The Department of Energy is facing more pressure to improve protection for Hanford Site personnel after Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson said early Tuesday evening he was exploring further legal options to keep workers safe from chemical vapors. He already filed a lawsuit in September against DOE and its tank farm contractor to better safeguard Hanford workers from vapors associated with waste held in underground tanks. His announcement came after seven more workers were evaluated Tuesday for possible exposure to chemical vapors at Hanford. They bring the total number of workers evaluated both because of symptoms associated with chemical vapors or as a precaution to 33 since last Thursday.
“The fact that workers continue to be exposed to harmful vapors is shameful,” Ferguson said in a statement. “The events of the past several days are a disturbing illustration of why I filed a lawsuit against the federal government to protect Washingtonians who work at Hanford.” He called on President Barack Obama and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to become personally involved in the issue. “How many Washington workers need to get sick before the federal government solves this problem?” he asked. “What’s happening at Hanford isn’t right, and I am exploring further legal options to keep our workers safe at Hanford.” Ferguson is expected to meet with Hanford workers on Thursday, the same day that Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has scheduled a visit to the site
On Tuesday, one worker who developed symptoms that were not made public was taken to the Richland hospital. The worker was released but still must be evaluated at the Hanford on-site medical provider before being cleared to return to work. As of the end of the business day Tuesday, all but two of the 33 workers who had received medical evaluations had been cleared to return to work. The reported possible exposures Tuesday occurred at about 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and all were in the 200 East Area of central Hanford near the A, AX, AW, and AN tank farms, but outside them. On Monday, six workers received medical evaluations either for potential exposures the week before or for possible exposures that day in the AP Tank Farm, where sampling was being done.
