nuclear-news

As careful surveying for radioactive contamination is continuing after a spread of radioactive particles was discovered in December, the “overwhelming presence of naturally occurring radon” in the trailer village offices is causing a problem, workers were told in a memo.

Any detection of radiation is treated as if it is a potential spread of radioactive particles from the open-air demolition of the plant until further analysis determines whether it is naturally occurring radon or a spread of contamination.

Radon, which is radioactive, is present in almost all rock, soil and water on the Earth’s surface.

The spread of contamination was found after workers finished demolishing most of the plant’s Plutonium Reclamation Facility in mid-December.

The demolition is suspected by Hanford officials as being the source of the airborne spread.

The control zone around the demolition project was broadly expanded on Jan. 7 to tightly regulate access to a wide area around the plant, including closing some roads. Some contamination spread from the plant across a road used by Hanford workers.

This week five more government or government contractor vehicles had possible contamination detected. They are in addition to 16 government and contractor vehicles previously detected with contamination and seven personal vehicles with exterior contamination.

However, the checks of vehicles include some that were used in radiological control areas, zones set up where it was known that radioactive material was likely to be present.

As of Wednesday, 271 workers had requested checks for possible inhalation or ingestion of radioactive particles from the contamination spread. Workers should receive their results in the next few weeks, according to Hanford officials.

The Plutonium Finishing Plant workers were being told to park at the 200 West Pump and Treat a mile away, and were being shuttled to the plant.

Now they temporarily will work out of offices at other Hanford projects and be shuttled to the plant as needed for work assignments…….. http://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/hanford/article195458089.html