--- Ron Wormus wrote: > Jones, Do a search on "Project Rulison"
Wiki has an entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Rulison When they say the gas was "too radioactive to sell," the reference is to the gaseous fission ash from the fission of the explosive, including such isotopes as tritium, Radon and Xenon which are mixed in with the methane. The particulate ash would be easy to filter out. Most natural gas is slightly radioactive anyway (mostly tritium and some natural radon) but to a lesser extent. I can measure about double the background level at the exhaust vent of my gas water-heater, immediately when it turns on, but never when it is off - using a GM meter. That is something the gas supplier does not want to be publicized, but it is an absolute certainty that natural gas is slightly radioactive. Methane itself, however, does not become significantly radioactive. The problem is always derived from other gaseous isotopes which are trapped in the same formations as the methane. It turns out that these two elements, Radon and Xenon are easily removed due to extremely higher density, but at a price which was probably too high 30 years ago when natural gas was a small fraction of today's price. Tritium is more difficult to get out but has a very high value in its own right. If the Russians are selling methane from nuked-deposits to the EU, and there are plenty of people who believe that to be true (despite their denials) then they are removing all traces of Radon, Xenon, and tritium before sending it to Europe. In fact, the gas they get in Europe is cleaner than natural gas in the USA, and really too clean to be "natural" which indicates that it has been intentionally cleaned up. Makes perfect sense because the Russians can then sell the EU the removed isotopes at an even higher price for medical uses. Everybody is happy. Don't ask, don't tell ;-) Jones
