Part of our monitoring program includes educating the public and policy makers. After establishing 50 monitoring sites in north Alabama with CPM readings from background to 40 times background, our group commissioned epidemiologist Joseph Mangano, MPH, Director of the Radiation and Public Health Project, to provide information on health issues in the area both before and after Browns Ferry Nuclear reactors came online. On June 6, we released our preliminary report on the radiation findings of our first monitoring project and health issues in the area. The report is titled, Radioactive Emissions and Health Hazards Surrounding Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant in Alabama.
The next day we attended the closeout of a week long Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Emergency Preparedness Exercise in Decatur, Alabama, just south of Browns Ferry and about 60 miles west of our base in Scottsboro. Garry Morgan, Director of our Community Radiation Monitoring Project, had taken a reading of our travel vehicle before we left and the reading was only background level. On the return drive, a rain storm descended and once back in Scottsboro, Garry took another reading and found high levels. He performed a wipe taking a sample from the car, which resulted in our highest recorded radiation level yet, peaking at 1898 CPM.
Later the same day, Garry was interviewed by a Huntsville reporter for WAAY TV (an ABC affilliate), and our side recording of part of the interview was added to the video.
On the following Monday, June 10, Garry presented our report to the Scottsboro City Council and portions of that presentation are also included on the tape.
