I-Team: City of Houston shuts down two radioactive water wells

[Mom2Feebs]

Originally Posted by Malvie

I saw a report on that. The amount is 1 radioactive isotope for every 10,000 OLYMPIC SWIMMING POOLS full of water.

I'll take my chances....


(I get exposed to "RADIATION" (oh my god!) almost every day. It's called "Sunshine" and it comes in the form of radiation from the sun (a.k.a. "light"). I even over-expose myself, driving a convertible (gasp) with the top down (gasp).

I have been completely unimpressed with the KHOU i-team so far. Seems like an excuse for sensational yellow journalism to me.


(I'll take my chances with the water).

Uh, that's not how it works.

If you live in an area where your water source is contaminated, you WILL get hit. It's not a matter of taking chances.

It's not just one particle, you will accumulate several inside you. It's the daily, weekly, monthly, yearly accumulation of alpha particles. It also depends on the isotope. If we're talking about heavy water, you will have those isotopes your whole life.

Again, it's NOT "taking chances". That is NOT the way to look at this AT ALL. Your argument is only valid if you're visiting a relative once in five years. If you live there, you're screwed.

The only thing I can see that would make this worse is if they are growing crops or livestock that use these wells.

This is NOT a story that will go away.

[elnina]

Originally Posted by Mom2Feebs

The only thing I can see that would make this worse is if they are growing crops or livestock that use these wells.

This is NOT a story that will go away.

I am pretty sure that the crops and livestock is using the exact same water...

[Mom2Feebs]

Originally Posted by LeavMeAlone

Well, since you don't live in Houston - who cares what you think about this. But what's she supposed to do? Grab a shovel and start digging?Tell the residents they're gonna die? She did the right thing by saying the water is safe. It says that a federal study found this, and the results will be "released soon". So nothing is for certain yet.

And you can rest assured that Jolanda Jones will handle this properly. Because we all, of course, read "Texas’s Widest Circulated and Read Newspaper with a Black Perspective", we all have been warned now.

I'm not an expert, but even if this was the case, one more week won't kill anybody. Years of consumption will/may cause this. They know wait for the release, will look at it, and will then act. No need for panic. And if you read the KHOU article, you can see that this is what they do. Panic for better ratings. KHOU has done this, KHOU has done that, KHOU fights the city, KHOU fight whoever, KHOU fights hard, and with a ton of attorneys, of course.... and KHOU will bring the information ONLY to YOU! Right to your door.. don't even have to leave the house. Just turn on the TV. KHOU is right there for you.

And since you don't live in Houston, you can sleep tight tonight.

I also just checked the Chron and ABC13. I can't find anything about this there. So right now this really does look like KHOU is trying to make a story out of this. Again, no reason to panic.

But, I do have some good news for those among us who love to panic. It's just in that the Hawaii Gov. " wants to reveal Obama's birth info." I'm sure that makes you feel much better now!

It's all good now.

Hawaii's governor seeks to reveal Obama's birth info | National | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/7356675.html - broken link)

Yeah...um, hello? Let me clue you in. I lived in Houston, on the west side, where some of these affected wells are, for the past 12 years. Before that I lived on the NE side of town. I only just moved to SA last year.

So, you can sleep at night knowing...absolutely nothing. Judging by your post, I'd say it's not much of a change from the usual, eh?

[Grunn]

Presumably as I don't drink the water or wash any of my food in it, my pointy tinfoil hat and I should be just fine.

I do shower in it though.................

[Malvie]

Originally Posted by Mom2Feebs

Uh, that's not how it works.

If you live in an area where your water source is contaminated, you WILL get hit. It's not a matter of taking chances.

It's not just one particle, you will accumulate several inside you. It's the daily, weekly, monthly, yearly accumulation of alpha particles. It also depends on the isotope. If we're talking about heavy water, you will have those isotopes your whole life.

Again, it's NOT "taking chances". That is NOT the way to look at this AT ALL. Your argument is only valid if you're visiting a relative once in five years. If you live there, you're screwed.

The only thing I can see that would make this worse is if they are growing crops or livestock that use these wells.

This is NOT a story that will go away.

Well, if you want to talk about lifetime doses and radioactivity of which I actually AM afraid...

I have to fly for work. A lot. With the new whole-body scanners, I'm getting a dose, every time I fly.

I'm actually concerned about this.

Radioactivity in the water? Ehh, not so much.

