NRD: Industrial polonium products made on Island are ‘safe’

by Karen Keefe
Grand Island Dispatch, December 15, 2006

A Grand Island company has termed “safe and effective” the line of products it makes that contain a radioactive substance suspected in the poisoning death of a Russian dissident.

NRD LLC, of 2937 Alt Blvd., was mentioned in a recently published article on the industrial uses of radioactive polonium, suspected as the cause of death in an incident involving ex-Russian spy Alexander V. Litvinenko.

“NRD is a manufacturer of static eliminating devices, some of which are licensed, as they contain the radioactive material polonium-210,” according to a statement issued by the company in response to media inquiries.

The company calls the devices “alpha ionizers.” “These devices are licensed as sealed sources by the appropriate regulatory authority,” the company said, “and prior to approval for general distribution, have undergone rigorous testing and safety analysis.”

Town Supervisor Peter McMahon forwarded NRD’s explanation to the Grand Island news media, explaining that it was a statement in response to Buffalo News reporters. He said the company asked him to forward the statement after the News article was published.

The company indicated that no interviews would be granted, and that the statement was NRD’s “complete response” to reports.

Town officials met with the principals at NRD shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, and “went over with them the enhancements to security arrangements they had been making,” McMahon said. “We were very comfortable with their plans,” he said.

The company deals regularly with the Grand Island Fire Company he said, including a site visit so fire officials are familiar with their facilities. “They’ve been an outstanding corporate citizen,” McMahon said of NRD.

NRD said that over the past 30 years, its static eliminating devices have been and are currently manufactured to the most stringent standards. They are “in compliance with all applicable federal and state regulations to assure our customers that they are a safe and effective tool,” the company said.

NRD’s Web site, www.nrdstaticcontrol.com, said the devices are used in the plastics, packaging, converting, printing and electronics industries.

In the “Frequently Asked Questions” section of the Web site, NRD answered the question: “Can I become contaminated using an alpha ionizer?”

In its answer, NRD said: “Our alpha ionizer static eliminators contain a small amount of radioactive material and are considered sealed sources.” The company assured that its testing of the devices was thorough and in compliance with state and federal agencies and regulations.

“Every alpha ionizer is leak tested before shipment,” according to the Web site. The company said that in the 30 years NRD has been making the devices, “the only instances of contamination were when the integrity of an ionizer was compromised by physical abuse, such as drilling a hole through it or cutting it.”