258
20 Remediation
of this, no materials should be moved or removed from the scene until they have
been released by the lead agency (in the US this will likely be the FBI). In addition,
those loading, surveying, and sorting the waste should remain alert for anything that
might be of interest to the investigators; this can include unexpected radionuclides,
hot spots, source fragments, possible pieces of the weapon and/or vehicles used to
deliver it, and so forth.
20.6.2 Removal
Waste will first be removed from the affected are to the staging and sorting area(s),
although the manner in which this is done will depend in large part on the size of the
site, the size of the material being moved, and the distance to the staging area.
If the distance to the staging area(s) is not too far it might be possible to move
materials directly from one area to the other using cranes; for more distant staging
area(s) it will likely be necessary to use trucks of some sort.
This is likely to be the most hazardous work, requiring the most care and the most
substantial safety precautions—including radiation safety. Hazards include [7]:
• Unstable piles of rubble
• Sharp objects
• Ruptured utility lines
• Moving heavy equipment
• Heat stress and dehydration
• Animal bites (insects, rats, legal and illegal pets, etc.)
• High radiation dose rates from sources or pieces of sources
• High contamination levels and resuspended contamination
• Smoke and fumes (materials removed from the World Trade Center site continued
to burn or to flare into flame when removed from the pile for several weeks after
the towers collapsed)
• Asbestos and other hazardous building materials
• Toxic chemicals
• Lifting and moving heavy loads
• Biological and infectious hazards from bodies buried in the rubble.
Because of this, it will be important for all persons removing material from the site
of the attack and affected areas to wear appropriate protective equipment, including
radiation dosimeters and to be trained in standard radiation safety practices.
As materials are moved to the trucks, picked up by crane, or otherwise removed
from the affected area they should be surveyed for radiation and contamination and
marked or sorted appropriately; this will help with further sorting at the staging
area(s) and will help reduce work and radiation exposure for those working with the
waste later.
20 Remediation
of this, no materials should be moved or removed from the scene until they have
been released by the lead agency (in the US this will likely be the FBI). In addition,
those loading, surveying, and sorting the waste should remain alert for anything that
might be of interest to the investigators; this can include unexpected radionuclides,
hot spots, source fragments, possible pieces of the weapon and/or vehicles used to
deliver it, and so forth.
20.6.2 Removal
Waste will first be removed from the affected are to the staging and sorting area(s),
although the manner in which this is done will depend in large part on the size of the
site, the size of the material being moved, and the distance to the staging area.
If the distance to the staging area(s) is not too far it might be possible to move
materials directly from one area to the other using cranes; for more distant staging
area(s) it will likely be necessary to use trucks of some sort.
This is likely to be the most hazardous work, requiring the most care and the most
substantial safety precautions—including radiation safety. Hazards include [7]:
• Unstable piles of rubble
• Sharp objects
• Ruptured utility lines
• Moving heavy equipment
• Heat stress and dehydration
• Animal bites (insects, rats, legal and illegal pets, etc.)
• High radiation dose rates from sources or pieces of sources
• High contamination levels and resuspended contamination
• Smoke and fumes (materials removed from the World Trade Center site continued
to burn or to flare into flame when removed from the pile for several weeks after
the towers collapsed)
• Asbestos and other hazardous building materials
• Toxic chemicals
• Lifting and moving heavy loads
• Biological and infectious hazards from bodies buried in the rubble.
Because of this, it will be important for all persons removing material from the site
of the attack and affected areas to wear appropriate protective equipment, including
radiation dosimeters and to be trained in standard radiation safety practices.
As materials are moved to the trucks, picked up by crane, or otherwise removed
from the affected area they should be surveyed for radiation and contamination and
marked or sorted appropriately; this will help with further sorting at the staging
area(s) and will help reduce work and radiation exposure for those working with the
waste later.