Dept. of Energy, May 16, 2014: Visual evidence that shows a damaged waste container […] “In the new pictures, the [ Los Alamos National Laboratory] container has a cracked lid and shows evidence of heat damage. Workers will continue investigating […] if any other containers were involved or damaged,” said a DOE spokesperson.
LANL director Charles McMillan message to lab personnel, May 16, 2014: “similar waste drums here at the Lab and those sent to Waste Control Specialists in Texas are in a safe and controlled configuration […] we do not believe there is any imminent threat to the safety of our employees, the public, or the environment at this time. […] While many details remain unknown, additional investigative work is being planned to pinpoint the cause of the breached drum, the radiological release, and whether other containers were involved”
Reuters, May 16, 2014: An official with the New Mexico city near [WIPP] urged managers of the facility to remove improperly packaged drums of toxic debris to prevent another accident like a leak in February that released high levels of radiation. John Heaton […] pressed officials […] to remove potentially hazardous drums of refuse stored there. “Are we going to play footsie for another three months?” Heaton asked […] “How much longer before you make a decision to go get a forklift and go get those drums?” […] More containers of improperly packaged waste from Los Alamos pose potential hazards that should be addressed, Heaton said.
Southwest Research and Information Center, May 8, 2014 (emphasis added): On May 1, an internal DOE report stated that an “energetic chemical reaction” might have caused the radiation release. Although that report did not identify either the site or the waste stream, the suspected containers were from LANL, which DOE did confirm on May 2. Further shipments of that waste stream from LANL to [Waste Control Specialists in Texas] were halted. […] From that waste stream, there are 116 containers at WCS. From that waste stream, there are 54 containers in room 7, Panel 7 and 238 containers in Panel 6.
KOB, May 13, 2014: Dr. Jim Conca […] who monitored WIPP for years, said […] “Until we actually get that drum, the one that blew the top off, we really won’t know exactly what happened […] WIPP performed brilliantly; it performed exactly as it was supposed to […] It doesn’t matter that the drums are intact after the room is closed. The drums are assumed to corrode and break and everything else … That’s what it’s supposed to do,” he said.
KRQE, May 12, 2014: No one knows at this time when WIPP will be safe to reopen.
Here in CA, we get it from all sides. We have a nuclear waste accident that now requires robots to repair, assuming the robots can get close enough without melting as the ones did in Japan. That is to our north in WA state.
This mess described above is to our east in New Mexico…..and the New Mexico Labs are supposed to control the best technology in the world. I remember going to them for information in my searches to find high level technologists…….they were cutting edge, now the nuclear power seems to be destroying their once incredible technical capabilities. This breaks my heart, there are some good people working there, and this crap is going to kill them very soon…..people I have known and respected….this has gone on for too long, they are close to dead.
This is to our east.
Japan is to our west.
San Diego has a similar problem to our south.
CA is screwed. We are all going to die, the smart ones will die by their own hand, the fools and deniers by radioactive poisoning……you cook from the inside out…..a dreadful death.
It won’t be safe to live here much longer. We have to all look at what to do, and do it quickly. Our governments will do nothing to help us.