A trace of a radiological contaminant was discovered on a plutonium shipping container as it was returned last month to the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site in South Carolina.
There were no leaks, spills, or exposures to workers or the environment, according to an April 25 DOE occurrence report.
The 5-gallon shipping container held less than 40 milliliters of a plutonium compound. It is unclear what type of contaminant was on the outside of the container.
The material was being sent back to the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) after being used for X-ray analysis at Clemson University, about 130 miles northwest of the 310-square-mile site near Aiken, S.C. At deadline Friday, the lab had not responded to a query regarding the specific purpose of the analysis.
The analysis was part of a congressionally established collaboration between the DOE and research universities, said lab spokesperson Christian Harris. The collaboration, known as the Laboratory Directed Research and Development program, allows DOE national labs to work with researchers and groups in the private sector to develop solutions for department missions.
It is unclear when the material was sent to Clemson. But the occurrence report says it arrived back at Savannah River on April 10 on a trailer attached to a truck. “Upon a survey conducted by radiological control, it revealed excessive contamination levels outside of a five-gallon pail,” the report states.
An April 19 report from the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) adds that the shipping container was contaminated before it left Clemson.
Once the contamination was discovered, the pail was placed in a bag and taken to a storage warehouse overseen by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), management and operations contractor for the lab and the entire DOE site.
No further contamination was found in the truck or trailer.
“Clemson University and SRNS are working together to determine what occurred and how to prevent any future occurrence,” Harris added.
Clemson and SRNL have a longstanding partnership that dates back at least a decade. Over the years, DOE has provided grants for the two entities to conduct work on nuclear materials analysis, renewable energy research, and various other projects.
The Savannah River National Laboratory conducts a broad swath of research on national security, nuclear nonproliferation, environmental management, and other areas. It is operated by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions as part of the contractor’s management and operations deal for the full Savannah River Site.
