[ RadSafe ] Clean-up planned of nuclear crash village

[Dawson, Fred Mr]

http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/71682.html

Madrid

Spain and the United States have agreed to clean up radioactivity in the
south-east Spanish farming village of Palomares, 40 years after two US
atomic bombs fell in the area after a midair collision. The agreement
was reached between the US Department of Energy and CIEMAT, Spain's
national Centre for Energy and Environment Investigation, El Pais
newspaper reported.

On January 17, 1966, a B-52 bomber collided with a flying tanker while
refuelling over Palomeras and released all four of its hydrogen bombs in
the ensuing explosion. The high-explosive igniters on two bombs
detonated on impact, spreading radioactive material, including
plutonium, over the Spanish countryside. Seven of the 11 crewmen on the
two planes were killed. There were no fatalities on the ground.

The agreement, signed last month, states that the countries will jointly
pay for the costs and that the works could take years depending on the
levels of radioactivity found, El Pais added.

At the time villagers feared the radiation might have contaminated not
only their bodies but also the waters they fished and the soil they
farmed.

Spain was under the thumb of General Francisco Franco and little
information about the accident was released. In order to minimise the
consequences of the accident, Information and Tourism Minister Manuel
Fraga and US Ambassador Angier Biddle Duke strode into the Mediterranean
near Palomares to demonstrate the waters were safe.-

fwp_dawson at hotmail.com