Reuters, story by Shanida Smith

Representative Ron Klink formally introduced the Scrap Metal Act of 2000, a bill designed to protect consumers and steelworkers from "hazards related to imported and domestic radioactively contaminated scrap metal."

Klink, a Democrat, has the support of 25 congressmen and is calling for a bipartisan effort to get the bill passed.

"Recycled metal can end up in everything from cars to food containers," Klink said. "The American steel industry recycles 96% of cars and 75% of appliances," he said.

United Steelworkers of America President George Becker said in a statement that everyone could face a wide range of dangers without strong action to keep contamination out of steel products.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has no licensing or tracking system for the contaminated materials.

Sue Gagner, a spokeperson for the NRC, said that the commission has not decided to develop any rules to this point.

"We are looking at issues regarding the recycling of nuclear materials," Gagner said.

The NRC is asking the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study and provide recommendations on possible alternatives to control slightly radioactive material.

Over a 15-year period, about 50 incidents of high level contamination found in recycled metals were reported worldwide. No one was injured but cleanup costs range
from $10-24 million.

Currently, many individual metal plants have gauges to detect hazardous material. The plants themselves dispose of the waste and spend up to $15 million in cleanup costs.

In January, U.S. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson blocked plans to sell 6,000 tons of radioactive metal from a defunct uranium enrichment plant in Oak Ridge, Tenn. as scrap, citing potential health concerns.

Story by Shanida Smith

REUTERS NEWS SERVICE