Big Collection WWII Aircraft Instrument Panels and Instruments confiscated

[Flitzer]

That sends my blood boiling. Ask them if there is a reward for turning in other locations that have this dangerous material. Start by giving them this address:

14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway
Chantilly, Virginia 20151

There are a lot of other museums with this stuff in plain site with thousands of people walking arms length of this dangerous material every week!

I should hope your case would be laughed out of court, but make sure you keep very close tabs on those items because they tend to "vanish".

Good luck,

[Huib Ottens]

Hi Laid,

Have you considered contacting "Hart van Nederland" or "de Telegraaf"?

They probably will be interested in presenting this case to the general public and probably nationwide publicity will be helpfull.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Huib Ottens

Hi Laid,

Have you considered contacting "Hart van Nederland" or "de Telegraaf"?

They probably will be interested in presenting this case to the general public and probably nationwide publicity will be helpfull.

Have you likewise considered contacting your local MP and enlisting the help of someone political?

[stephen f. polyak]

Good points one and all . . .

However, and I am not being flip, don't think that the actions of the government, medical and law enforcement officials in this case, at this point at least, will yield to a few sprinkles of common sense, reason or even technical facts. Even worse, those factors may not alter the outcome later. Simply, something "radioactive" was shipped (always a no-no without quantification/declaration [but it can be done], and in today’s world of weapons of mass destruction and dirty bombs really an attention/headline getter) and this time detected (overwhelmingly these things aren't), and the trail lend to the recipient (and, worse, more “radioactive” stuff). What's the knee jerk reaction – confiscate! Here in the US, not only the items but the owner may have gone for a ride downtown. While I have doubts that the government will sort this out favorably, that is where you must turn, aided by legal representation. Imagine - believeing they are "protecting" the many - if they come down even harder in terms of individual ownership!

Got to wonder where those items are now “safely and properly” stored.

[Andy Saunders]

Indeed, so, Stephen!

I am not sure that some of the suggestions about involving the press are such a good idea. One can never be sure the angle the press will take, and that route could MASSIVELY back fire and achieve the opposite effect that Liad might desire. The press might take the government's line in this and go with the story that this is all hugely radioactive and extremely dangerous. I can see the headlines now.

That said, the media probably already know....and someone in that industry will have probably read all of this by now anyway. Its probably only a matter of time before we read lurid and sensational headlines.

[Huub Vink]

Liad, I was pointed to this forum by a friend, who had similar problems like you have now. I will try to explain the legal framework a bit. In the Netherlands there is a Radiation protection Decree (Besluit Stralingsbescherming). According to this Decree it is forbidden to have radio active marterials, unless there is a specific need to have them. In that case you can apply for a license at Senternovem. The licence contains all requirements you will have to meet.

As you can not justify the need to have radio active material, you are not allowed to have these instruments. The Aviodrome has recently received a permit and "bevrijdende vleugels" is currenly in the application proces for a permit. Senternovem does not consider "collecting instruments" a solid reason to issue a permit.

Aircraft instruments have been "discovered" by the "labour inspectorate" already a few years ago. Recently a new "market" has been discovered; The instruments in vintage vehicles! As they contain Radium as well.

About Radium paint: Most instruments painted with this paint generate quite some dose (Even above the limits for exposure for radiation workers!). Especially at short distance.
However this isn't the biggest risk. The paint is very brittle therefore most instruments are contaminated with small radioactive particles or dust. Especially when the glass of the instrument has been removed or when it is broken, the risk on an internal contamination is quite large.

I understand this might sound harsh, but for your own health and for the health of the people you live with it is better to get rid of these instruments.

I wish you good luck in court, however as the Decree forbids posession, you most probably won't get your instruments back. Hopefully the judge will decide that you won't have to pay COVRA for the removal of the instruments.

Best regards,
Huub Vink
Radiation Safety Expert

Hier kan je de laatste versie van de vergunning van het Aviodrome vinden: http://www.senternovem.nl/mmfiles/20...m24-326283.pdf

[Andy Saunders]

It seems from Huub's useful post that insofar as the Netherlands are concerned this must be an open and shut case - unfortunately for Liad! If those are the rules and that is the law, then I imagine not a lot can be done about it.

In the UK (and possibly elsewhere) the regulations do seem to be a little more ambiguous, and certainly open to interpretation in different ways.

I imagine that sooner or later in the UK there will be a test case, and this could well set a benchmark for what is acceptable and what is not.