[at-l] Poughkeepsie, Nuclear Lake

[RockDancer]

My thanks to Walt Daniels & Linda for their responses. 

Here's an "eclectic observation" Ed Bacher's blog, showing the layout of
Nuclear Lake before the AT. It also includes photos of the site.
See http://beanroad.blogspot.com/2008/03/nuclear-lake-before-at.html

There are 16 responses to the blog, reporting from 2008-2011. One states: "I
have seen deadpan reports in NY State lake fishing guides telling of
sportsmen landing huge crocodile-bass hybrids from Nuclear Lake, and also
watching these beasts devour Canadian geese."

That comment is reported at the Fishingworks.com website.
http://www.fishingworks.com/lakes/new-york/dutchess/poughquag/nuclear-lake/
We were shocked fishing in nuclear lake at the sheer size and magnitude of
the fish. They were nothing like we had seen before. We had several
bass-crocodile mix fish that weighed in at 17-30 lbs. i do not understand
why this is not catching the eye of the authorities. I reported this to the
nuclear regulatory committee with no response. Beware fishing there, fish
from shore, I personally saw several fish over 8 ft. in length feeding on
large Canadian geese.

A June 1970 report (to the Brookhaven office of the AEC) mentions the
purpose for the facility:
"Under contract to the AEC, United Nuclear Corporation has undertaken to
demonstrate and evaluate the relative merits of passive neutron and gamma
assay
of plutonium fuel rods, scrap packages, and waste barrels using boron t r i
-
fluoride neutron detectors and a lithium-drifted germanium gamma detector.
This
work is being performed at the UNC Plutonium Facility at Pawling, New York."

There were also rumors (after the explosion) that UNC was performing work to
provide Israel with weapons grade material. Also there are a bunch of
anecdotal reports of cancers from the event and even a "I heard it from
someone who knew someone" report about a local medical facility where the
injured were taken; terrible injuries, caretakers sworn to secrecy, etc.

Thanks for the help, this was a fun mini-project! --RockDancer

The writer refers to 
-----Original Message-----
From: at-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:at-l-bounces at backcountry.net] On
Behalf Of Linda Patton
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2011 1:14 PM
To: at-l
Subject: Re: [at-l] Poughkeepsie, Nuclear Lake

RockDancer wrote:
> .... Anyone know more of the history of this "non-nuclear explosion"? 
> ..."... Nuclear Lake is 57 acres and manmade..."

Does this help? 

"...In 1972, the surrounding woods were contaminated when a chemical
explosion scattered radioactive plutonium dust, considered by scientists to
be the most toxic form of plutonium because of the threat of lung cancer if
inhaled.

The plant was closed, the plutonium was cleaned up, truckloads of
contaminated soil were carried away and the decommissioned site was cleared
by the federal government for unrestricted use in 1975, said Robert Leone,
field representative for the New York- New Jersey Trail Conference....

Questions about whether the site was really safe arose shortly after the
National Park Service bought it and started planning a recreation area...."
http://articles.latimes.com/1986-07-20/news/mn-17096_1_appalachian-trail

More at: 
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1986-03-27/news/8601180865_1_appalachian-tr
ail-nuclear-waste-site-trail-group

~~ eArThworm

Visit my website at http://booksforhikers.com "Better to be lost in the
woods than in a maze of cubicles."
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