Kenneth Fletcher
WC Monitor
5/2/2014
While the cause of the Feb. 14 radiation release at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant still remains unknown, crews entering the mine this week discovered that magnesium oxide bags covering waste drums at the likely leak site were disturbed. After initial entries to WIPP’s Panel 7 in recent weeks, this week a crew entered the room using cameras with telescopic extensions to photograph the drums. “The roof in the immediate area is in good condition, but we found that some bags were damaged and relocated. We are currently evaluating the range of potential causes for this and we are planning our next entry to learn even more and narrow that down,” Department of Energy Carlsbad Field Office Deputy Manager Dana Bryson said at a May 1 Carlsbad, N.M., town hall meeting this week.
The bags each weigh between 3,000 and 4,200 pounds and are designed, in part, to prevent radiation releases over the 10,000 year long-term life of the mine. “These bags are put into the underground because they absorb carbon dioxide and moisture that is in the air,” DOE Deputy WIPP Recovery Manager Tammy Reynolds said at the town hall meeting. The magnesium oxide is a white powder-like material encased in cardboard and then placed in large bags that cover the drums. Photos from this week’s entry show some bags that have partially fallen off the drums, and in one case a pile of magnesium oxide with no bag or cardboard was sitting on top of a drum.
DOE says that no signs point to a roof or wall collapse or a falling roof bolt, leaving whatever moved the bags a mystery. “It tells us that something has disturbed these bags. Something has degraded the material on the outside of the bags. What it doesn’t tell us is what caused it. There is no evidence that we can see visibly yet as to what caused these bags to be disturbed,” Reynolds said, noting that a re-entry is planned within a few days. Then a team will attempt to take additional photos of the drums and bags with a camera on a longer extension pole, with a goal of providing an aerial view of the waste to determine what the cause of the disturbance is.
Idaho Lab Looks Into Salt Decontamination Method
Meanwhile, efforts at developing a decontamination method for the salt mine are progressing. Tests at Idaho National Laboratory took place recently using non-contaminated salt samples brushed with a fluorescent powder with a consistency similar to radioactive particles. “For these initial tests, technicians used several methods to remove the powder particles from the salt’s surface,” according to a DOE release. “The two methods that were most effective were a water wash and a strippable gel coating. The tests showed that salt can be decontaminated, which is important because the WIPP underground facility is located in a salt mine. The lab will conduct additional tests in the coming weeks.”
