Radioactive Semi Load on Interstate 70 in St. Louis

[Apoptosis]

Ever come across three State Troopers on the highway following/gaurding a truck carrying a radioactive load?

I did this afternoon:

radioactive.jpg (53 KiB) Viewed 7074 times

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!

[hark]

With plans of expanding nuclear power, I can only see this as becoming a bigger problem.

[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!?!

[Illuminati]

With plans of expanding nuclear power, I can only see this as becoming a bigger problem.

What's the problem?

[hark]

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.

[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?

[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.

[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.

[Illuminati]

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.

[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.

[hark]

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.

[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..

[Apoptosis]

just image if there is a launch failure though

[InspectahACE]

I imagine seeing Homer Simpson behind the wheel

[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.

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.

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.

[kenc51]

most likely just medical waste; barium etc.