Underground tanks that hold a stew of toxic,
radioactive waste at the nation's most contaminated nuclear site pose a
possible risk of explosion, a nuclear safety board said in advance of
confirmation hearings for the next leader of the Energy Department.
State and federal officials have long known that hydrogen gas could build up inside the tanks at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, leading to an explosion that would release radioactive material. The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board recommended additional monitoring and ventilation of the tanks last fall, and federal officials were working to develop a plan to implement the recommendation.
The board expressed those concerns again Monday to U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who is chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and had sought the board's perspective about cleanup at Hanford.
The federal government created Hanford in the 1940s as part of the secret Manhattan Project to build the atomic bomb. It spends billions of dollars to clean up the 586-square-mile site neighboring the Columbia River, the southern border between Washington and Oregon and the Pacific Northwest's largest waterway.
State and federal officials have long known that hydrogen gas could build up inside the tanks at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, leading to an explosion that would release radioactive material. The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board recommended additional monitoring and ventilation of the tanks last fall, and federal officials were working to develop a plan to implement the recommendation.
The board expressed those concerns again Monday to U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who is chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and had sought the board's perspective about cleanup at Hanford.
The federal government created Hanford in the 1940s as part of the secret Manhattan Project to build the atomic bomb. It spends billions of dollars to clean up the 586-square-mile site neighboring the Columbia River, the southern border between Washington and Oregon and the Pacific Northwest's largest waterway.
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| From the 1995 Illuminati Card Game |
Below is the video concerning the problem at Hanford
http://www.king5.com/news/environment/Unexpected-gas-release-from-Hanford-Nucler-Reservation-tank-201537031.html?gallery=y&img=0&c=y
There has been a series of unexpected hydrogen gas releases from a tank holding radioactive waste at Hanford Nuclear Reservation.
Confidential sources say it began on March 16 and lasted for several days, much longer than usual, and they worry a single spark could have set off an explosive release of radioactivity.
This comes two days after a report by a government panel expressing concerns about the release of flammable gasses at Hanford and the government's inability to respond to them.
Our confidential sources and government representatives are giving dramatically different versions of what has happened. Both agre a million-gallon tank holding nuclear waste at Hanford had a build-up of hydrogen gas.
Our confidential sources say it was of a magnitude larger than anything teams there have seen in at least two years and "burped" days longer than normal.
Workers who toil above the buried Hanford tank farms constantly monitor the tanks for gas build-ups and will conduct controlled releases to reduce pressure. We're told this was a spontaenous release, not controlled.
Hydrogen gas is constantly being produced in some tanks by the extremely high temperatures of nuclear waste. They are like dozens of underground crock pots just simmering away. Sometimes, they can boil over.
Confidential sources say it began on March 16 and lasted for several days, much longer than usual, and they worry a single spark could have set off an explosive release of radioactivity.
This comes two days after a report by a government panel expressing concerns about the release of flammable gasses at Hanford and the government's inability to respond to them.
Our confidential sources and government representatives are giving dramatically different versions of what has happened. Both agre a million-gallon tank holding nuclear waste at Hanford had a build-up of hydrogen gas.
Our confidential sources say it was of a magnitude larger than anything teams there have seen in at least two years and "burped" days longer than normal.
Workers who toil above the buried Hanford tank farms constantly monitor the tanks for gas build-ups and will conduct controlled releases to reduce pressure. We're told this was a spontaenous release, not controlled.
Hydrogen gas is constantly being produced in some tanks by the extremely high temperatures of nuclear waste. They are like dozens of underground crock pots just simmering away. Sometimes, they can boil over.
The Department of Energy released this response:
In mid-March one of Hanford’s double-shell tanks (DST) had a gas release which is an expected periodic event. Of the 28 DST’s at the Hanford Tank Farms, there are five that periodically release hydrogen gas in a spontaneous manner. These releases typically occur every one to two years in these five tanks and can last for a couple of days. Releases in the DST’s have been occurring for decades and are decreasing in hydrogen levels. DOE has specific ignition source controls on these five tanks to minimize the potential for ignition of flammable gas. In addition, all DSTs are actively ventilated to exhaust flammable gas from the tank head space.
In the case of AN-105, on March 16 during a 36 hour release, ORP monitored the level of hydrogen in the tank head space and it was well below the concentration required for a flammable environment (at approximately 37% of the lowest possible flammability limit).
ORP is committed to ensuring the safety of Hanford’s underground tanks.
Lori Gamache
Public Affairs Specialist
U.S. Department of Energy
In the case of AN-105, on March 16 during a 36 hour release, ORP monitored the level of hydrogen in the tank head space and it was well below the concentration required for a flammable environment (at approximately 37% of the lowest possible flammability limit).
ORP is committed to ensuring the safety of Hanford’s underground tanks.
Lori Gamache
Public Affairs Specialist
U.S. Department of Energy
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