‘Incident’ at Sandia’s Ion Beam Laboratory prompts evacuation

The Ion Beam Laboratory and the Sandia National Laboratory’s Albuquerque, N.M., site remained off-limits to most lab employees Tuesday after being evacuated on Monday, according to the labs.

“Continue to avoid Bldg. 720, the Ion Beam Laboratory, until further notice due to the ongoing incident response,” the labs wrote in an emergency alert issued around 9 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday evening. 

On Monday, around 8 p.m. Eastern time, the labs wrote that there had been an “incident” at the facility and that “all non-essential personnel have been evacuated.” There were at that time no known injuries or exposures, Sandia wrote.

Sandia spokespersons reached Wednesday via email did not immediately comment on the situation at the Ion Beam Laboratory. 

Among other things, the Ion Beam Laboratory has been used to test the radiation sensitivity of integrated circuits and other materials and to certify that neutron-generator components are suitable for use in deployed nuclear weapons.