New York’s Radioactive Nightmare
Something else to worry about
by Paul DeRienzo
Radiological survey maps of the New York-New Jersey area, made with data collected by government helicopters in January 2014 were recently released. Sports stadiums and transportation hubs were the main, but not the only focus of the surveys, which were turned over in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. No reason was given for why certain maps were withheld and others released. The FOIA was filed two years ago.
These maps signal the first time that the public has seen the results of the government’s ongoing effort to create a background radiation survey of the entire New York metropolitan area. Similar surveys of Washington, D.C. and Boston have been conducted and a couple of low resolution maps of those cities are on government web sites.
Background radiation is significant because there are places in and around the city, hospitals, clinics, construction sites and the like, that already give off so much radioactivity that they might confuse first responders in an emergency.
Regular surveys in New York apparently began in 2005 when the NYPD first requested the Department of Homeland Security do the job. A few years after the survey was done it was reported that that flyover had found 80 spots in the city with elevated radioactivity. The cops claim most of the radiation was the result of the granite bases of statues because granite naturally emits some radiation. But notably it was also discovered that soil in a 500-acre Staten Island park called Great Kills contained radium. The park was eventually closed pending a preliminary study of the contamination. It’s believed radium waste was mixed with landfill used in the 1940s to build the park.
The radiation monitoring flyovers are conducted by the Aerial Measuring System, an arm of the Department of Energy. The Bell-412 model helicopters criss-cross the city about 150 feet in the air while traveling about 80 mph and record natural and man made radiation levels bombarding residents. Maps created from the survey data can then be compared to later surveys to help find any added radiation.
Dr. Kimberlee Kearfott is a professor of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences at the University of Michigan. Kearfott exclaimed, “way cool,’ when she saw the maps. The maps would be “very valuable,” she said, in case of an attack or a nuclear accident similar to what happened at Fukushima.
She warned that a complete set of radiation survey maps could direct potential terrorists to locations where radioactive sources are kept, usually under strict security. That’s why she believes some of the maps were not released.
These 19 maps, which cover sports stadiums, railroad stations and the entirety of Jersey City indicate that radiation levels at these sites are mostly close to the natural background levels. But there are some areas of concern according to Dr. Kearfott.
While some of the maps are labeled “exposure rate” and show the total amount of background radiation, others are labeled “man-made counts per second,” these maps said Kearfott are “well done.” Although she wasn’t “sure” what they meant by “man-made,”
Kearfott said she thinks government scientists were able to separate naturally occurring radiation from what she called “technologically enhanced naturally occurring material,” radioactive stuff that’s been altered by some manufacturing process.
She added that hospitals and nuclear reactors occasionally make “tiny” releases of radiation. Here are the maps with some descriptions from Prof. Kearfott…
Yankee Stadium.
Type: Sports Stadium
Home of New York Yankees
Location: The Bronx, New York
Capacity: 50,000
There were two types of maps provided for each of the sites in New York and New Jersey. The “Man-Made Counts per Second” Map of Yankee Stadium is “well done” says Kearfott, but difficult to interpret. It probably means radiation from technological sources not just normal background radiation.
“It’s hard to tell if the radiation levels shown are significant,” she said, without more information such as the actual spectrum showing the elements causing the radiation. She pointed to an area just south of the Cross Bronx Expressway showing radiation levels “2.3 times nothing.” The levels, she added, suggest a hospital or facility nearby. It’s also possible that an aircraft could pass through a cloud of radiation from another source giving a false reading.
Kearfott was also concerned about the activity along Sheridan Ave. It would take spectrum analysis and folks walking through he area to get what she called “the radiological history” of the area. What past factories, medical facilities or warehouses might have been there in the past?
Jersey City
Location: New Jersey
Population: 250,000
Second largest in State
The two radiological flyover maps of Jersey City include a Man Made Count or MM map and an Exposure Rate or ER Map. The ER maps show the total radiation exposure over a given location. Natural background levels vary, and are not too different from the rates shown in this map of Jersey City until you get to the bright red spot on Patterson Plank Road. Kearfott said “Jersey City looks pretty good,” referring to the spot in question with she said about “10 times the natural level” of radiation for the area. Although the radiation could possibly be from a different location she suggested a tour of the area to see if any hospitals or oncology labs may be nearby. Also a person who has recently received Iodine treatments for thyroid disease could set off an alarm by just walking past a location being observed. A quick look at the site of the red blob on Google Maps shows a facility for the biotech firm LabCorp across the street from a busy public park surrounded by working class housing.
