Morning Briefing - February 23, 2016
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February 23, 2016

Radiological Particles Spread From Hanford Burial Ground

By ExchangeMonitor

The Environmental Protection Agency has asked the Department of Energy to prepare a corrective action report by the third week of April after the spread of radioactive contamination was discovered at the Hanford Site following a November windstorm. Some contamination was found across Route 4, a public road between the city of Richland and the secure Wye Barricade where drivers must show a security badge to enter Hanford. Winds reached speeds of 70 to 75 mph on Nov. 17 at the 618-10 Burial Ground, where grouting work had been done the day before with concreted drums dug up from trenches. The drums, lined with concrete, generally were used when the burial ground was operating before 1964 to dispose of waste with higher radioactivity from the 300 Area.

After the windstorm, radioactive specks of sand-like grains were found outside the burial ground, including at least one grain across Route 4 from the burial ground. A street sweeper was used to collect sand and dirt on the section of the highway near the burial ground, which is heavily used by commuting workers. No contamination was found in the sweepings or during radiological surveys of the road. On Nov. 24, contractor Washington Closure Hanford indicated that all radiological material had been collected, according to EPA. However, on Dec. 11, the Washington State Department of Health conducted a post-corrective action survey on behalf of EPA and found four more specks of contamination, one of them across the highway from the burial ground. Those specks were determined to be contamination spread by plants or animals, which could include bits of contaminated tumbleweed or contamination from animal urine.

“This is a matter that is alarming to EPA and requires further investigation and discussion,” EPA said in the letter to DOE requesting the corrective action report. The report is to include a chronological timeline and summary of all loss of control events at the 618-10 Burial Ground, the corrective actions for each event, and the revised practices and technologies to be used to prevent future loss-of-control events.

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NEW: Via public records request, I’ve been able to confirm reporting today that a warrant has been issued for DOE deputy asst. secretary of spent fuel and waste disposition Sam Brinton for another luggage theft, this time at Las Vegas’s Harry Reid airport. (cc: @EMPublications)

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