Kodak Basement Lab Housed Small Nuclear Reactor 169
McGruber writes "The Rochester (NY) Democrat-Chronicle has the interesting story of the Eastman Kodak Co.'s Californium Neutron Flux Multiplier, which was housed in Building 82 of Kodak Park in Rochester, NY. The multiplier contained 3½ pounds of highly enriched (weapons-grade) uranium. Kodak used it to check chemicals and other materials for impurities, as well as for tests related to neutron radiography, an imaging technique. From the article: 'When Kodak decided six years ago to close down the device, still more scrutiny followed. Federal regulators made them submit detailed plans for removing the substance. When the highly enriched uranium was packaged into protective containers and spirited away in November 2007, armed guards were surely on hand. All of this — construction of a bunker with two-foot-thick concrete walls, decades of research and esoteric quality control work with a neutron beam, the safeguarding and ultimate removal of one of the more feared substances on earth — was done pretty much without anyone in the Rochester community having a clue.'"
Hey watcha doin? (Score:5, Funny)
"Moving nuclear materials. The usual."
Re:sigh... (Score:4, Funny)
But he died with a clean PC.
Re:Surprising... (Score:5, Funny)
I'm not so surprised that some rather alarmingly powerful beam sources would be operated quietly by people with atypical sensor needs. I am a bit surprised that 3.5 lbs of highly enriched Uranium would be available to serve as a beam source.
I'm sure that in 1985 enriched uranium is available in every corner drugstore, but in 1955 it's a little hard to come by.
Re:I had a clue (Score:5, Funny)
Even at 4, you were smart enough not to mess with the 400 pound, 8 foot high ducks.
Re:Reminds me about LA's nuclear reactor (Score:5, Funny)
Re:sigh... (Score:5, Funny)
But you've deprived the NIMBYs from whining and shrieking. Had they known about the presence of this thing right in their back yard it would have provided meaning and purpose for their otherwise useless lives. But now, some unfeeling corporate giant has deprived them of this by removing that threat.
These faceless corporations, with no motivation other than profit (well, OK, its Kodak) have taken something that we hold precious away from us. Our right to bitch.