"A much better solution, IMHO is to use your solution but neutron warheads. "
Didn't we destroy our neutron warheads after one nuke reduction or another?
I agree with your gist but just to clear up some things; from what I understand oil is able to be be cleaned of radiation effects at relatively low cost. Remember only stuff on the surface would be in direct risk of contamination... if particles got into it.
The rest of it is underground (very few oil strip mines) so would fare better than the workers at the refineries and well sites. The majority of the oil wells and refineries are outside the cites so would be mostly unaffected.
Didn't we destroy our neutron warheads after one nuke reduction or another?Jimmy Carter ordered the stockpiles dismantled, but I'd bet that a smarter President secretly ordered them reconstituted. Ronald Reagan as President was no fool. I'll bet we've got a few laying around somewhere.
Even if they're not, it would be a snap to get them back online and updated of course.
My father in law has a Ph.d in nuclear physics, and he's convinced of both assertions above.