Post by Ex_Nuke_Troop on Mar 22, 2014 6:32:55 GMT
Current Argus : Second radiation release won't impact cleanup plans for WIPP
By Zack Ponce
zponce@currentargus.com @zackponce12 on Twitter
Posted: 03/19/2014 09:04:27 PM MDT
CARLSBAD >> Despite a second radiation release reported by the Department of Energy on Tuesday, the incident is not expected to alter any cleanup and recovery plans underground at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, 26 miles east of Carlsbad, according to officials.
Samples collected from the ventilation in the exhaust shaft showed americium had escaped the shaft on March 11 but the agency does not expect any adverse health effects from the incident.
"To this point, we have no indication of any contamination making its way off site," the DOE said in a news release Tuesday.
The incident is believed to have been caused from a buildup of radioactive particles that eventually escaped the duct much like smoke from a chimney, and officials anticipate more residual releases until the original source of last month's radiation leak can be fixed.
"Small amounts (of radioactive particles) are escaping everyday and we're going to see those spikes every once in a while," said Donavan Mager, spokesman for the Nuclear Waste Partnership. "It's so small that it's going to disperse quickly. Everything is working the way we expect it to and as it was designed, otherwise you wouldn't see any (particles escaping) if the leak was contained."
The NWP recently sent a robot underground to inspect the mine and hopes to send the first human investigators below ground by the end of next week. WIPP officials said Wednesday they plan to test the mine's HEPA filters to ensure they're working as expected.
The second release was reported at an amount of 61 disintegrations per minute of americium, or less than 1 millirem of exposure according to the DOE. Millirems measure the amount of human exposure to radioactive particles and disintegrations per minute measures the amount of radioactive contamination from alpha and beta rays in an area.
On average, Americans receive a dose of 620 millirem per year, or roughly 1.7 per day, according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a federal oversight commission that develops policies and regulation to govern nuclear activities.
The DOE also reported that 20 additional employees had urine samples test negative for plutonium and americium on Tuesday. Additionally, full-body testing is continuing for many WIPP employees at the urging of the United Steel Workers Union, which oversees many of the on-site personnel.
DOE and NWP officials will provide another public update at the weekly Carlsbad town hall meeting on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in the city council chambers on 101 N. Halagueno Street.
DOE Carlsbad Field Office Manager Jose Franco and newly-appointed NWP president Bob McQuinn were not made available for comment on the situation.
Reporter Zack Ponce can be reached at (575) 689-7402.
www.currentargus.com/carlsbad-news/ci_25380660/second-radiation-release-wont-impact-cleanup-plans-wipp
By Zack Ponce
zponce@currentargus.com @zackponce12 on Twitter
Posted: 03/19/2014 09:04:27 PM MDT
CARLSBAD >> Despite a second radiation release reported by the Department of Energy on Tuesday, the incident is not expected to alter any cleanup and recovery plans underground at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, 26 miles east of Carlsbad, according to officials.
Samples collected from the ventilation in the exhaust shaft showed americium had escaped the shaft on March 11 but the agency does not expect any adverse health effects from the incident.
"To this point, we have no indication of any contamination making its way off site," the DOE said in a news release Tuesday.
The incident is believed to have been caused from a buildup of radioactive particles that eventually escaped the duct much like smoke from a chimney, and officials anticipate more residual releases until the original source of last month's radiation leak can be fixed.
"Small amounts (of radioactive particles) are escaping everyday and we're going to see those spikes every once in a while," said Donavan Mager, spokesman for the Nuclear Waste Partnership. "It's so small that it's going to disperse quickly. Everything is working the way we expect it to and as it was designed, otherwise you wouldn't see any (particles escaping) if the leak was contained."
The NWP recently sent a robot underground to inspect the mine and hopes to send the first human investigators below ground by the end of next week. WIPP officials said Wednesday they plan to test the mine's HEPA filters to ensure they're working as expected.
The second release was reported at an amount of 61 disintegrations per minute of americium, or less than 1 millirem of exposure according to the DOE. Millirems measure the amount of human exposure to radioactive particles and disintegrations per minute measures the amount of radioactive contamination from alpha and beta rays in an area.
On average, Americans receive a dose of 620 millirem per year, or roughly 1.7 per day, according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a federal oversight commission that develops policies and regulation to govern nuclear activities.
The DOE also reported that 20 additional employees had urine samples test negative for plutonium and americium on Tuesday. Additionally, full-body testing is continuing for many WIPP employees at the urging of the United Steel Workers Union, which oversees many of the on-site personnel.
DOE and NWP officials will provide another public update at the weekly Carlsbad town hall meeting on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in the city council chambers on 101 N. Halagueno Street.
DOE Carlsbad Field Office Manager Jose Franco and newly-appointed NWP president Bob McQuinn were not made available for comment on the situation.
Reporter Zack Ponce can be reached at (575) 689-7402.
www.currentargus.com/carlsbad-news/ci_25380660/second-radiation-release-wont-impact-cleanup-plans-wipp