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You know those back-scatter full-body scanners that the TSA started mounting in airports a couple of years back? They're totally safe. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the folks at Johns Hopkins vouched for that. Yeah, well, about that...upon further reflection (and documents obtained in a FOIA by the Electronic Privacy Information Center), it appears that our government may have slightly exaggerated.
Who'd have guessed? Apparently, some TSA workers have developed concerns, along with other stuff that begins with the letter "C": Fearful of provoking further public resistance to naked airport body scanners, the TSA has been caught covering up a surge in cases of TSA workers developing cancer as a result of their close proximity to radiation-firing devices, perhaps the most shocking revelation to emerge from the latest FOIA documents obtained by the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
After Union representatives in Boston discovered a “cancer cluster” amongst TSA workers linked with radiation from the body scanners, the TSA sought to downplay the matter and refused to issue employees with dosimeters to measure levels of exposure.
The documents indicate how, “A large number of workers have been falling victim to cancer, strokes and heart disease.”
In erroneously citing both NIST and the Johns Hopkins school of medicine to claim that the body scanners are safe, the TSA has also deliberately misled the public on the dangers posed by the devices.
Documents obtained by EPIC show that, far from affirming their safety, NIST warned that airport screeners should avoid standing next to full body scanners in order to keep exposure to harmful radiation “as low as reasonably achievable.”
Obviously, it's just a simple misunderstanding.
Yeah and Agent Orange and D.U. ammo are good for you.
This whole "Homeland Security" Gestapo system needs to be eliminated and turned back over to local control as it was designed. Billions of dollars wasted on theater and distractions.
Posted by: Bobkat | June 29, 2011 at 12:53 PM
Remember when Obama laughingly said that if we embrace the wonderful new highspeed rail plan we wouldn't have to take off our shoes and go through embarrassing full body scans? Dream on.
http://dailycaller.com/2011/06/27/planes-trains-and-automobiles-tsas-ever-expanding-jurisdiction/
"Planes, trains and automobiles — the Transportation Security Administration is now inspecting them all. And trolleys, ferries, subways and even private cars.
For several years now, TSA has coordinated with local and federal law enforcement agencies to perform inspections and large-scale training operations through its VIPR (Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response) program, targeting random transportation centers and giving unsuspecting citizens its trademark pat-downs. (AFL-CIO wins representation of TSA agents)
TSA conducted more than 8,000 VIPR operations in the past 12 months alone, including more than 3,700 operations in mass transit and passenger railroad venues.
In 2009, the total cost to taxpayers was $30 million. And now the agency is requesting funding for 12 more VIPR teams, which would bring the total to 37 squads and a budget of almost $110 million a year."
Posted by: Bobkat | June 29, 2011 at 01:03 PM
Yes, I read that DC piece the other day - I was particularly taken with the massive operation they described.
Posted by: Max | June 29, 2011 at 05:33 PM