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Glossary
for Miamisburg Mound
Excerpted
from Trash Day, A National Novel Writing Month Winner, 2004
A radioactive element found in pitchblend and
uranium ores, used in equilibrium with its decay products as a source of
alpha rays. Actinium 227 has a half life of 21.6 years.
Along with plutonium and thorium, actinium
contaminates the soil in Operational Unit Five at the Miamisburg
Environmental Mangement Project (Mound).
Subterranean muddy waters.
Alluvial Aquifers rest beneath empty drums
containing thorium under the ground at the Miamisburg
Environmental Management Project.
To cover an area one wishes to forget with black sticky goop then turn
said area into a surface suitable for parking vehicles.
The Miamisburg Environmental Management Project asphalted the
valley to cover potential release site 66, including ten to fifteen
thousand drums that once contained thorium 232, plutonium-238, and
polonium-210.
Entombed (en toomd)
verb, past tense.
- To have encased an
object in slabs of concrete, thus rendering the substance less toxic for
the next few years, after which it becomes necessary to re-entomb
materials.
- To have been put in a
vault for burial.
1.
Geology.
A slippage of rock masses at a point of weakness or fracture in the
continuity of masses of rock caused by a shifting or dislodging of the
upper crust of the earth, often the site of earthquakes and other seismic
movements. Since any fault in the earth’s crust in
Ohio cannot be seen, there’s no
telling where the next earthquakes might strike.
2.
Human behavior. Responsibility for a mistake or an offense;
culpability. Following the end of the world, she murmured to her image
in a shard of broken mirror: “It’s all my fault.”
Infant Jesus of
Prague (inf
ant uv prog) noun.
1. A
statue of the Infant Jesus carved in the year 1340 and brought into
Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) which promises many graces, blessings,
favors and miraculous healings. While Father Cyrl was praying before
the Infant Jesus of Prague, he heard the Infant Jesus say,
"Have pity on Me and I will have pity on you. Give Me My hands and I will
give you peace. The more you honor Me, the more I will bless you".
2. Any
statue carved in image of the Infant Jesus of Prague and dressed up in
baby clothes and stored on the family piano which promises many graces,
blessings, favors, and miraculous healings. While Frieda was praying
before the Infant of Jesus of Prague, Jesus heard Frieda
say, “Have pity on me and I will have pity on you. Give me your hands and
you will save my children from eternal damnation. The more I honor you the
more your graces will follow my children, even unto death.
A cite, often re-used by
industry for economic development.
“We offer your business a
range of location opportunities—from existing office, laboratory, and
light manufacturing space to prime real estate available for land lease or
build to suit options.” (Miamisburg Mound Community Improvement Corporation, 2002)
Experts agree. Location is one of the most
important decisions you’ll make in the life of your business.
Miami
Erie Canal (My am me ear ee can al) noun.
An historic man made
waterway, now defunct, formerly connected the Ohio River to Lake Erie.
“Sediments in the Maimi-Erie Canal were contaminated with plutonium-238
caused by a plutonium waste line break in 1969, and a subsequent rain
event which washed the contamination down a hillside to the canal.”
(US EPA. “Region 5 Superfund Division,” March 2002.)
Mound Advanced Technology
Center. (mownd add vans teck nahl udj ee sent her) noun.
The most recent (of this
writing) title given to the site of the decommissioned nuclear waste dump
and munitions plant in Miamisburg, Ohio.
Rare radioactive metallic
element used for heating spacecraft with a half-life of 138.39 days.
Dense, silvery radioactive
metallic transuranic element with a half-life of 86 years.
Plutonium 238
contaminated soil and debris remains onsite. (US EPA. “Region 5 NPL
Fact sheet”, November 2000.)
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