A new study by Princeton University researchers argues that the National Nuclear Security Administration’s analysis underestimates the geographic and health impacts of any potential severe plutonium fire at pit production facilities.
The peer-reviewed study, published in Science & Global Security, examines hypothetical plutonium fire scenarios at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, where NNSA plans to expand plutonium pit production. Using updated atmospheric dispersion and health-risk modeling, the researchers conclude that radioactive contamination from a worst-case accident could extend hundreds of miles beyond the 50-mile area evaluated in NNSA’s ongoing Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS), potentially affecting people in multiple states.
The study was released as the public comment period on the draft PEIS is closing this week and debate continues over NNSA’s plan to produce at least 80 plutonium pits annually across the two sites.
The Union of Concerned Scientists cited the study in comments submitted on the draft PEIS, arguing that the agency’s accident analyses fail to fully account for the potential consequences of a major plutonium release.
“This new study from Princeton University demonstrates that the NNSA’s assumptions about risk to the general public from plutonium pit production may be woefully inadequate,” said Dylan Spaulding, senior scientist in UCS’s Global Security Program.
Spaulding also pointed to a recent fire inside a plutonium facility at Los Alamos, saying it highlights the importance of strengthening safety measures as pit production ramps up. He argued that NNSA should prioritize additional engineering and administrative controls to reduce the likelihood and consequences of a severe accident.
As NNSA reviews public comments on the draft PEIS and moves forward with plans to reestablish large-scale plutonium pit production at Los Alamos and the Savannah River Site, this study has been distributed, also featured in the New York Times.