ORNL Contamination Incident

["Terry Harmon" <toh@ICX.NET>]

Radioactive dust sprays 6 workers at ORNL



By Frank Munger, News-Sentinel senior writer



OAK RIDGE - Six workers were sprayed with radioactive dust Monday when an

unexpected gust of wind reportedly spread contamination from a work site at

Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Bechtel Jacobs, the U.S. Department of Energy's environmental manager in Oak

Ridge, did not release any information on the incident until late Tuesday.



Dennis Hill, a company spokesman, said the contractor did not believe any of

the exposures posed a health concern. But he said authorities are waiting on

results from a "whole body count'' on a couple of workers to determine if

there were internal doses.



The incident occurred about noon Monday at what's known as the Old

Hydrofracture Site, a laboratory facility once used to inject liquid nuclear

waste into the ground for disposal.



Hill said workers were tearing down a wall at the facility and were misting

the operation in order to keep down dust. A sudden wind, however, blew some

of the radioactive dust outside the roped-off "contamination zone" and

exposed some unprotected workers nearby, he said.



The project was being conducted by a subcontractor identified as Demco.



According to Bechtel Jacobs, two people received contamination on their skin

and clothing, while four others got contamination on their clothes.



The contaminated clothing was disposed of, and the surface contamination was

removed from workers, Hill said. Four vehicles in the area also were tainted

with radioactive material and had to be decontaminated, he said.



The Bechtel Jacobs spokesman said officials believe the radioactive material

was cesium-137.



The cleanup operation at the Old Hydrofracture Facility was shut down and

will remain down until procedures have been reevaluated, Hill said.





Frank Munger can be reached at 865-482-9213 or twig1@knoxnews.infi.net.



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