Uranium Medical Research Centre

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12/26/2005
Operation Iraqi Freedom, UMRC's Veteran's DU Screening
UMRC is conducting a uranium bioassay and clincal studies program for veterans of US Operation Iraqi Freedom, UK Operation TELIC, and AU Operation Falconer; as well as, civilian residents and NGO staff. Click here for more information.

12/26/2005
Uranium Biological Effects Study – Port Hope
UMRC is pleased on its official participation in the Port Hope Biological Studies Project, Port Hope Ontario. Port Hope is the home of two nuclear industry facilities: Zircatec Precision Industries and Cameco Nuclear Fuels Division. Cameco acquired the Port Hope uranium refinery, conversion and metals processing facility from the original Canadian Crown Corporation, Eldarado Nuclear. Eldarado Nuclear participated in the Manhattan Project and now as Cameco, supplies UF6 to the US uranium enrichment program and UO2 to Zircatec and other fuel rod manufacturers.

Currently Zircatec and Cameco process commercial natural uranium, depleted uranium, and enriched uranium stocks. As Eldoradeo, the refinery supplied Canadian and US Defense Departments with uranium and depleted uranium metals and extruded rods for kinetic energy penetrator research. Retired employees confirm that DU-KEP extruded rods were manufactured in Port Hope in the 1960’s onwards. The Cameco facility hosts one of the largest uranium metal processing capacities in the industry.

Dr. Asaf Durakovic, UMRC’s Director of Research has been appointed to the Medical Advisory Committee, Port Hope Community Health Concerns Committee. Tedd Weyman, UMRC’s Deputy Director is leading the field investigations at Port Hope.

Click here for the program application.

10/24/2005
Honoring Dr. Leonard Dietz
Leonard A. Dietz, age 82, of Niskayuna, died October 24, 2005. Dr. Dietz was born in Manistee, Mich. and grew up there. In February 1943, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and after graduating from flying training, served as a pilot in the 506th Fighter Group, 462nd Fighter Squadron and was based on Iwo Jima. He flew the P51D Mustang fighter on very long range missions during the closing months of World War II. He was awarded three Air Medals and a Distinguished Unit Citation, and was discharged from the Air Corps in August 1946 as a 1st Lt. After the war, he graduated from the University of Michigan in 1949 with a BS in physics, and received an MS in physics in 1950. He then joined GE and worked in the general engineering laboratory in Schenectady until 1955, when he transferred to Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory where he worked for 28 years. He was an experimental research physicist in mass spectrometry and was responsible for developing advanced mass spectrometer instrumentation and new analytical techniques for isotope ratio analysis of uranium and plutonium. His extensive published research in ion detection resulted in ion pulse-counting detectors for mass spectrometry. He was manager of a technical group that included the mass spectrometer component. Dr. Dietz was active in a local Boy Scout troop while his sons were growing up and was a volunteer fireman for 14 years. He was treasurer of Jones Boarding Home, a local non-profit corporation that took care of mentally disadvantaged adults, and was active in the First Unitarian Society of Schenectady and the Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany, and was president of the Albany Memorial Society. After the 1991 Persian Gulf War, he provided physics support on airborne uranium particles from depleted uranium munitions to TV, radio and print journalists, to Congress, and to environmentalists and researchers who were investigating the spread and health risks of these radioactive particles. A generous and loving husband and father, Dr. Dietz is survived by his wife of 55 years, Betty; his children, Thomas, Kristin and Allen; two grandchildren, Max and Iris.

For more information on Dr. Dietz's contribution to understanding the effects of depleted uranium click here.

10/5/2005
UMRC Presents at the IV International Media Forum on the Protection of Nature
Invited by the President of Italy and the Vatican, Dr. Durakovic gave a talk titled "Radioactive Waste: the Viability of the Biosphere" at the IV International Media Forum on the Protection of Nature, Villa Mondragone, Monte Porzio, Rome.

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