Dean James AMERICA’S FREEDOM FIGHTERS –
Hundreds of workers were in “take cover” position after a tunnel in a plutonium uranium extraction (PUREX) plant collapsed at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington early Tuesday morning.
The tunnel was full of contaminated particles, including radioactive trains that transport fuel rods, KING5 reported.
Workers at the site have now been evacuated. Workers farther away were told to remain indoors.
The U.S. Department of Energy Richland Operations Office activated the Hanford Emergency Operations Center at 8:26 a.m. local time, after an alert was declared, according to the official Hanford site.
HANFORD EMERGENCY INFORMATION
HANFORD SITE ALERT
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Richland Operations Office activated the Hanford Emergency Operations Center at 8:26 a.m., after an alert was declared at the 200 East Area. There are concerns about subsidence in the soil covering railroad tunnels near a former chemical processing facility. The tunnels contain contaminated materials.
Actions taken to protect site employees include:
- Facility personnel have been evacuated
- As a precaution, workers in potentially affected areas of the Hanford Site have gone indoors
- Access to the 200 East Area of the Hanford Site, which is located in the center of the Hanford Site, has been restricted to protect employees
The public can request information regarding the event by calling (509) 376-8116. The media may call (509) 376-3322.
No action is currently required for residents of Benton and Franklin Counties.
A text message sent to all personnel and obtained by KING5 told workers to “secure ventilation in your building” and “refrain from eating or drinking.”
It was unclear if any radioactive materials were released into the air.
Crews doing road work near the plant may have caused vibrations that triggered the collapse, a source told KING5. This is a developing story.
Source- AFF
