May 29, 2014

HELD SHEDS LIGHT ON Y-12 URANIUM MISHANDLING INCIDENT

By ExchangeMonitor

Acting National Nuclear Security Administration chief Bruce Held confirmed during questioning at the Nuclear Deterrence Summit yesterday that a mid-January incident at Y-12 involved the mishandling of two vials of highly enriched uranium in an oxide form totaling 20 grams. Held said he’s still unable to discuss some details because of an ongoing inquiry into exactly what happened, but he described the uranium as being “improperly stored.” He said he expected to discuss the incident more fully in the near term. The material is believed to have been left in the protective clothing of a scientist, and when the clothing was taken to be laundered, the material was not discovered during an initial scan of the clothing.

While security guards at Y-12 have been credited with recovering the uranium before it left the plant, Held acknowledged that the nuclear material could have left the plant if security hadn’t done its job. “So, the question is how do we make sure that these things get secured properly,” Held said. He added: “It’s a matter of public trust and confidence in what we do.”

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