ACTING NNSA CHIEF HELD HEADING TO Y-12 TODAY TO ADDRESS URANIUM INCIDENT

Acting National Nuclear Security Administration chief Bruce Held will meet with Y-12 National Security Complex officials today and hold an all-hands meeting at the plant to address a material accountability incident involving uranium oxide (U-308). NNSA spokeswoman Keri Fulton confirmed that an incident involving a small amount of U-308, triuranium octoxide, a common form of yellowcake uranium, occurred at Y-12 recently, but she declined to provide details. NW&M Monitor has learned that a scientist inadvertently left a sample of the material in his clothing, which was detected by a portal monitor at some point during the process of taking the clothing to be laundered.  Fulton said there was never a threat to public health or safety. “Because safety and security are our highest priorities, the NNSA and other appropriate authorities continue to investigate,” Fulton said.