The Department of Energy is studying disposal options for a radiologically contaminated forklift and other material after crews removed multiple waste drums from a partially-flooded building at the Hanford Site in Washington state, according to reports from a federal safety board.
Radiological contamination turned up on an employee’s pant leg and on a forklift tine, the lifting arm of the forklift, after about 40 drums were removed from Building 2402-WJ within the Central Waste Complex in Hanford’s Area 200 during late May and early June. That is according to June staff reports from the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB).
The Central Waste Complex stores mixed low-level radioactive waste, transuranic and transuranic mixed waste that require treatment prior to disposal, either onsite or at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico, a DOE spokesperson said via email Friday. The spokesperson was replying to an Exchange Monitor inquiry.
Crews started moving drums out of Building 2402-WJ, after a guard saw “water gushing” from the structure over Memorial Day weekend, according to a DNFSB report dated June 2. An estimated 56,000 gallons of water discharged due to a leak in the building’s sprinkler piping before the valve was shut off.
“The interior of the building was found to have approximately six inches of standing water resulting in the waste containers, which sit on pallets, being submerged by approximately two inches,” according to the June 2 DNFSB report.
“Pin hole leaks” were found in one of the drums removed from the storage building, according to a June 9 DNFSB report. That report says “contamination was discovered on three waste containers during confirmatory surveys performed outside the entrance to the building.” Whole-body surveys were performed on crew members.
“Workers followed appropriate procedures, no workers were injured, and the affected area has been placed in a safe condition as recovery efforts continue,” the DOE spokesperson went on to say in Friday’s email. “There is no risk to the public.”
“Given a potential for discovery of additional drum integrity issues, the contractor has decided to leave the remaining waste drum inventory in the building,” as repairs are made to the sprinkler system.
