An Inspector Calls on Andrea Rossi (UPDATE: Rossi Comments)

A web site, Ecateu has posted documentation from an official report made by the Florida Bureau of Radiation Control (FBRC), a Florida regulatory agency charged with inspecting all nuclear materials activity within the state.

The public report from this investigation is published in its entirety on this site and includes a complaint from a citizen named Gary Wright, who expresses concern about the fact that Andrea Rossi may be manufacturing nuclear devices in Florida without a license. Wright states, “since these devices have been known to melt down and/or explode, and produce unknown quantities and types of radiation I feel very strongly that your department might want to investigate this matter.” Wright also includes a detailed history of Andrea Rossi outlining many of his activities and statements about his work on the E-Cat.

The report states that the original complaint was originally sent to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) who forward it on to the FBRC to conduct the investigation.

The incident description is as follows:

This is an NRC allegation forwarded to us for investigation It is alleged that owner is building a cold fusion reactor with no radioactive components that when running emits 511 keV gammas, strength unknown. Investigator talked to owner and found all production, distribution and use of these devices are overseas; therefore no action is required. Owner will seek Underwriter Laboratories (UL) approval for manufacture in the US when the time comes. No further action will be taken on this incident.

The following incident report was made on March 1 by a James Stokes:

I spoke to Dr Rossi concerning the construction and operation of his E-cat device. He stated the active ingredients are powdered nickel and a tablet containing a compound which releases hydrogen gas during the process. The output thermal energy is six times the electrical energy input. He acknowledged that no nuclear reactions occur during the process and that only low energy photons in the energy range 50-100 keV occur within the device. There are no radiation readings above background when the device is in operation. Since the device is not a reactor, the NRC does not have jurisdiction. Since there is no radioactive materials used in the construction and no radioactive waste is generated by it, the State of Florida, Bureau of Radiation Control has no jurisdiction. Currently, all production, distribution and use of these devices is overseas. Dr Rossi has arranged to meet with Underwriter Laboratories (UL) to seek approval for manufacturing in the United States. I thanked Dr Rossi for his time meeting with me.

James Stokes apparently met with Andrea Rossi at his corporate office in Miami — not at the factory he has mentioned many times, the whereabouts of which is still unknown. Rossi has said that a manufacturing facility is being prepared with a ‘robotized’ production line to make the 10 kW domestic E-Cats, but he hasn’t yet stated that production has begun on these devices. It is doubtful that any manufacturing will begin until Underwriters Laboratories safety certification is granted to Leonardo Corporation.

The first 1 MW plant E-Cat has been constructed in Rossi’s Bologna, Italy facilities. On the completion of this plant, Rossi says he will start manufacturing at least eleven more, but hasn’t stated where that work will take place.

It seems inevitable that as Andrea Rossi’s and Leonardo Corporation’s work on E-Cat technology becomes more widely know that there are going to be concerned people looking into what is going on. The secrecy in which the work is being done is bound to attract inquisitive followers of this story, especially when the claims about this technology are so groundbreaking. Rossi has managed to satisfy this particular investigator that there is nothing worth investigating from a regulatory point of view, but I am sure this will not deter those who are determined to uncover more about what is going on.

Plenty of people have motives to uncover more about Rossi’s activities. Competitors in the LENR field may want to stop him, environmentalists may fear radioactive contamination, investigators may want to uncover an elaborate hoax, and fans may just want to get a closer look at the E-Cat in production. Rossi seems intent on keeping his research and development, and manufacturing plans a secret, but I think it will be come more difficult for him to do this as time progresses.

UPDATE: Andrea commented on this story today on the Journal of Nuclear Physics

There is not “my version” , there is only one version of the Florida Bureau inspection at Leonardo Corporation, as a matter of fact it is the version derived from the actual facts: We have been very glad to receive their visit and we have explained to them all we had to. We agreed with them that we will keep them informed of all our developments and also explained to them that we do not use radioactive materials and do not produce radioactive materials. The persons we talked with are very prepared and expert, they have been right and correct, and I have been honoured to deal with them. What we said beyond this is confidential and I have nothing to add at all. I give no information at all regarding our factory, as I always said, until our production will be officially announced. I can say, and I am delighted to say this, that the Officers of the Florida State I have been contacted from are glad that we are making jobs in Florida with a company that respects the Law. Of course they will have free access to us in our Florida site, also to verify that we do not use radioactive material and we do not produce radioactive material and, also , we agreed that we will not sell in the USA the domestic E-Cats before the due certification, that will certify that no radiations are emitted from the E-Cats outside the body of the E-Cats while they are working.