Another possible chemical vapor incident was reported Tuesday at the Hanford Site in Washington state for the first time in five days. This one was different because it was reported about 7 miles away from where previous reports were made. Previous potential exposures in recent weeks were in or near the group of tank farms in the southeast corner of the Hanford 200 East Area, which includes the AN, AP, AX, and A Tank Farms. On Tuesday, employees inspecting generators outside the TX Tank Farm in the 200 West Area reported a suspicious odor. A Washington River Protection Solutions spokesman was unaware of any work with waste being done in the 200 West Area on Tuesday. Most work with waste, which can increase the chance of chemical vapors being released, is being done in the 200 East Area. Since late April, 47 people in the 200 East Area have received medical evaluations. The workers who smelled the odor on Tuesday declined a medical evaluation. However, another worker nearby reported symptoms and was taken to the on-site medical provider. Although the symptoms were not made public, they typically include coughing, dizziness, and shortness of breath.
There had been no additional reports of possible chemical vapors on Wednesday as of late afternoon.
The Department of Energy said access to the TX Tank Farm and nearby areas has been restricted as air samples are gathered and analyzed. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) released a statement Tuesday, saying that after meeting with some Hanford workers last week he is convinced that the problem of chemical vapors at Hanford is increasingly serious and not adequately addressed. “These workers are people working hard to support their families and it’s not enough just to be working to increase monitoring of chemical vapors down the road,” the lawmaker said. “DOE needs to be working immediately on a plan to protect workers who are in the tank farms today.”
