Title : Danger Zone: Major Nuclear Waste Dump Continues to Emit Dangerous Levels of Radiation
link : Danger Zone: Major Nuclear Waste Dump Continues to Emit Dangerous Levels of Radiation
Danger Zone: Major Nuclear Waste Dump Continues to Emit Dangerous Levels of Radiation
by William BoardmanAlterNet
What happened remains a mystery after an accident near the site of the surface facility storage of nuclear waste New Mexico in February.
Something happened in February, which is still ongoing
radiation emissions environmental soared again mid June around the site of the surface of the underground, unique in the US, the nuclear waste storage facility near Carlsbad, New Mexico. Installation, the Waste Isolation Pilot Project ( WIPP ), has been closed since February 14 when his isolation technology failed, the release of dangerous levels of plutonium, americium and other radionuclides in the environment around the site.
the radiation levels in the area of underground storage, 2,150 feet below surface vary from nearly normal to potentially lethal. At the time of the accident of February, more than 20 workers WIPP suffered low-level radioactive contamination, even though none of them was underground. WIPP assumes, but can not confirm that underground conditions have not changed since May 31, when the last entry team entered the mine, as reported by WIPP field manager José Franco June 5: As noted in my previous letter, we have identified the damaged drum believed to be a contributing source of radiation emission. On May 31, input equipment was able to collect safely and successfully six samples from a variety of locations on the panel 7 Room 7 including from the drum infringement and a box of standard nearby waste . These sample results are consistent with the previously identified contamination.
in mid-March WIPP suffered a statement radiation on the surface of nearly twice the levels released in February. WIPP was designed to isolate highly radioactive waste nuclear weapons from the environment 10,000 years. 15 years left before his first escape of radioactivity in the environment above the ground.
The recent high levels of radiation were detected by those placed by the Department of Environment monitors New Mexico ( NMED ). Monitors measure radiation only after it has passed through the filtration system WIPP is designed to minimize radiation escaping from the storage area one meter in miles. Radiation levels in the storage area where there was the original exhaust are possibly as lethal as Fukushima, hampering efforts to determine the origin, cause, and the magnitude of the leak February.
what happened underground remains a mystery and danger
More than five months after the February accident, official still have some understanding of what went wrong . It is generally believed that a 55-gallon drum of waste (maybe more than one) overheated and burst, spilling radioactive waste in a part of the storage area known as Group 7 Room 7 . This room, designated "high pollution in the area" measures 33 by 80 feet and currently has 24 rows of containers of waste. The room has 258 stacked containers, well packed, wall to wall without corridors to allow easy access. There is some free space between the top of the batteries and ceiling of the room.
High pollution in Room 7 is a threat to human inspectors, limiting the inspection of the room to the date mechanical means, mainly cameras extension arms. As a result of these limitations, teams have inspected WIPP only ten of the 24 rows of containers of waste in room 7. The ranks # 1-14 have been beyond the reach of the equipment available.
WIPP has begun building a scale replica Room 7 above the ground, to provide a staging area realistic in which test methods remote monitoring which could reach 14 rows uninspected. According to WIPP
Options include a device that uses rods carbon fiber to extend the camera, a camera gantry suspended on wires, or an arm system mounted on a carriage It would move in the face of waste from wall to wall and outside 90 feet to see all rows of waste.
WIPP has spent much of June improved air filtration system of the mine, adding filters that reduce radiation leak and improve the flow of air under ground for the sake of input devices . WIPP underground entrances suspended on May 31, apparently to improve security conditions. Report on 18 June, field manager José Franco wrote:
Since the radiological event, which have safely entered the underground facility of nearly a dozen times. Each time, we know more and use these discoveries to improve our work moving forward. Our input devices have identified a container infringed and are using all the resources at our disposal to find the cause.
Nobody is more eager than we are to determine what happened and re-operations normal.
Nuclear waste at Los Alamos National Lab puts at risk
"Normal operations" in the past included the acceptance of thousands of containers full waste the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), which is under a legal deadline of June 30 to cleanse his land above and underground shallow waste that has accumulated since the 1940s when scientists at Los Alamos were building first atomic bombs.
the LANL waste packaged in containers contractor made a change some time ago, replacing the sand for cats to the standard organic inorganic product. More than 500 containers with organic cat litter have been prepared, 368 of them already stored underground at WIPP. A frequently cited theory (promoted by a WIPP reinforcement) is that one or more of these containers were subjected to a process of generating chemical heat due to the sand to organic cats and caused the reaction that the container explodes.
the rest of these containers with organic matter are buried temporarily in a West Texas site or stay in the LANL property. They are under constant surveillance and apparently have not failed to date.
