Energy News.....
“Emergency preparedness, equipment maintenance, waste characterization and nuclear safety requirements are issues CCNS has raised for years.,” said a release from Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety. “They are the same issues raised in the DOE’s fire and radiation release accident investigation reports.”
According to CCNS, Ted Wyka, Chair of the Department of Energy (DOE) Accident Investigation Board, did not explain the delay in its release. Wyka also did not provide a schedule for when he and other board members would be available for detailed questions and discussion about the report.
CCNS also said the report identifies eight contributing causes to the radiation release to the environment, including that the contractor, Nuclear Waste Partnership, does not have effective radiation protection, nuclear safety, or maintenance programs. Further, DOE’s Carlsbad Field Office and Headquarters oversight is ineffective, especially since 2010, but the report does not explain why that declining safety culture occurred.
The report from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Accident Investigation Board cited poor management, ineffective maintenance and a lack of proper training and oversight at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad. The report also found that much of the operation failed to meet standards for a nuclear facility.
The series of shortcomings are similar to those found in a probe of the truck fire in the half-mile-deep mine just nine days before the Feb. 14 radiation release that shuttered the plant indefinitely.
Given the latest findings, watchdog Don Hancock said the leak that contaminated 21 workers with low doses of radiation in mid-February was a “best-case scenario.”
“Everything conspired for the least bad event to occur, based on what we know — and there is a still a lot we don’t know,” he said.
Last month, the head of the Defense Nuclear Safety Board, which has staff monitoring the Waste Isolation Pilot Project, called the accidents “near misses.”
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board Chairman Peter Winokur said that for six days after the fire, no underground air monitors were operational, meaning that if that system had failed when the leak occurred Feb. 14, “or if the release event had occurred three days earlier, the release of radioactive material from the aboveground mine exhaust would have been orders of magnitude larger.”
USA Today: Radiation tripled in some albacore tuna off West Coast after Fukushima — Bioaccumulating in bones, not only flesh — “Additional exposures to plume could further increase radiation levels” — NOAA-funded study to expand after ‘significant’ findings (AUDIO)
http://www.hanfordchallenge.org/newsroom/
Newsroom
Cleanup at Hanford will take several decades, but there are always rapidly developing stories, regular public events, and lots of information worth knowing. Hanford Challenge tracks the news, makes some of its own, and has built up a library of fact sheets, reports, and primary source documents that will help you make sense of what happened, what is happening, and what’s next for Hanford. This page is constantly updated to keep you informed of the latest news, press releases and calendar events.
The Latest News:
April
- Calls for safety changes date back decades at Hanford, King5 News, April 30, 2014.
- Hanford’s State of the Site meeting in Richland updates public,The Tri-City Hearld, April 30, 2014.
- Calls for safety changes date back decades at Hanford n, King 5 News, April 29, 2014.
- South Carolina lab asked to review vapour problem at Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington, The Nanaimo Daily News, April 29, 2014.
- Tank vapors cause evacuation of Hanford C Tank Farm, The Tri-City Herald, April 29, 2014.
- Hanford Challenge cautions workers about participating in vapor study, The Tri-City Herald, April 29, 2014.
- Press Release: Hanford Challenge Blasts Contractor-Led Study on Chemical Vapors, Hanford Challenge, April 29, 2014.
- Hanford whistleblower asks to drop lawsuit; other legal action under way, The Tri-City Herald, April 27, 2014.
- 6 Reasons to Know About Hanford’s Nuclear Waste, KOIN 6 News – Oregon, April, 24, 2014.
- Hanford: State puts heat on feds over radioactive hot stuff, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, April 23, 2014.
- Editorial: Enough Stalling on Hanford, The Herald of Everett,April 23, 2014.
- Hanford Communities says 8 new Hanford tanks not prudent,The Tri-City Herald, April 22, 2014.
- Nuclear debate on Clark Public Utilities agenda, The Columbian, April 21, 2014.
- Letter: Unnecessary delays at Hanford, The Tri-City Herald, April 21, 2014.
- Washington State, DOE Reject Changes to Hanford Agreement,Nuclear Street News, April 21, 2014.
- State, DOE reject each other’s consent decree proposal, The Tri-City Herald, April 18, 2014.
- DOE fighting state over emptying leaking Hanford tank, Tri-City Herald, April 18, 2014.
- Governor, Attorney General reject federal Department of Energy’s proposed changes to Hanford cleanup plan, WA AGO Press Release, April 18, 2014
- State rejects Hanford proposal, King 5 News, April18, 2014.
- Cleanup plan for Hanford Nuclear Reservation rejected by Washington state, The Oregonian, April 18, 2014.
- WA State’s Response to DOE’s Tank Waste Consent Decree Proposal, April 18, 2014.
- Vapors, delays discussed in Seattle at Hanford State of the Site meeting, The Tri-City Herald, April 15, 2014.
- TRIDEC: Consent decree could put other Hanford work at risk, April 15, 2014.
- No more ‘wait and see’ at Hanford nuclear site: Guest opinion,The Oregonian, April 14, 2014.
- 2014 Spring Newsletter, Hanford Challenge, April 11, 2014.
- WRPS Responds to Vapor Exposure Incidents, KVEW TV, April 10, 2014.
- Hanford Tank Farm Vapor Victim Speaks Out, KVEW TV, April 9, 2014.
- Sen. Murray: Budget would put Hanford deadlines at risk, The Tri-City Herald, April 9, 2014.
- New WSU lab to start Hanford testing soon, The Tri-City Herald, April 9, 2014.
- Newest Hanford double-shell tanks in good condition, The Tri-City Herald, April 8, 2014.
