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RE: ORNL Contamination Incident
Aren't you supposed to decon the inner surfaces free of dispersable
contamination before you tear down the walls?
Glen
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Terry Harmon [SMTP:toh@ICX.NET]
> Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2001 7:06 PM
> To: radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu
> Subject: ORNL Contamination Incident
>
> 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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