Another accident at Idaho nuke lab
Following last week's exposure of 17 workers to plutonium, the federal government's Idaho National Lab -- part of the nuclear waste-nuclear weapons complex -- had a sodium fire on Friday. One employee was hospitalized with burns, and 10 others were "evaluated" at the scene. The fire, which was preceded by an explosion or at least a "flash," took place in the materials and fuel complex, about 30 miles west of Idaho Falls. As usual, authorities said there was nothing for the public to worry about.
| Posted at 9:40 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (5)
Good thing everything is going OK at Hanford...
Posted by dman | November 14, 2011 9:47 PM
Not to kvetch, but have you ever driven US 20 west out of Idaho Falls into INEL? It's one of the least populated parts of the continental United States - there isn't really any danger to the public - because no one lives there. (The workers are a different issue.)
Posted by Random | November 14, 2011 11:13 PM
Hello, I helped respond to Friday's incident and need to correct some information in your post. No employees were hospitalized--one employee was taken to the hospital, evaluated for burns and released when no injuries were found. All the news releases from this event are at www.inl.gov.
Thanks for the opportunity to correct this information.
Nicole Stricker, INL
Posted by Nicole Stricker | November 15, 2011 6:37 AM
DOE to investigate INL radiation exposure incident
by Associated Press
KTVB.COM
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 10:27 AM
IDAHO FALLS -- Members of a Department of Energy accident investigation team are in Idaho to examine last week's radiation exposure at the Idaho National Laboratory site west of Idaho Falls.
Idaho DOE spokesman Tim Jackson says the eight-member team arrived Monday and will stay for about a month looking into how 16 employees in the Materials and Fuels Complex were exposed to a nuclear fuel plate containing plutonium on Nov. 8. At least one employee inhaled plutonium when workers opened a small container and cut through a plastic sheet, exposing the plate.
INL spokesman Ethan Huffman tells The Post Register that those who were exposed were cleared to
return to work last week.
Posted by genop | November 15, 2011 11:49 AM
Wow. Being taken to the hospital and examined there is not being "hospitalized"? And we're paying somebody tax dollars to go around to blogs and argue about it?
That's the attitude we've grown to know and love among the folks at the atom bomb factories. We'll keep your argument in mind, Nicole, when you tell us how "safe" your operation is. Enjoy your work on weapons of mass destruction.
Posted by Jack Bog | November 16, 2011 8:58 AM