State of emergency declared at site containing 56 million gallons of radioactive waste – VIDEO
A state of emergency was declared in at Hanford Nuclear Reservation and hundreds of workers were evacuated after part of a tunnel used to store rail cars filled with radioactive waste collapsed.
The tunnel is covered with 8 feet of soil and contains materials such as trains used to transport nuclear fuel rods. The incident caused the soil above the tunnel to sink up to 4 feet.
Photo of massive plutonium finishing plant at Hanford. Tunnel that collapsed led to this building. pic.twitter.com/UG0hmXC78z
— Susannah Frame (@SFrameK5) May 9, 2017
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No radiation was released and no workers were in the tunnel at the moment of the collapse, according to USA Today.
A message was sent by one of the managers at Hanford to all personnel advising them to secure ventilation in their buildings and “refrain from eating or drinking.” The restrictions were later lifted.
Photo from source: Here is another view of the PUREX tunnel at Hanford. Hole from collapse seen under orange flag. pic.twitter.com/iFhTfIUJ6o
— Susannah Frame (@SFrameK5) May 9, 2017
A number of contractors working in the proximity of the tunnel were evacuated and people farther away, on the site that covers 586 square miles and is half the size of Rhode Island, were advised to remain indoors, according to the Washington state Department of Energy.
A robot has been used to get samples and assess the contamination in the air and on the ground.
This robot is being used at Hanford right now to sample contamination in the air and on the ground. pic.twitter.com/AFOrhIbB9S
— Susannah Frame (@SFrameK5) May 9, 2017
Handford was built during World War II and processed plutonium for most of the nuclear arsenal in the US, including the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki. Today, it contains 56 million gallons of radioactive waste, the largest depository of radioactive waste from the Defence Department.
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