Best Medical debunks radioactive waste rumors in Monessen
Mark Soroka/For the Observer-Reporter
Representatives of Best Medical Inc., which purchased the former Monessen Municipal Complex in 2017, recently invited officials to tour the facility in an effort to dispel rumors that they are storing radioactive materials there.
Mark Soroka/For the Observer-Reporter
Dave Strong, a Best Medical director, right, conducts a tour of the empty basement in the former Monessen Municipal Complex while former Monessen mayor Lou Mavrakis and Best Medical site manager Belinda Strongosky look on.
Mark Soroka/For the Observer-Reporter
Dave Strong, a Best Medical director, right, conducts a tour of the empty basement in the former Monessen Municipal Complex while former Monessen mayor Lou Mavrakis and Best Medical site manager Belinda Strongosky look on.
MONESSEN – Best Medical International dispatched several representatives to Monessen recently to debunk rumors that hazardous radioactive materials are being stored in the former Monessen Municipal Complex.
Councilman Anthony Orzechowski said he arranged the tour and invited the media to attend, hoping to dispel allegations that have been made about the company’s intentions for the space.
“There’s been talk that there’s a 55-gallon drum in the basement that’s oozing chemicals,” said Orzechowski. “That needs to be put to bed once and for all. There is no truth to those rumors. Best Medical came here to set the record straight. They are transparent and have nothing to hide.”
Krishnan Suthanthiran, president and founder of the Best Medical group of companies, purchased the municipal building from the city in May 2017 with the intention of converting it into a manufacturing facility that will produce radiotherapy products for cancer patients.
Although the building is still empty, Best Medical underwent a pre-licensing process and received a permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Radiation Program to store radioactive isotopes on-site.
According to Dave Strong, site manager and director of brachytherapy systems and clinical research for Best Medical, the plan was to use the basement to house the raw materials, which would then be encapsulated into “seeds” – cylinders that are no larger than a grain of rice. Seeds are implanted into the body very close to or inside a tumor. Brachytherapy has been proven to be extremely effective for the treatment of prostate and breast cancer because it kills tumors while sparing surrounding healthy cells, Strong said.
However, Best Medical nixed those plans when it determined that the basement would not be suitable for storing the raw materials.
“The ceiling was too low, and the elevator wouldn’t be able to handle the weight of the lead pig containers that would be transported to the basement,” said Strong. “In addition, the basement was damaged by some recent flooding. We are now thinking about constructing a building somewhere in the parking lot to store the materials. There is absolutely no truth to the rumors that we’re keeping hazardous materials in this building.”
As Strong said, no radioactive materials or equipment could be found in the empty basement rooms.
He emphasized that the public will not be endangered by any of these radioactive materials – wherever they are located.
“These materials don’t have a long-term impact because they have such a short half-life,” he said. “Also, there is no waste with the radioactive isotope manufacturing process, and there won’t be any fallout in the water. The seeds are so safe that we ship them to medical facilities via FedEx. We are very safety conscious.”
Strong added that the state Department of Health will be conducting regular inspections once the Monessen facility is operational.
When asked about allegations that Best Medical left radioactive waste behind at a Nordion nuclear medicine facility in Fleurus, Belgium, a Best Medical attorney disputed those claims.
“Best Medical had nothing to do with the isotopes that were found in Belgium,” said James Brady. “Those materials were left there from the 1950s.”
Lou Mavrakis, former mayor of Monessen, was instrumental in bringing Best Medical International to the city. He joined the tour and said he believes this company could help create more jobs and boost the local economy.
“Let’s face it, people aren’t knocking down doors to open businesses in Monessen,” said Mavrakis. “We should be welcoming this company with open arms.”
Orzechowski said he feels that Monessen residents should give Best Medical a chance to prove that it will be a good neighbor.
“Best Medical could be part of a movement to kickstart Monessen,” he said. “They are giving hope to our city – something we haven’t had in the last 30 years.”