Elected officials yesterday demanded the release of a survey that
found 80 areas around the city with higher-than-normal levels of
radiation, after a report revealed that radium was detected at Gateway
National Recreation Area's Great Kills Park during an anti-terror
initiative almost 14 months ago.
It was also revealed that at least 10 additional spots around the
initial "hot spot" were identified as emitting trace amounts of
radiation.
"We need to get to the bottom of what the real threat is out there,"
said City Councilman Andrew Lanza (R-South Shore), whose district
includes the park.
Rep. Vito Fossella (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) called the
federal
Environmental Protection Agency and the National Park Service to join
him for a briefing at the site in order to assuage the public's concern.
He was also joined by Lanza and City Councilman James Oddo
(R-Mid-Island/Brooklyn). They noted that, with the Island's high cancer
rates, the whole report should be released to identify other areas of
higher radioactivity.
"The public should be treated like adults," said Fossella.
He added: "They deserve to have the information, and if there is
indeed a risk, we should know about it and it should be dealt with. On
the good side of things, it seems that the park is safe for use."
Fossella said the results of the survey, conducted by the federal
Department of Energy for the NYPD, had been withheld at the behest of
the Department of Homeland Security.
The Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of
Congress, issued a report Thursday stating that a survey found 80 "hot
spots" with radiation in the city, including "a local park" that was
"contaminated by large quantities of radium." 'MINUSCULE' AMOUNT
Walter Mugdan, the EPA's director of environmental planning and
protection for the region that includes New York, said it was more like
a "minuscule amount."
He added that after the aerial survey found the contaminated spot, an
ensuing ground survey identified about 10 more spots within 150 feet.
The area initially flagged by the inspection, amounting to a
1-foot-square patch of dirt, emitted about one millirem of radioactivity
per hour.
"You'd have to stand on that exact spot for nine hours and you'd get
the same dose of radiation as from a dental X-ray," Mugdan said.
The other spots, he added, are even weaker.
The radiation at Great Kills was detected on Aug. 2, 2005, in a
quarter-acre area between the Great Kills Ranger station and the model
airplane field. Brian Sullivan, general superintendent for the Park
Service, said a slew of agencies was on site the next day.
Sullivan said that, while the EPA determined there was no health
risk, it followed through on a recommendation to fence off the area and
let vegetation grow to restrict access. The area included a path used
for fire mitigation, but wasn't frequently used.
He said the Park Service is in the process of seeking $250,000 to
further study the area and determine whether other steps, such as
remediation, need to be taken. USED AS PAINT
Radium had a variety of uses in the early 20th century, Mugdan said,
including glow-in-the-dark paint for wristwatch faces and road signs.
Eventually it was found to be poisonous and its use was discontinued.
Based upon rusted metal flakes extracted from the soil, the source
could have been "some little piece of equipment used for radium
processing or management or handling," Mugdan said.
It likely dates to the 1940s, when the area was marshes and wetlands,
and the city decided to turn it into a park. The material was likely
present in landfill used to build up low-lying areas, which was then
capped with soil.
Fossella said the fill could have further contamination. He added
that public alarm could have been avoided "if, when discovered, every
responsible agency came forward and said what we're saying now."
When asked why the report was withheld from the public, Homeland
Security released a statement explaining the intent of the aerial
surveys. Calls seeking to clarify the department's role in the
suppression of the information were not returned.
The NYPD, meanwhile, will not release the reports, in order to
"discourage attempts at targeting them for theft, and to discourage any
attempt to disguise the warehousing of illegally obtained radioactive
material by storing it in close proximity to one or more of these
facilities."
By mapping the city's radiation sources, officials hope to be able to
respond more quickly in the event of a dirty bomb attack -- using
explosives to disperse radioactive material -- by knowing exactly which
streets are contaminated in order to get civilians away.
The NYPD has requested federal money to do a citywide aerial survey
every year to update the information, according to Paul J. Browne, the
NYPD's deputy commissioner for public information.
Rob Hart covers state government and Glenn Nyback covers
environmental news for the Advance. They may be reached at rhart@siadvance.com
and nyback@siadvance.com.