Manhattan project nuke waste to be trucked across Iowa

**cigaretteman** · 04-25-2008, 10:26 AM

on its way to New Mexico

Omaha.com Metro/Region Section

**Knownothing** · 04-25-2008, 10:43 AM

Hopefully the truck breaks down in Iowa City.

**brianhos** · 04-25-2008, 10:46 AM

Ho Hum, this sorta stuff happends all the time. You gotta move the waste somehow.

**Cyclonepride** · 04-25-2008, 10:59 AM

Damn it........now that we aren't killing each other with lethal, poisonous secondhand smoke, we're going expose ourselves to radiation and two headed children. Hypochondriacs beware

**sodakjoe** · 04-25-2008, 11:08 AM

You know, a majority of the raw Uranium used in that first reaction was actually produced in Ames. So it's been here before.

**HandSanitizer** · 04-25-2008, 11:33 AM

I thought it already arrived in New Mexico.

**MidwestZest** · 04-25-2008, 11:34 AM

that's just what i was gonna say joe - not like it'd be anything new for the center of the state :) Guy who figured out the best way to enrich the uranium did it in Gilman Hall I think

**CarolinaCy** · 04-25-2008, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by MidwestZest

that's just what i was gonna say joe - not like it'd be anything new for the center of the state :) Guy who figured out the best way to enrich the uranium did it in Gilman Hall I think

The building attached to the north side of Gilman Hall is part of Ames Laboratory, it's called the Technical and Administration Services Facility (TASF). I believe they have a very large exhibit that talks about the involvement of ISU in the Manhattan Project, at least it was there in the late 90's. It used to be on the ground floor near the lobby.

Check out the following link, first bullet point under "Of historical note":

Untitled Document

Also, this PDF talks about more of ISU's involvement, far right side of page 1:

http://www.ameslab.gov/final/About/Images/ALhistory.pdf

**Cyclonesrule91** · 04-25-2008, 11:55 AM

This is pretty much a non-issue. I-80 is one of the major US arteries and I know there are a lot of stuff being hauled that we never know about that can be very dangerous, but it has to be moved...

Even more then the Illegal immigrantsand drugs.

**The_Architect** · 04-25-2008, 12:00 PM

I swear I heard this before when I was at ISU but is there a reason for the way Gilman is built? Something about if being designed to make a possible explosion shoot out the top of the building instead of to the side?

**cycloneryan** · 04-25-2008, 12:21 PM

What is the worst that could happen?

**Flag Guy** · 04-25-2008, 02:25 PM

Originally Posted by The_Architect

I swear I heard this before when I was at ISU but is there a reason for the way Gilman is built? Something about if being designed to make a possible explosion shoot out the top of the building instead of to the side?

Popular rumor I heard was Physics Hall was built with a hinged roof to allow the explosion to go up rather than out.... hadn't heard the Gilman Hall one but I do believe that the Uranium was refined in some columns on the roof...

As for that "Shrine" to the Manhatten project, it's still there.

And don't you guys remember, Iowa City is a nuclear free zone! They even bought signs a few years back stating so! Guess that money is looking like a good investment now... unless the trucks happen to go through there.... that'd be pretty funny really. Maybe they should buy bigger signs just to make sure the trucks see them

**Phaedrus** · 04-28-2008, 08:00 AM

I think one of the best jobs in the world is Nuclear Material Escort. Pay is okay (around $40-50G), and you basically are required to workout, shoot, attend mandatory training and take escort "jobs" as they come available.

Otherwise, your time is your own. Unfortunately, I'm just a couple years too old to be admitted, despite being able to "ace" their agility and job "test" requirements.

**loboclone** · 04-28-2008, 08:27 AM

As an ISU grad and a proud New Mexican, I for one welcome the Nuclear material to New Mexico! It is an economic windfall for the state, besides what else are you going to do with that portion of the desert?

They move that stuff right thru Albuquerque all the time, you can drop those containers from 10,000 feet and not break them.

**everyyard** · 04-28-2008, 08:42 AM

Originally Posted by Cyclonesrule91

This is pretty much a non-issue. I-80 is one of the major US arteries and I know there are a lot of stuff being hauled that we never know about that can be very dangerous, but it has to be moved...

Even more then the Illegal immigrantsand drugs.

Exactly. How else are they going to move it? We as a society are all responsible for the fact that the waste was produced and that the bomb was used, so we can all share in the risk of its transport for storage as well.