Radioactivity

CAMBRIDGE, Ma.--Planned shipments of radioactive materials from Oak Ridge, Tennessee to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Nuclear Reactor Laboratory (NRL) have caused local concern recently.

Paddle Wheels

NRL will receive several shipments this spring, each consisting of a thimbleful of irradiated material, which will be used in research for nuclear fusion reactor walls.

Federal regulations specify the amount of shielding needed in transporting radioactive materials of various sizes, types and levels of radioactivity.

Shipping radioactive materials is very safe compared with other hazardous materials such as gasoline because "there is a great deal of care," Lincoin Clark, director of operations at NRL said, adding that with the federal regulations, "things are pretty well under control."

In 1975, 20 out of two million shipments resulted in accidents, none of which caused known serious injury.