The U.S. Energy Department’s internal watchdog has initiated a formal investigation into the spread of radioactive contamination at the Hanford Site’s Plutonium Finishing Plant. The DOE Office of Enterprise Assessments’ (EA) Office of Enforcement notified the contractor demolishing the plant, CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Co., of the probe in a letter sent March 21 and recently made public.
The investigation will look into “the facts and circumstances associated with the spread of radiological contamination outside of the established radiological boundary of the Plutonium Finishing Plant at Hanford in 2017 and 2018,” Kevin Dressman, acting director of the Office of Enforcement, wrote to CHPRC President and CEO Ty Blackford.
Dressman said the probe will involve an on-site visit, along with interviews with CHPRC employees and a request for documents.
The Office of Enterprise Assessments performs independent assessments and investigations for DOE senior leadership. Independent of the DOE Office of Environmental Management, which oversees Hanford, EA reports directly to the Office of the Secretary. It can take enforcement actions against contractor organizations for poor performance in adhering to legally enforceable safety requirements.
“This investigation is one of the first steps in the Department of Energy’s (EA) enforcement process,” said the DOE Hanford Richland Operations Office in a statement.
In December, a spread of radioactive contamination was discovered at the Plutonium Finishing Plant as demolition was finishing up on the most contaminated section of the plant. Results of bioassays showed 11 workers had inhaled or ingested radioactive particles, in addition to 31 workers who were found to have similar internal contamination after a spread of contamination in June 2017.
