re: #114 Belafon

Relevant to our discussion last thread over nuclear power.

From the referenced article:

The pond where the leak was discovered is at the old Piney Point phosphate mine, sitting in a stack of phosphogypsum, a waste product from manufacturing fertilizer that is radioactive. It contains small amounts of naturally occurring radium and uranium, and the stacks can also release large concentrations of radon gas.

It’s toxic material from fertiliser manufacture that’s been left abandoned by the original owners. The material has naturally-occurring uranium and radium in it (Commentator Anymouse has to get his Nebraska wellwater treated to remove similar contamination IIRC) and suddenly everyone is running around with their hair on fire shouting Radiation! and nuclear power is bad.

Like I said before, irrational.