Jets Practice Field
Location: Florham Park, New Jersey
Training Field for New York Jets Football Team
Population of Florham Park 12,000
On this map of the NY Jets football team training field in Florham Park. It’s a popular destination where the famed football team can be seen training, attracting ticket holders who flock to see their heroes preparing for the next game.
Kearfott’s sharp eye was drawn to the “lower right and upper left of the map, near the College of St. Elizabeth.” She said at 15 microrem per hour the area is “double” the natural background radiation levels. “What’s going on” she asked herself softly. Kearfott adds that these radiation levels are low compared to Native American tribes in South Dakota. On the Lakota reservation she’s helped find areas contaminated by uranium mining. At a school playground in South Dakota she measured, together with a BBC film crew, levels of 1770 microrem per hour. High enough to evacuate areas near the Fukushima nuclear meltdown.
In the United States, by law, any amount, even small amounts of radiation, are considered dangerous.
Met Life Stadium
Home of New York Giants and New York Jets
Location: East Rutherford, New Jersey
Capacity: 82,500
Speaking of sports. Approximately 85,000 fans were expected to attend Super Bowl XLVIII on February 2, 2014 at MetLife Stadium. A week after the aerial radiological survey was conducted. The Super Bowl was considered a level one security event. A year earlier two bombs that were detonated at the Boston Marathon killed three and injured hundreds. The government was at high alert for the Super Bowl. Thousands of security officers guarded the event including snipers, SWAT teams and fighter jets. The security effort was made up of officials from 35 agencies including the CIA and NYPD. Media reports said the authorities were ready for a radiological attack by terrorists using a “dirty bomb” or other weapons. A radiological hot spot is notable as a red blob in the upper right of the photo near Paterson Plank Road. Google maps shows several factory buildings, a health center a couple of motels and other don-rescript buildings at the site just outside the boundary of the Meadowlands Sports Complex.
Secaucus Train Terminal
Major Commuter Rail Hub
Part of Proposed Gateway Project
Secaucus, New Jersey
Current traffic: 26,000 passengers per day
The Meadowlands Rail Line connects the main hub for numerous mass transit routes in Hoboken with sports events at the Meadowlands. The line is used to get fans to the stadiums for events with over 50,000 spectators. The Secaucus train terminal would have been a major hub for Super Bowl ticket holders using mass transit to get to the game.
RailRoad Bridge
HX Draw
Mile 7.7 Hackensack River
This bridge provides direct access to the Meadowlands from Secaucus Terminal. The jack-knife drawbridge crosses the Hackensack River just south of the Meadowlands. It also serves several commuter lines. Higher background radiation is visible just west of the bridge.
Barclays Center
Home of Brooklyn Nets and New York Islanders
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Capacity: 18,000
Opened in 2012 this sports venue serves many teams, primarily basketball’s Nets and hockey’s Islanders, this venue has some of the hottest concerts around as well. It sits on top of a major transit hub in the middle of a fast growing part of Brooklyn. The Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center subway station right below the sports center is the busiest in Brooklyn with 14 million users per year.
Citifield
Home of New York Mets
Location: Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, NY
Capacity: 42,000
The last week in January, 2014, when these survey’s were carried out by a Bell 412 helicopter flying about 150 feet off the ground at 80 miles per hour, was notable for its bone chilling temperatures and snow. On January 23rd and 24th, when the fly overs were done, the reported high temperature was 19 degrees above and that night a frigid 9 degree below. The Met’s mascot, Mr. Met was featured by local news channels on the 24th making snow angels in the fresh fallen powder.
The helicopter used to make the survey belongs to the Aerial Measuring Service which is part of the National Nuclear Security Agency. Based at Joint Base Andrews outside of D.C. and the Nevada Test Site near Las Vegas the AMS is the flight arm of the Remote Sensing Laboratory also based in Nevada. According to their website the he RSL is on call 24-hours a day, seven days a week,” and can deploy teams “anywhere in the world” in response to a radiation emergency.
Prudential Center
Home of New Jersey Devils
Location: Newark, New Jersey
Capacity: 20,000
On Jan. 28, 2014, the Prudential Center hosted Media Day prior to the kickoff for the week of events leading up to the Super Bowl. A few days earlier on January 23rd an Aerial Measuring System helicopter collected data for a background radiation survey map of the venue. Journalists from around the world interviewed team players and coaches. The public purchased tickets to witness the action.
Prudential Center opened in 2007. The venue was credited with economic revitalization of downtown Newark. Senator Corey Booker was Mayor of Newark at the time and had resisted constructing the Prudential Center. The Devil’s reportedly made a deal involving financial givebacks that won over city officials.
