Federal Agents Still Worried about Possibility of Really Dirty Bombs
Equine veterinarians are once again worrying that the Federal government will make it illegal to store radioactive horse manure and could saddle them with burdensome disposal and security regulations. The reason: fears that terrorists might acquire dump truck loads of radioactive manure and make a dirty bomb.
“It strikes me as silly, bureaucracy run amok,” said Amos Abernathy, an equine veterinarian in Southborough, Massachusetts. “Someone will explode a bomb that splatters radioactive horse manure all over Washington? Give me a break. There are lots worse things they could use, chicken manure, for example.”
Silly or not, proposed new regulations drafted by the Department of Homeland Security after years of discussion list radioactive horse manure among a wide variety of items that need to be properly secured lest terrorists obtain them. If the regulations are ever implemented, piles of radioactive horse manure outside equine clinics would have to have armed guards 24 hours a day until the radioactivity had decayed to a safe level.
The radioactive manure is the result of diagnostic scans of horse bones using radioactive isotopes. Manure excreted by a horse after one of the examinations is radioactive for a time.
The dirty bomb danger from radioactive horse manure was first raised by Federal officials three years ago. Several clinics around the country reported that Federal agents had appeared with subpoenas and dump trucks and taken away piles of the manure.
Soon thereafter, the Government seemed to lose interest.
“I figured maybe they had moved on to juicier targets, though it was great having them haul away manure. It’s so hard to get rid of,” Abernathy said. “Oh well, you need to remember that the Feds always have long memories.”
A spokesman for the National Association of Horse Doctors said the group was closely monitoring the radioactive manure regulations. “When it gets to the comment period and they hold hearings, I think we can get everyone to come to their senses, particularly if we show up at the hearings with several dump truck loads of horse manure,” said Howard Higgins, NAHD executive director.