Fluor Idaho is in the advanced stages of its investigation into the cause of an April 11 incident in which four drums of radioactive sludge overheated and ejected their lids, causing waste to spill onto the floor at an Idaho National Laboratory facility.
Representatives of the contractor, Energy Department officials in Idaho, and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality expect to meet Aug. 6 to discuss the company’s investigation and preliminary findings.
In a progress report filed with the state Monday, covering the company’s response to the incident from June 22 to July 19, Fluor Idaho said the contamination level in the Accelerated Retrieval Project 5 area has improved enough to reduce the degree of protective equipment worn by cleanup workers. Sweeping and vacuuming up the spilled material has greatly reduced contamination in the airlock, the report says.
Previously, Fluor Idaho has said “a significant portion” of the potential 220 gallons of repackaged waste sludge spilled out. “Prevention of further spread of radiological contamination has been a higher priority than an exact count of the spill volume,” said Brian English, a hazardous waste permitting manager with DEQ. Recovery is not complete. Walls and ceilings are being wiped to remove contamination.
Additional tests will include “flammable gas sampling” of sludge from the four drums involved in the incident. During cleanup work on May 24 “a spark” was seen in spilled material on the floor, according to the report.
The ARP is located within the Radioactive Waste Management Complex, set up at INL in the 1950s to bury low-level radioactive waste from research operations.
The company still expects to conclude is cleanup and decontamination of the accident site in September and issue its investigation report in November. No date has been set yet for resumption of sludge repackaging at the Waste Management Facility.
“Future changes to the facility or operations will be determined based upon the investigation conclusions and issuance of the final investigation report,” Fluor Idaho said.