Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihuxn.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!ihuxn!res From: res@ihuxn.UUCP (Rich Strebendt) Newsgroups: net.politics,net.misc Subject: Re: Radioactivity of coal-fired power plants vs. TMI Message-ID: <800@ihuxn.UUCP> Date: Mon, 20-Aug-84 11:20:46 EDT Article-I.D.: ihuxn.800 Posted: Mon Aug 20 11:20:46 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 21-Aug-84 00:17:18 EDT References: <3397@decwrl.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL Lines: 33 | There was a discussion not too long ago on radioactivity of coal-fired | power plants vs. nukes. I have an interesting question on the | subject - Does anyone know how long a coal fired power plant with the | same generating capacity as the crippled Three Mile Island plant would | have to run to release as much radioactivity as the TMI plant released | during the accident there? Mail me the answer and please include | references. I will post to the net if there is enough interest. | Thank you. | Mike Moroney | ..decvax!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-jon!moroney In order to calibrate those numbers, can we also get numbers from some respectable source on the period of exposure needed to accumulate a comparable dose from the following sources: Standing next to a granite building in New York City Standing in the open sunlight of Denver Colorado Hiking along a trail in one of the mountain ranges (Rockies, Appalachians, etc.) Flying in an open ballon at a reasonable altitude for such a craft. From my hazy recollection (which is NOT a respectable source!!), the duration of exposure to New York skyscrapers needed to be equivalent to the dosage the nearest neighbors to TMI got was on the order of a couple of hours. This may have been published in an IEEE Spectrum issue devoted to nuclear safety a while back. Rich Strebendt ...!ihnp4!ihuxn!res