As for your comments about Mayor Parker, I echo the other poster: what was she supposed to do? Scream? Throw her hands up? Holler, "OMG, EVERYBODY RUN, WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!" ?

This is a non-story "broken" by KHOU in a sensationalist effort at ratings.

The better question for them to ask: why do we have so many apartment fires in Houston, and why are none of them in the Katrinavilles near my neighborhood?

[crone]

You should not be trying to lay this off on the Feds. They were not invited to the party. It is the state that backed out the margin of error number. It has always been the state that applies and is granted exemptions, so as not to be a burden on business. You want to fuss at somebody? Look no further than Austin,Texas. Along with radon, you also are ingesting birth control pills, whatever they give to livestock, tranquilizers, zoloft, fertilizers, weed killers, dry cleaning fluid and goodness knows what else.

[Mom2Feebs]

Originally Posted by Malvie

Well, if you want to talk about lifetime doses and radioactivity of which I actually AM afraid...

I have to fly for work. A lot. With the new whole-body scanners, I'm getting a dose, every time I fly.

I'm actually concerned about this.

Radioactivity in the water? Ehh, not so much.

As for your comments about Mayor Parker, I echo the other poster: what was she supposed to do? Scream? Throw her hands up? Holler, "OMG, EVERYBODY RUN, WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!" ?

This is a non-story "broken" by KHOU in a sensationalist effort at ratings.

The better question for them to ask: why do we have so many apartment fires in Houston, and why are none of them in the Katrinavilles near my neighborhood?

Wow. Okay. Clearly you're not understanding my point about the water.

As for Parker, no I didn't expect that--what a stupid thing to say. I expect that she would say, "Let's get to the bottom of this."

This is NOT a non-story. It only seems that way to you because in your mind, you aren't affected by it. The truth is, you simply do not know that so you don't care.

So typical of today's mindset.

[Malvie]

Originally Posted by Mom2Feebs

Wow. Okay. Clearly you're not understanding my point about the water.

As for Parker, no I didn't expect that--what a stupid thing to say. I expect that she would say, "Let's get to the bottom of this."

This is NOT a non-story. It only seems that way to you because in your mind, you aren't affected by it. The truth is, you simply do not know that so you don't care.

So typical of today's mindset.

Clearly I DO understand your point. I think you are misinterpreting what you read, and I think you're being hysterical (exactly the reaction KHOU was trying to achieve). Congratulations.

My point to you: Where are you going to go to escape water problems in 2011? Hmm? I lived in a small town in Arkansas (you'd think, "crisp, cool spring water", now wouldn't you?). The water had heavy loads of benzine in it, due to an abandoned (but not forgotten) creosote plant upriver.

Humans have been polluting for centuries, but the pollution took off with the industrial revolution.

If you think you can be somewhere where there is NOT some form of pollutant in the water, well, good for you! I don't think you can find it. I don't think it exists. They've found pollutants---many MUCH more serious than this level of radiation---in the snows of the Antarctic.

It's what we HAVE. I'm asthmatic. I look at the atmosphere in Houston and I see brown (same as in all other big cities). Is this good for me? NO. It is very bad for me. Will some warning by the city/county/state/federal government help the fact that I live here and breathe it, day in and day out? No. Do I want to go live in Moose Gap just so I can breathe better? Well, not at the expense of my livelihood.

Get a grip about the radiation in the water.

Oh, wait---you know, crone is right---it's the regulators in AUSTIN who dropped the rounding---and you live in San Antonio---OH MY GOD, THE SAME ROUNDING RULES APPLY THERE TOO!

Really, now, honestly: what difference does it make? What can you do about it? Where can you go to escape? If the State had told "the truth" about the radiation, what difference would it make? Would you suddenly sell your house, quit your job, and move? If so, where would you go and what would you do?

[crone]

There is probably more radiation coming off granite countertops and microwave ovens and those "rare earth phosphors" in the TV than rock containing radon in the aquifers.
With all the other crap in the drinking water, we got more to worry about. I'm taking about the female hormones in the beef and chicken that eventually ends up in the water supply that has caused me to gain 50 pounds.=)
BUT, the state has a duty to let us know, since they certify safe water. If they are going to assume that role, then we need to have factual information in order to make informed decisions.

[crone]

Shall we dump our bottles onto that island of plastic bottles that is the size of Texas floating in the Pacific?