Radioactive Material Lost By Halliburton Found In Boston

February 11, 2005 10:17 AM

Radioactive Material Lost By Halliburton Found In Boston Shit hapens:: "Halliburton Co. (HAL), an oil services company and major military contractor in Iraq and elsewhere, lost track of a shipment of radioactive material in October but didn't alert the government until this week. Federal authorities mounted an intensive search and found the material Wednesday in Massachusetts.
posted by Postroad (30 comments total)

Are we sure they didn't tell anyone? I remember a dirty bomb threat in Boston a little while back.
posted by furiousxgeorge at 10:19 AM on February 11, 2005

My money would've been on Jersey, but I guess that would be like finding hay in a haystack.
posted by unsupervised at 10:20 AM on February 11, 2005

Furiousxgeorge, there was no dirty bomb threat in Boston during the time of Bush's inauguration. Please report to Sector ZB-N9 for reprogramming.
posted by AlexReynolds at 10:21 AM on February 11, 2005

I find it funny (in that sad, head shaking way) that the lost material was the element americium.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 10:26 AM on February 11, 2005

Why do they hate americium?
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:35 AM on February 11, 2005

Hmmm.... Halliburton "loses" some uranium in October that "turns up in Boston".

What else happened in Boston this past October?

I think the Sox have some 'splaining to do!
posted by mkultra at 11:01 AM on February 11, 2005

I sure am glad this is the outfit we have doing the rebuilding in Iraq. They just keep proving themselves more and more competent.
posted by Yellowbeard at 11:03 AM on February 11, 2005

You forgot polandium.
posted by uosuaq at 11:04 AM on February 11, 2005

Los Alamos:
The alpha activity from 241Am is about three times that of radium. When gram quantities of 241Am are handled, the intense gamma activity makes exposure a serious problem.
Yipes. Maybe I'll avoid Chelsea for a while.
posted by Cassford at 11:08 AM on February 11, 2005

unsupervised, that was awesome.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 11:09 AM on February 11, 2005

Well no one could have guessed that Halliburton could lose track of important assets. After all, they have such an "effective and efficient" accounting system. (Washington post -- reg. req. bugmenot or check it out here.
posted by krash2fast at 11:10 AM on February 11, 2005

On the plus side there should be some sorely needed superheros debuting in the next few years, sadly since it was Boston it's gonna be a bunch of people who got bit by a radioactive clam. Mr Mollusk who shoots bivalve bolts and Quahog boy and his superheated chowda beams.
posted by Divine_Wino at 11:18 AM on February 11, 2005

I live mere minutes from Boston.

Can I blame that on my...

oh, hell. It isn't even worth the effort to finish th
posted by andreaazure at 11:22 AM on February 11, 2005

I thought SchillingMan was the only superhero Boston will ever need
posted by matteo at 11:23 AM on February 11, 2005

. . . but you know, there's no such thing as Bad Publicity.
posted by spock at 11:34 AM on February 11, 2005

"And to think that that americium got all the way to Boston without anyone in the government getting their hands on it, that's really unbelievable."

/central mass low-key storytelling
posted by thecaddy at 11:44 AM on February 11, 2005

the shipping company belongs to a Customs Service program which allows them to bring goods into the country on the honor system if they fill out a questionnaire.

comforting, isn't it.
posted by jmhm at 12:12 PM on February 11, 2005

Customs Service program which allows them to bring goods into the country on the honor system if they fill out a questionnaire.

kinda like the white house system for vetting reporters, huh?
posted by quonsar at 12:22 PM on February 11, 2005

It's laughable. All the bullshit legislation, expansion of government, fear mongering and we would have never known about this had someone not called it in. But we're "winning the war on terror™"!!!
posted by j.p. Hung at 12:48 PM on February 11, 2005

As part of my job, I spend a lot of time at drilling rigs where Halliburton actually uses this stuff. Even though it's kept in a lead container, and they do everything possible to minimize exposure to everybody around, I still find myself backing up a couple of feet when they crew brings the radioactive tools off the truck. Usually, I cover my crotch with my hands for that added protection. :)
posted by cr_joe at 2:36 PM on February 11, 2005

On robocopisbleeding's note, this stuff was purchased from Russia. You would think we could find some Americium right here in Amurica. Damn russians and their fancy radioactive dirt.
posted by snsranch at 4:07 PM on February 11, 2005

Some of you libruls will take this as an opportunity claim that Halliburton broke the law. This is untrue.

I would remind you that the sitting Attorney General of the United States has stated that the President, as Commander-in-Chief, can immunize anyone he wants from prosecution for breaking any law. Because we're at war against terrorism, and 9-11 changed everything.

The President probably immunized Halliburton, so probably no laws were broken. If you don't agree, that only aids the terrorists and means you don't love Hispanics like Orrin Hatch does.

So STFU libruls!
posted by orthogonality at 4:34 PM on February 11, 2005

I'm with orthogonality. With the caviat that some folks are just plain better than others if those folks have money.
posted by Smedleyman at 4:53 PM on February 11, 2005

Smoking gun, mushroom cloud - I guess that's another one that got away.

I wonder what the former National Security Advisor might have to say about this?
posted by vhsiv at 6:33 PM on February 11, 2005

Perhaps they were busy with their soft target training.
posted by analogue at 11:02 PM on February 11, 2005

there was a dirty bomb threat - but it turned out that it was this drug smuggler who got shafted in some deal from mexico by these three guys - one who was chinese and one who was middle eastern, so he called the police with an annoymous tip that they were going to bomb boston.

its kind of funny - until it happens to you!!!
posted by klik99 at 1:22 AM on February 12, 2005

Halliburton: When it absolutely, positively, has to get there sometime in the six months, maybe.
posted by FormlessOne at 9:25 AM on February 12, 2005

If Halliburton is in the habit of leaving radioactive materials lying around where the terrorists could get at them, does this mean we have to invade Halliburton? Or the state of Massachusetts?
posted by Soliloquy at 10:39 AM on February 12, 2005

Why? Halliburton can ignore the rule of law with impunity. It can overcharge the government, and the government rolls over for it. It can openly do business with countries with which they're banned by law from doing business, and admit it without punishment. It can do slipshod work, and continue to win contracts for even more slipshod work.

Halliburton's our buddy! What's losing a little radioactive material among friends?

That whole "military-industrial complex" thing is soooo overrated.
posted by FormlessOne at 3:36 PM on February 12, 2005

So that's what's wrong with the big dig tunnel. And all along, I thought it was badly done work.
posted by Hactar at 3:43 PM on February 13, 2005