X-Message-Number: 17772
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2001 12:45:42 -0400
From: Jeffrey Soreff <>
Subject: Re: OBL+15 kg of U235== Move Alcor? [Driven FromThePack]

>Here is a scenario: smuggle the 15 kilos U235 into the
>USA.  Buy ingredients for a Tim McVeigh type
>fertilizer bomb. Prepare fertilizer bomb, and grind
>the U235 into dust (easy to do with "suicide
>grinder".).

>Then place U235 and bomb into large van and have 22
>bombers (not necessarily suiciders!) rent a house
>outside 15 large metro areas (you figure .75 Kilos or
>so of U235 dust is sufficient to contaminate the core
>of the 15 largest American metro areas). Then just
>wait for a windy day, with the wind blowing into the
>city.

In short: don't worry about this scenario.
U235 is only about 6 times more radioactive than
U238, depleted uranium.  A kilogram of U235 isn't
remotely enough to seriously contaminate a city.
0.75 kilos of U235 has a decay rate of about 2
microcuries, about equivalent to 2 smoke alarms.
Now if a critical mass were made into a fission
bomb, _that_ is worth being concerned about.

                          Best wishes,
                          -Jeff

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