Dear Hearts,

I have been reading your responses and yes, Virginia, DU is safe -- as long as it is stored away.

Some have aske for figures.

Well, here is what I have:

First: Uranium is not all that rare -- actually it is 50 times more common than silver (got that from the DOE web-site.

In the ore: Uranium is 1 to 0.1%.

When the uranium is extracted from the ore - it consists of three isotopes: U238 ( 99+%) U235 (.7%) and U234 (very little %).

To run nuclear reactors and make bombs, the U must be enriched -- that is, the % of U235 must be increased.

When that process is over, we are left with "depleted" uranium, which still contains between 0.2 and 0.4% U235.

That is to say it is between 40 and 60 % less radioactive than 'natural' U.

The decay of U235 (and 238) releases an alpha particle, that is a helium (2 proton + 2 neutron) kernel

The velocity is high, but it doesn't go far.

Therefore the greatest danger is when it is inside the body.

Inside the body, though the alpha radiation is damaging.

Other than that U is a poison, especially to the kidneys.

When a DU shell is fired, it burns, on impact it burns even more. Actually, between a quarter and half are turned into U oxide, in an aerosol (=fine) dust. Ir is soluable.

Sooooo, how about spreading 600,000 lbs. of radioactive was over Texarcana, TX over a period of a few days and see what they say in LA...

regards CrzyBrd