Emergency Response to a dirty bomb incident Essay Example for Free

Emergency Response to a dirty bomb incident Essay Terrorist activities and world wars that were experienced released radioactive elements to the environment which have lead to the raise of low level nuclear materials due to exposure to the neutron radiation. Also activities carried out in hospitals and universities in an attempt of doing scientific research to come up with solutions to perplexing issues play a part in the release of low level waste materials that contain nuclear radiations. The radioactivity of the materials can be minimal or high depending on the period of time taken by the materials to absorb neutron radiations. Various National Regulatory Commission (NRC) policies and regulations have been formulated to guide towards the safe disposal of these materials that will not result in the overall deterioration of the environment or portray harm to the environment and its environs. The less radioactive low level nuclear waste is left to decay away and later disposed off as ordinary trash or collected in a heap to enable its shipment to sites approved by the guidelines underlying in the stipulated NRC policies and regulations (Berkhout, 2002). Terrorists or nations engaged in wars use dirty bombs to cause psychological stress, mass panic and terror to the other war counterpart as the bombs do not cause mass destruction. However, the use of dirty bombs introduces fissile materials to the environment which undergo nuclear reactions as time passes to produce fission products which are dangerous because they contain nuclear electrons. These products pose danger to the nature of the environment as major components are affected such as air, soil and ozone among others greatly affecting the normal functions carried out by the physical attributes and habitats of the environment. The health of human beings is also placed at a danger as fetal diseases and symptoms crop up leading to their death such as severe vomiting and swelling of human body parts. Also the economy of a country is affected placing the nation in an economic crisis that requires emergency strategies to pull back the nosedived economy so as to protect the country from economic collapse. Therefore, though the use of dirty bombs leads to the introduction of low level nuclear materials to the environment the after effects caused may be lethal thus the demand for extra care in the disposal and treatment mechanisms (Berkhout, 2002). The vengeance carried out by the Al Qaeda terrorists has lead to the adverse deterioration of the economic status of Hillsdale metropolitan due to the presence of radioactive materials which are affecting the development of the city. Some key areas in the city that are potential business sites have even been restricted from human activity due to the potential danger they portray to the humans. Research information collected by scientists and scholars show that human activities may activate the radioactivity of the waste materials evident in the city causing more harm to the residents residing in the safer regions of the city and in neighboring towns. Therefore strategies that will foresee the overall management of disposal and decontamination of the low level nuclear materials and the equipments used to collect and clean the materials should be formulated (Lynn et al. , 2003). To be able to help the metropolitan respond effectively to emergency cases that result from radiological dispersal devices there should be establishment of regular training facilities, sessions and exercises that educate and prepare emergency response staff members to be able to handle any incidents that will require the decontamination of the low level nuclear materials that exhibits danger to the environment and its inhabitants. These programs will help to educate the staff members and the communities at large on the dangers portrayed by the radioactive materials and understand the potential measures that should be followed to curb the danger. Also the necessary resources that are required to decontaminate the radioactive materials are availed during the training exercises and the appropriate method of handling the devices instilled into the emergency rescue staff members (Lynn et al. , 2003). The NRC should ensure thorough radiological assessment especially to the prohibited zones are conducted to enable collection of data that will help decide on which methods to use to decontaminate the low level nuclear materials liaising with the federal department for more information on the steps to take, for example deionizing activities that will stop the reactivity ability of the nuclear neutrons from forming fusion products that are a danger to the Hillsdale community and economy. Other methods include collection of the radio active materials into decontamination containers where they are heaped to decrease their decaying time (Bolz, Dudonis Schulz, 2005). Campaigns that will create awareness to the public on the essential measures to undertake and the dangers the radioactive materials portray to them should be organized. To enable the success of these campaigns the department should work hand in hand with the ecology department and the environmental protection agencies to stipulate strategies that the public should emanate in case of potential dangers exhibited by the radioactive materials. For example when incidents of explosions occur the public should quickly evacuate from the affected areas and run in directions that are free from the radioactive fallouts released by the explosion to prevent inhalation. They should also remove everything they had worn in the occurrence of the incidents safely disposing them and bath within the shortest time interval. The public should also not return to shelters or use properties that may have harbored the fallout particles for some hours (Lynn et al. , 2003). The transport behavior of the radionuclide elements or fallouts should be thoroughly researched to help in the implementation of geochemical and microbial characteristics to be imposed on the transport behavior of the fallouts. The contaminated properties and clean up materials undergo vitrification process in an attempt to purify them where they are de-nitrated to increase the stability of the fission product formed. Facilities that will enable ion exchange and synroc activities of decontaminating and disposing off the radioactive elements should be employed. Long term solutions that will enable disposal of the low level nuclear materials, clean up equipments and contaminated properties should be devised. For instance shafts that are approximately 500-1000 meters below the ground surface should be drilled to enable safe disposal of the radioactive nucleis. The decaying process that will follow will decrease the harm caused by the reactivity of these fallouts (Berkhout, 2002). The increased terrorist attacks will require the US government to formulate policies that will improve the overall process of decontaminating and disposing off low level nuclear materials that affect the social welfare and economic status of the nation. This will enable appropriate decisive and expert actions to be carried out within 48 hours of launch of dirty bombs, to effectively curb the dangers portrayed by the explosions that follow. Therefore the vulnerability of nations or cities for example Hillsdale from the consequences caused by use of dirty bombs will reduce creating a safe haven to the environment and its inhibitors. Reference List Berkhout, F. , (2002). Radioactive Waste: Politics and Technology. NY: Routledge. Bolz, F. , Dudonis, J. K. Schulz, P. D. , (2005). The Counter terrorism Handbook: Tactics, Procedures and Techniques. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. Lynn, E. D. , LaTourrette, T. Public Safety and Justice Program (Rand Corporation), (2003). Individual Preparedness and Response to Chemical, Radiological, Nuclear, and Biological Terrorist Attacks: Chemical, Radiological, Nuclear, and Biological Attacks. Santa Monica: Rand Corporation Press.