- Sick Hanford workers speak out for the first time, King5 News,April 8, 2014.
- Sign up: Hanford Reach wildflower tours, The Spokesman, April 8, 2014.
- New virtual tour guide available to B Reactor visitors, The Tri-City Herald, April 7, 2014.
- Hanford cleanup: Calling Robert Oppenheimer, The Bellingham Herald, April 7, 2014.
- Tank farm closure an apparent false alarm, The Tri-City Herald, April 4, 2014.
- Workers evacuated from Hanford tank farm as a ‘precaution’,King5 News, April 4, 2014.
- Hanford nuclear waste capsules at earthquake risk, King 5 New, April 3, 2014.
- Hanford tank farm workers to wear respirators, The Tri-City Herald, April 3, 2014.
- DOE: New Hanford vit plant plan saves time, money, The Tri-City Herald, April 3, 2014.
- Hanford contractors fined over asbestos issues, The Tri-City Herald, April 2, 2014.
- Inspector General says Hanford capsules at risk in earthquake,The Tri-City Herald, April 2, 2014.
- Hanford Tank Farm Workers Speak Out on Vapor Exposure,KULR News, April 2, 2014.
- Washington State Tells Feds Hanford Cleanup Must Go Faster,Oregon Public Broadcasting, April 2, 2014.
- KING 5 wins Peabody Award for ‘Hanford’s Dirty Secrets’, The Seattle Times, April 2, 2014.
- Source of sickening Hanford fumes still a mystery, KOMO News, April 2, 2014.
- Hanford cleanup must be done before disaster, The Walla Walla Union Bulletin, April 1, 2014.
- Chemical vapor incidents prompt ‘stop work’ at Hanford, King 5 News, April 1, 2014.
- 25 Hanford workers evaluated for vapor exposure in 2 weeks,KEPR News, April 1, 2014.
- Inslee to Energy Dept: Time’s up on Hanford delays, The Spokesman Review, April 1, 2014.
WIPP......
http://www.lamonitor.com/content/watchdogs-react-doe-report-wipp
Watchdogs react to DOE report on WIPP
A watchdog group renewed its call for an independent investigation of the WIPP radiation release Friday.
“Emergency preparedness, equipment maintenance, waste characterization and nuclear safety requirements are issues CCNS has raised for years.,” said a release from Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety. “They are the same issues raised in the DOE’s fire and radiation release accident investigation reports.”
According to CCNS, Ted Wyka, Chair of the Department of Energy (DOE) Accident Investigation Board, did not explain the delay in its release. Wyka also did not provide a schedule for when he and other board members would be available for detailed questions and discussion about the report.
CCNS also said the report identifies eight contributing causes to the radiation release to the environment, including that the contractor, Nuclear Waste Partnership, does not have effective radiation protection, nuclear safety, or maintenance programs. Further, DOE’s Carlsbad Field Office and Headquarters oversight is ineffective, especially since 2010, but the report does not explain why that declining safety culture occurred.
The report from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Accident Investigation Board cited poor management, ineffective maintenance and a lack of proper training and oversight at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad. The report also found that much of the operation failed to meet standards for a nuclear facility.
The series of shortcomings are similar to those found in a probe of the truck fire in the half-mile-deep mine just nine days before the Feb. 14 radiation release that shuttered the plant indefinitely.
Given the latest findings, watchdog Don Hancock said the leak that contaminated 21 workers with low doses of radiation in mid-February was a “best-case scenario.”
“Everything conspired for the least bad event to occur, based on what we know — and there is a still a lot we don’t know,” he said.
Last month, the head of the Defense Nuclear Safety Board, which has staff monitoring the Waste Isolation Pilot Project, called the accidents “near misses.”
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board Chairman Peter Winokur said that for six days after the fire, no underground air monitors were operational, meaning that if that system had failed when the leak occurred Feb. 14, “or if the release event had occurred three days earlier, the release of radioactive material from the aboveground mine exhaust would have been orders of magnitude larger.”
http://www.currentargus.com/carlsbad-news/ci_25678857/wipp-damage-discovered-bags-used-weigh-down-nuclear?source=rss
WIPP: Damage discovered on bags used to weigh down nuclear waste containers
CARLSBAD >> Waste Isolation Pilot Plant officials say video and photographs confirmed damage to several bags used to weigh down nuclear waste containers at the plant, located 26 miles southeast of Carlsbad.
"For what we have seen, some of these bags have been disturbed," said Tammy Reynolds, deputy recovery manager at the Nuclear Waste Partnership.
Dana Bryson, deputy manager for the U.S. Department of Energy's Carlsbad field office, said officials are still evaluating the damage. The cause is still unknown.
Pictures and video were taken in Panel 7, the plant's newest underground room, during recent trips inside the WIPP plant. It's the same area where officials believe a radiation leak originated in February.
These type of bags, which are not hazardous, are used to weigh down containers and absorb moisture and carbon dioxide in the mines, Reynolds said. Each bag weighs between 3,000 to 4,200 pounds, according to a report. The bags don't contain nuclear materials.
Reynolds said inspectors plan to return to Panel 7 with a camera that will reach over the bags to see what could have called the damage.
WIPP officials say there appear to be no issues with the roof or walls in the room. Reynolds said officials are not ruling out anything yet, but evidence so far shows no signs of damage to room's structure.
"There's no abnormal activity in this room (Panel 7) whatsoever," Reynolds said.
A radiation leak at WIPP, the country's only underground nuclear dump, was reported in February. The leak was just the second incident at the trouble plant. An underground truck fire was reported about 10 days before.
Officials are planning to return underground either Saturday or Monday, Reynolds said.
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