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Radioactive Semi Load on Interstate 70 in St. Louis

Posted: Thu Apr 29, 2010 3:39 pm
by Apoptosis
Ever come across three State Troopers on the highway following/gaurding a truck carrying a radioactive load?

I did this afternoon:
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Nuclear Rods maybe from the power plant here in Missouri?? I was told by those in the know that rods wouldn't ship in a container like this, but whatever it was it looked unfriendly. I've never seen a police escort like that before nor a truck carrying a load in a tube like that before.

It was held down with 8 solid metal tie-downs too... Two on each corner with stabilizers between them... Crazy!

Re: Radioactive Semi Load on Interstate 70 in St. Louis

Posted: Thu Apr 29, 2010 4:36 pm
by hark
With plans of expanding nuclear power, I can only see this as becoming a bigger problem.

Re: Radioactive Semi Load on Interstate 70 in St. Louis

Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 12:18 am
by camaroguy1998
Wow, I find it hard to believe they would transfer any radioactive material on an open bed truck!
Must be low grade material!?!

Is that by Mid Rivers? I think I see BB in the back ground!?!

Re: Radioactive Semi Load on Interstate 70 in St. Louis

Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 8:00 am
by Illuminati
hark wrote:With plans of expanding nuclear power, I can only see this as becoming a bigger problem.
What's the problem?

Re: Radioactive Semi Load on Interstate 70 in St. Louis

Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 9:59 am
by hark
Illuminati wrote:
hark wrote:With plans of expanding nuclear power, I can only see this as becoming a bigger problem.
What's the problem?
Dealing with the radioactive material. There will be more of it so there will be more of a chance of something going wrong. Also, nuclear waste lasts a very long time and can have terrible effects on the environment.

Re: Radioactive Semi Load on Interstate 70 in St. Louis

Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 10:29 am
by Illuminati
Those radioactive transport containers are designed and tested to handle many different kinds of impact. So the chances of radioactive material getting released when it is involved in an accident is fairly low. http://ohioline.osu.edu/rer-fact/rer_41.html

As for nuclear power plants, wouldn't they be better for the environment than all the coal power plants we have now?

Re: Radioactive Semi Load on Interstate 70 in St. Louis

Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 11:46 am
by Sowser
You do have issues with waste, but not a lot of it. Modern plants don't use rods and heavy water anymore they use pebble beds with gravity feeds which limits meltdown potential to the point where it really ceases to be an issue. Nuclear power is really steam power with the nuclear material being used for a heat source and the regulations on the water that exits the plant are more stringent than for your drinking water. (though I wouldn't mind finding a three eyed fish) The big nuclear scare of the 80s was horrible for the environment in the long run because it propagated the use of coal plants.

Re: Radioactive Semi Load on Interstate 70 in St. Louis

Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 11:54 am
by Sowser
Any major hospitals up your way? It could be the radioactive isotopes they use in testing. While being very radioactive they have short half lives so while they require some security it's not like Doc can use it in his Delorian.

Re: Radioactive Semi Load on Interstate 70 in St. Louis

Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 12:06 pm
by Illuminati
Sowser wrote:Any major hospitals up your way? It could be the radioactive isotopes they use in testing. While being very radioactive they have short half lives so while they require some security it's not like Doc can use it in his Delorian.
You could very well be right about hospitals. There are a ton of major hospitals and smaller surgical branches all across STL. And this rig is heading towards the city. But would a container that big be brought directly to a hospital? I would have expected a hospital to receive smaller packages.

Re: Radioactive Semi Load on Interstate 70 in St. Louis

Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 7:13 pm
by Wavid
i heard they could recycle nuclear waste and use it again as a second, different kind of fuel. that way there is less waste and we save the environment/money.

Re: Radioactive Semi Load on Interstate 70 in St. Louis

Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 9:37 pm
by hark
Wavid wrote:i heard they could recycle nuclear waste and use it again as a second, different kind of fuel. that way there is less waste and we save the environment/money.
The problem is that there's still waste. That waste stays around for a very, very long time. It will only accumulate as more plants are built. Then we'll have another big problem on our hands.

Re: Radioactive Semi Load on Interstate 70 in St. Louis

Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 4:16 pm
by Wavid
maybe we could fly a whole ship full of it towards the Sun or something. If crashing a millions-dollar probe into the moon is worthwhile, i'm sure most people would think getting rid of a spaceship full of nuclear waste is too..

Re: Radioactive Semi Load on Interstate 70 in St. Louis

Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 7:06 am
by Apoptosis
just image if there is a launch failure though

Re: Radioactive Semi Load on Interstate 70 in St. Louis

Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 11:20 am
by InspectahACE
I imagine seeing Homer Simpson behind the wheel

Re: Radioactive Semi Load on Interstate 70 in St. Louis

Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 12:35 pm
by Sowser
Illuminati wrote:
Sowser wrote:Any major hospitals up your way? It could be the radioactive isotopes they use in testing. While being very radioactive they have short half lives so while they require some security it's not like Doc can use it in his Delorian.
You could very well be right about hospitals. There are a ton of major hospitals and smaller surgical branches all across STL. And this rig is heading towards the city. But would a container that big be brought directly to a hospital? I would have expected a hospital to receive smaller packages.
If there are that many hospitals around then it follows that there would be a major distribution center somewhere in the area. You're right hospitals only receive boxes of ampoules.
hark wrote:
Wavid wrote:i heard they could recycle nuclear waste and use it again as a second, different kind of fuel. that way there is less waste and we save the environment/money.
The problem is that there's still waste. That waste stays around for a very, very long time. It will only accumulate as more plants are built. Then we'll have another big problem on our hands.
By treaty nuclear power plants are only allowed to use 5% of the fuel's potential energy, leaving 95% on the table. Apparently it has something to do with refinement towards weapons grade.

Re: Radioactive Semi Load on Interstate 70 in St. Louis

Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 8:22 am
by kenc51
most likely just medical waste; barium etc.