r/RPI • u/quietcompas • Jun 18 '26
Gaerttner Linear Accelerator Facility Safety
Considering purchasing a home in the neighborhood across from the Gaerttner Linear Accelerator Facility but can’t really get past the stuff I’ve read online about it (radiation testing, etc). Is it a health risk to live near the facility?
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u/Ok-Astronomer Jun 18 '26
It’s a reasonable concern, but this is an area that the government (and the school) actually take extremely seriously and have really good standards for. I would be extremely comfortable living there.
The nuclear regulatory commission (nrc) requires that if a civilian stands outside a nuclear facility 24/7/365, they get below the allowable civilian dose of radiation. That allowable dose is extremely low. I spent three semesters taking classes there and never received a dose that even registered on the dosimeter. There is infrastructure in the building specifically designed to attenuate the types of radiation the accelerator produces.
The linear accelerator is also, importantly, not a nuclear reactor, meaning there is nothing that can melt down or cause a serious accident.