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U.S. NEWS Friday 13 april 2018

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Radioactive sludge barrel ruptures at Idaho nuclear site

By KEITH RIDLER ratory Joint Information packed at Los Alamos Na-
Associated Press Center spokesman Don Mi- tional Laboratory, another
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A bar- ley. of the nation’s nuclear re-
rel containing radioactive The barrel contains a mix- search labs. The waste had
sludge ruptured at an Ida- ture of fluids and solvents been mixed with organic
ho nuclear facility, federal that came from nuclear cat litter to absorb mois-
officials said Thursday, re- weapons production at ture, resulting in a chemical
sulting in no injuries and no the Rocky Flats Plant near reaction. The incident re-
risk to the public but possi- Denver. sulted in a radiation release
bly slowing progress in ship- Officials during the Cold that forced the closure of
ping waste out of the state. War were extremely secre- the repository for nearly
The U.S. Department of tive about the contents of three years and prompted
Energy said the 55-gal- the barrels for fear that the an expensive recovery ef-
lon (208-liter) barrel rup- process of making nucle- fort and a major policy
tured late Wednesday ar weapons could be re- overhaul for handling Cold
at the 890-square-mile vealed if the contents were War-era waste. This Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017, file photo, provided by the Idaho
(2,305-square-kilometer) known, Miley said. The sprawling Idaho site National Laboratory shows the Idaho National Laboratory
site that includes the Idaho A preliminary theory about in high-desert sagebrush Transient Reactor Test Facility in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
National Laboratory, one the cause of the rupture steppe sits atop the giant Associated Press
of the nation’s top federal is that radioactive decay Eastern Snake Plain Aqui- to the top for adventurous up following court battles
nuclear research labs. made the barrel heat up fer that’s used by cities for drivers. and several agreements
The rupture triggered a fire and ignite particles of ura- drinking water and farm- The site has been used for with Idaho in the 1990s
alarm, and three Idaho Na- nium, he said. ers for irrigation. The area is nuclear waste disposal and amid concerns by state of-
tional Laboratory firefight- “They haven’t run into any- near the striking 7,550-foot storage beginning in the ficials that Idaho was be-
ers extinguished the smol- thing like this actually hap- (2,300-meter) Big Southern 1950s. The federal govern- coming the nation’s nucle-
dering barrel and pulled it pening,” he said. “They’ve Butte, which has a road ment has been cleaning it ar waste dump.q
away from a dozen other got a really good idea
barrels nearby. of what’s in (the barrels),
When the firefighters left but they might not always
the building, emergency know the concentrations.”
workers detected a small He said an investigation will
amount of radioactive ma- try to determine if there are
terial on their skin, said de- other barrels at risk of rup-
partment spokeswoman turing.
Danielle Miller. Workers entering the struc-
The material was washed ture, even before the
off the firefighters, who breach, must use self-con-
were taken to a nearby tained breathing appara-
medical facility as a pre- tus and wear full protective
caution, she said. clothing. Officials said no
Initial assessments showed radiation has been detect-
they did not inhale the ra- ed outside the structure,
dioactive material and which has special filters to
were not injured, Miller prevent radioactive par-
added. ticles from escaping.
None of the radioactive It’s not clear how many
material was detected out- barrels are in the earthen-
side of the building where floor structure that’s 380
the rupture occurred, she feet (116 meters) long and
said. 165 feet (50 meters) wide.
Federal officials said it’s the The barrel that ruptured
first known rupture of a bar- had been moved to the
rel containing radioactive containment structure in
sludge at the site but might preparation for shipment
not be the last. to the Waste Isolation Pilot
That’s because secretive Plant near Carlsbad, New
record-keeping during the Mexico.
Cold War makes it hard for At the underground reposi-
officials to know the exact tory in 2014, a barrel of ra-
contents of similar barrels, dioactive waste ruptured
said Idaho National Labo- after being inappropriately