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Post by Ex_Nuke_Troop on Mar 20, 2014 18:32:20 GMT
Albuquerque Journal : WIPP says new leak ‘very small’By Lauren Villagran / Journal Staff Writer - Las Cruces Bureau UPDATED: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 at 6:33 am PUBLISHED: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 at 12:05 am The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant on Tuesday reported a “very small” radiation release occurred last week that may have stemmed from contamination in the ventilation system. One air sample collected March 11 from the ventilation exhaust showed increased levels of americium, but the levels remained below those deemed actionable by the Environmental Protection Agency. In a statement, WIPP called the release “expected, given the amount of contamination captured by the WIPP ventilation system during the February 14 radiation release event.” Engineers say the contamination comes from previous deposits inside the exhaust ducts, WIPP reported. Samples gathered from the same monitoring station before and after the release indicated background levels of radiation, WIPP said. WIPP said it doesn’t expect the release to impact the health of workers, the public or the environment. Located outside Carlsbad, WIPP is the nation’s only underground repository for low-level waste from the country’s past nuclear defense activities. WIPP continues to investigate the cause of a radiation leak from its underground waste storage rooms and has been closed to shipments for more than a month. www.abqjournal.com/370857/news/wipp-says-new-leak-very-small.html
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