Radioactive contamination at SRS

Web posted September 2, 1999

 SRS budget to remain stagnant

By Brandon Haddock
Staff Writer

Seven Savannah River Site employees were contaminated with plutonium Wednesday.

It wasn't known if the radioactive metal entered the workers' bodies, but particles of it were found on their clothing and skin, said executives at the federal nuclear-weapons reservation.

For the next four to six weeks, the workers must wait for results of numerous urine and fecal tests that will determine whether they inhaled or swallowed the metal. Even in relatively small doses, plutonium can cause organ cancers in humans.

``There obviously is a level of concern,'' said Frank Jordan, a vice president for the site's top contractor, Westinghouse Savannah River Co. ``It's very difficult to determine, if there is an intake, what the level of it is without some extensive counting.''

An average of four SRS employees per year are found to have contamination on their skin, said Fran Williams, Westinghouse vice president for environment, safety and health.

Westinghouse executives did not make public the names of employees contaminated Wednesday. No plutonium was found on an eighth worker at the scene, Mr. Jordan said.

The employees were contaminated as they repackaged plutonium in a storage area of the site's ``FB Line'' facility, Mr. Jordan said. The line, where workers stabilize plutonium for long-term storage, is atop the site's massive ``F-Canyon'' plant.

The area usually has low levels of radiation and the workers were dressed in protective clothing as SRS procedures require, Mr. Jordan said.

The head worker, or ``operator,'' wore coveralls and a respirator that filtered the air he breathed, Westinghouse spokesman Paul Jones said. The remaining workers wore only coveralls, he said.

As the employees worked about 10:55 a.m., an alarm sounded to indicate the presence of airborne radiation, Mr. Jordan said. The workers promptly left the area, he said.

Mr. Jones said he did not know how long the workers had been in the area before the alarm sounded.

After plutonium was discovered on the employees, they were decontaminated at the site, Mr. Jordan said. The workers were questioned about the incident, he said.

The employees will be reassigned to work in non-radioactive areas today, Mr. Jordan said. The contaminated area of FB Line has been sealed and the line is closed, he said.

Officials have not determined why the area was contaminated, Mr. Jordan said.

It doesn't appear to be the fault of any employees, he said. The workers were long-time FB Line employees who were experienced in such work, Mr. Jordan said.

``We don't believe it was a failure to follow procedure, but we can't really say at this point,'' he said.

The contamination probably occurred suddenly, Mr. Jordan said. Workers usually enter the affected area three to four times per week, he said.

No radiation was found in nearby areas, Mr. Jordan said. No radiation was released outside of the plant and the event posed no hazard to other workers or the public, he said.

Westinghouse launched an investigation of the incident, Mr. Jordan said. U.S. Energy Department officials said they also will investigate.

``We'll be following the contractor's action initially and convincing ourselves that they are doing a further job,'' said Charles Hansen, SRS assistant manager who is an Energy Department employee.

Deputy Energy Secretary T.J. Glauthier, who visited the site Wednesday on an unrelated matter, said he also would follow the situation. He said he wanted ``to express the concern'' of the Energy Department for the affected employees.

Contaminations are not uncommon during SRS operations, Ms. Williams said. About 60 people each year are found to have contamination on their clothing after performing radioactive work, she said.

A worker last inhaled or ingested radioactive material 30 days ago, Ms. Williams said. The worker was found to have a small intake of low-level radiation, she said.

Brandon Haddock covers energy issues for The Augusta Chronicle. He can be reached at (706) 823-3409 or bhaddock@augustachronicle.com.