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[Any Questions]

There is a live stream on YouTube. Looks bad. Found this article just now

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/washington-nuclear-tunnel-collapse-hanford-latest-news-updates-plutonium-plant-disaster-a7726866.html

Hundreds of workers have been forced to "take cover" after a tunnel in a nuclear finishing plant collapsed in Washington state.

Following the incident Tuesday morning, which a spokesperson told the Independent is still being investigated, a manager sent a message to workers telling them to “secure ventilation in your building” and to “refrain from eating or drinking.” The US Department of Energy activated its Emergency Operations Center Tuesday following the collapse. Some workers were reportedly told to evacuate while others were told to shelter-in-place as officials investigated the severity of the situation.

"The Department of Energy informed us this morning that a tunnel was breached that was used to bury radioactive waste from the production of plutonium at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation," Governor Jay Inslee said in a statement. He said that the White House had reached out to his office as well.

This is a serious situation, and ensuring the safety of the workers and the community is the top priority," Mr Inslee said. "Our understanding is that the site went into immediate lock down, in which workers were told to seek shelter, and all access to the area has been closed."

A spokesperson for the Hanford site said during a live broadcast that the tunnel collapse was discovered by workers on patrol in the area.

"Crews noticed that a portion of that tunnel had fallen," Destry Henderson, the spokesperson, said, emphasizing that researchers had not found spilled or leaked radioactive materials. "The roof had caved in about a 20 foot section of that tunnel."

The tunnel reportedly contained highly contaminated materials including nuclear waste trains that are used to transport radioactive fuel rods. A spokesperson said that there was no evidence to suggest that radioactive materials had been released and that all of the workers in the area were accounted for. An official tally of those with orders to shelter-in-place was not immediately available, a spokesperson said but there were no reported injuries.

 

[Dazzler]

This is a little close to home, is there any danger of this stuff getting out into the atmosphere?

 

[Hari Seldon]

Hanford is not a nuclear plant. It was a processing facility used back in the 40s when they had no idea what they were dealing with. Basically they YOLOd and put all the waste into tunnels, and the government has been working to decontaminate it for decades now. So the concern is that the tunnel collapsing could possibly release some waste, but it is not some Fukashima situation or anything. It is not an actual plant.

 

[Any Questions]

This is a little close to home, is there any danger of this stuff getting out into the atmosphere?

Not sure chap. Am in the UK myself but thought best to share the news. It's just starting to break

 

[Any Questions]

Hanford is not a nuclear plant. It was a processing facility used back in the 40s when they had no idea what they were dealing with. Basically they YOLOd and put all the waste into tunnels, and the government has been working to decontaminate it for decades now. So the concern is that the tunnel collapsing could possibly release some waste, but it is not some Fukashima situation or anything. It is not an actual plant.

Perhaps a mod can edit.

 

[Damaniel]

This is a little close to home, is there any danger of this stuff getting out into the atmosphere?

The local news stations in PDX don't seem to be giving the issue much attention - they have stories up, but at least one of the stations has it off in the sidebar (and there's no *BREAKING NEWS* anywhere).

 

[Netherscourge]

I think it's more used as a dump site now.

Still scary.

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

A little off topic, but why is there a random graph of nuclear detonations in the middle of the article?

 

[Stumpokapow]

Hanford is not a nuclear plant. It was a processing facility used back in the 40s when they had no idea what they were dealing with. Basically they YOLOd and put all the waste into tunnels, and the government has been working to decontaminate it for decades now. So the concern is that the tunnel collapsing could possibly release some waste, but it is not some Fukashima situation or anything. It is not an actual plant.

Thanks this is a very useful summary.

 

[Cosmic Schwung]

I can highly recommend The Dollop podcast's episode covering the history of this place.

 

[Grym]

I'm sure Rick Perry has it covered and knows how to handle things :/

 

[Enduin]

I'm sure Rick Perry has it covered and knows how to handle things :/

Oops. He forgot about that one.

 

[BoogieWoogie]

Who's our Secretary of Energy again?

Oh....right....

 

[Beartruck]

I'm sure Rick Perry has it covered and knows how to handle things :/

Honestly? He's probably at least smart enough to get out of his own agencies way and defer to their expertise in these matters, which is more than what you can say for most of the administration.

 

[meppi]

Who's our Secretary of Energy again?

Oh....right....

 

[Morrigan Stark]

fucking lol

I feel bad for laughing at this considering the serious nature of this, but damn that was a well placed gif >_>

 

[Princess Carl]

Perhaps a mod can edit.

Yup, should be in the OP.

 

[muu]

Lived in Tri-Cities for a couple years and I believe there were similar scares while I was there, nothing of which really amounted to anything. Locals never gave a crap either, they probably gotten used to it. How far back have they pushed the cleanup now? It was scheduled for 2015 at one point, can't imagine they're anywhere near close to done milking the thing.

Actual site's 20mi+ away from Richland/Kennewick/Pasco so even if something to the magnitude of Fukushima somehow happens there it's not really going to be a catastrophic event.

 

[Ourobolus]

I guess I'll be postponing my trip to the site for now...

 

[Pestilence11]

No radiation release detected according to the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation).

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

1. Evacuate
2. Shelter in place
3.

....

What's that third thing we should do?



Oops.