Los Alamos has been under pressure to clean up radioactive waste for years, if not decades. But it took the approach of forest fires in the waste site LANL Laboratory enter into a binding agreement with the Department of Environment of the state to eliminate all waste that has accumulated. As the deadline June 30 LANL approached again asked the status of an extension of the deadline, saying there was not enough money in the federal budget to comply with the court order.
In the past, the state had granted an extension of more than 100 times. This time New Mexico said no . That will submit to LANL more sanctions , including fines.
lawsuit over the waste containers of high level state approved
almost two years after the state approved new containers for use in WIPP without holding a public hearing on the request, the Center for Research and Information Southwest (SRIC) ago filed a lawsuit to block the containers come into use. In the Centre's view, these new armored containers were less robust than those containers already in use for highly radioactive waste. This issue should have been considered at a public hearing, SRIC argued at the time:
recurrent and approximately 200 persons requested that the application for permit modification WIPP State is subject to a public hearing due to the dangers posed by RH [Remote Handled] waste, the technical complexity of handling waste to WIPP relative humidity and the considerable public interest in the application. NMED ignored those comments and approved the Department of Energy (DOE) application despite the fact that the state agency had in December 2011 and January 2012 rejected virtually the same request.
Remote manage waste (RH) is designated because radiation levels are too high to allow close personal contact, so that waste should be handled by the machinery by remote control. About 10 percent of WIPP waste is handled remotely.
In December 2012, NMED publicly announced a public hearing on the new number of containers. The department rescinded the notice of hearing four days later, without explaining the change.
The Court of Appeals of New Mexico heard closing arguments in the case in July 2013, but had not issued a decision at the time of the accident February 2014 to WIPP.
on June 26, the Court held a new hearing to consider whether the release of radiation into WIPP was relevant to the use of new waste containers high level. As reported by New Mexico , this case has a number of anomalies:
The Department of Environment in an email that the shielded containers can be transported in fewer shipments, and the process is faster and significantly reduces the rates of radiation dosage of drums.Rampant Research, answers a few
Furthermore, although the department does not know who manufactures armored containers, security has been considered by the Regulatory Commission nuclear Agency and the Environmental Protection ....
regulators and the nuclear watchdog group hope the judges will make a decision as soon as possible. Although WIPP is closed for now, a large amount of highly radioactive waste must be packaged into containers for temporary storage until deliveries resume.
On June 16, four months after the release of radiation from WIPP, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced its " decision to an investigation into the facts and circumstances related to potential program deficiencies of nuclear safety, radiation protection, emergency management, quality assurance and safety of health workers and programs revealed by the release of fire and radiation February 2014 at the Waste Isolation pilot Project. "
there are currently at least nine investigations in the fact that WIPP, including DOE, which operates the plant largely through private contractors. A few days later, a lawyer DOE said the Court of Appeals in New Mexico that "no one is contemplating a closure of WIPP," but that WIPP is unlikely to reopen until 2016 at the earliest.
in March, Don Hancok of SRIC published a list of questions that were then unanswered:
* What caused the leak
* How filtering? the underground salt mine?
* how much leaked into the environment?
* Where are the radioactive and toxic now waste?
* what amount radiation were exposed workers?
* What are the effects on health of workers?
* What is the necessary decontamination in the underground mine?
* what is the necessary decontamination at the site WIPP and surroundings?
* If WIPP reopens, so changes in the operation, monitoring and safety culture is implemented?
on June 25, Hancock published a piece in the same online magazine, La Jicarita, noting that issues March all unanswered in June
the piece bears the headline.
Why still do not know what happens to WIPP?
William M. Boardman has over 40 years of experience in theater, radio, television, press, and nonfiction, including 20 years in the judiciary of Vermont. He has received honors from the Writers Guild of America, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Vermont Life magazine and an Emmy nomination from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
"Danger Zone: Major Nuclear Waste Dump Continues to Emit Dangerous Levels of Radiation", article source: riseearth.com
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