/02/18/f-radiation-sickness-symptoms.html

You never know who to believe sometimes. It's hard to get to the middle ground, which is pretty much where you would need to be to get the real truth. Time will only tell what the outcome of all this will be.

On a side note, I learned about this little baby today, The Bloom Box. A fuel cell that can power your home, sans hydrogen. Pretty neat. Perhaps steam generated electricity is going to be a thing of the past and these nukes won't be needed. Not likely in this lifetime but maybe.

[SaggyBalls]

I found out about the bloombox last night too, BR!

It's only a matter of time before we don't need big energy.

Likely in this lifetime.

[boiler]

I don't know, they're building nuclear plants all over the damn place, something like 100 planned for China alone. India will likely build a bunch, Romania, USA, France, Canada. They don't sink the billions upon billions of $$$$$ into these places to allow upstart technologies usurp them within five years of operation. There is a whole world wide sub economy developing around nuclear power. It's fucking scary.

[nibbler]

There's someone you can trust, and I can help to put you two in touch if you like:

Dr. Helen Caldicott

[nibbler]

I found out about the bloombox last night too, BR!

It's only a matter of time before we don't need big energy.

Likely in this lifetime.

I find the timing of it to be eyebrow raising... this technology was presented mainstream in the fall of 2001...

[nibbler]

My Dad worked in the uranium mine in Port Radium, NWT when he was young. He died of myelodysplasic leukemia five years ago, brought about by exposure to radiation fifty years earlier. A couple of federal studies that I located indicated that many of the workers there subsequently died of the same radiation-related blood cancers. And many local residents, who didn't even work in the mines, have also died of radiation-related cancers. It's crazy shit.

I'm sorry to hear about your Dad's cancer ordeal. Can you get said Federal Studies into my hands or email by any chance?

[phishtaper]

thanks, nibbler. i will have a look around for them. i only had paper copies of documents I requested and i have moved offices a couple of times since, but they should be in a box or cabinet somewhere.

[nibbler]

I have my fingers crossed in hopes you still have 'em.

Not that I personally doubt the connection, but I had always thought the 'official line' about Port Radium NWT was: insufficient data to discern a link between the mine work and the cancers?

Just in case anybody here is interested in understanding why the Canadian Government at all levels denies the health risks connected to Nuclear Energy, consider this!

Edited February 25, 2010 by Guest

[boiler]

actually, I`m not on that list but I certainly was involved in the work. Should I be on the list, Probably. I really have to be careful, I trust nobody right now.

Boy was I wrong, I'm on the list alright, in a big way.

[phorbesie]

Hoping for clean test results for you BR. So sorry to hear about this.

[timouse]

Hoping for clean test results for you BR. So sorry to hear about this.

what she said.