Carlsbad – Infinite Unknown

Organic Cat Litter & WIPP Nuclear Waste Explosions

May 24, 2014 by Infinite

FYI.

– Cat litter thought behind New Mexico nuclear waste accident (RT, May 24, 2014):

For months state and federal government has been looking into an incident involving radioactive waste at a disposal site in New Mexico. Now, Investigators believe the culprit may have been the wrong kind of cat litter.

In February the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsband, New Mexico was placed on lockdown prompted by the detection of radiation. The underground nuclear waste dump is the only such facility in the entire country.

An accident investigation report put out by the Department of Energy in April delved into both the immediate causes, as well as a lack of safety culture leading up to the accident.

Read moreOrganic Cat Litter & WIPP Nuclear Waste Explosions

‘Kitty Litter’ Blamed For Explosive Nuclear Leak At WIPP – ‘All These Drums’ Are At Risk, Including At Other Sites

May 11, 2014 by Infinite

– ‘Kitty litter’ blamed for explosive nuclear leak at WIPP — “Incredibly important to act quickly” — ‘All these drums’ are at risk, including at other sites — Must be gathered ‘right away’ before they also burst — Summer heat will increase instability — Storage rooms must be sealed off to contain future ‘events’ (ENENews, May 10, 2014):

Santa Fe New Mexican, May 9, 2014: Nuke expert believes ‘kitty litter’ switch led to WIPP leak — An absorbent material similar to kitty litter is the likely cause of a radiation leak […] according to a longtime nuclear expert. […] Los Alamos National Laboratory […] switched from using a clay- based absorbent in the drums [sent to WIPP] to a wheat-based absorbent — both made of the same materials used in different types of kitty litter, according to Jim Conca, a geochemist who worked for years at the lab and in environmental monitoring for WIPP. […] The kitty litter switch could have created dried-out nitrate salts and led to a “mild” explosion in one or more of the waste containers, Conca said. […] LANL, Department of Energy and WIPP did not specifically comment on the theory. […] Conca is a nuclear power advocate and a WIPP believer, so he’s hoping his kitty litter theory proves correct. […] The organic absorbents made of wheat or corn […] “It absorbs like a sponge. If you let the salts dry out completely, they can ignite.”

Read more‘Kitty Litter’ Blamed For Explosive Nuclear Leak At WIPP – ‘All These Drums’ Are At Risk, Including At Other Sites

WIPP: ‘UNFILTERED’ PLUTONIUM Released Into Environment For 20 Days!

April 24, 2014 by Infinite

Ventilation system leakage went unsealed from when the radiation event occurred on Feb. 14 until Mar. 6

– Wall St. Journal: Report reveals WIPP containment system leaked radiation — ‘Unfiltered’ plutonium released into environment for 20 days after accident — Something like this “wasn’t supposed to happen for 10,000 years” (VIDEO) (ENENews, April 24, 2014):

AP, Apr. 23, 2014: Board chairman Ted Wyka previewed the [Department of Energy’s Accident Investigation Board report] findings at a community meeting Wednesday […] Shortcomings were found at almost every step, from a more than 10-hour response to the initial emergency alarm to a bypass in the filtration system that allowed the radiation to escape above ground. “The bottom line is they failed to believe initial indications of the release,” Wyka said. […] Crews are still working to identify the source of the leak, which sent low levels of radiation into the air around the plant, but officials believe it occurred in the area where toxic waste was last being handled. Officials Wednesday night said there were people working in that area at the time of the fire, but did not say what they were doing.

Read moreWIPP: ‘UNFILTERED’ PLUTONIUM Released Into Environment For 20 Days!

5 Types Of Plutonium Released From WIPP; Officials Not Informing Public – Dr. Caldicott: Inhaling A Millionth Of A Gram Of Plutonium Will Induce Lung Cancer

March 26, 2014 by Infinite

– Official: Radioactive Material Escaping Everyday From WIPP And Dispersing – Expert: Leaks From ‘UNFILTERED’ Ducts Went On FOR WEEKS

– Radiation Expert: 5 types of plutonium were released from WIPP; Officials not informing public — Caldicott: “I predict that facility will never be able to be used again”; Inhaling a millionth of a gram of plutonium will induce lung cancer (AUDIO) (ENENews, March 25, 2014):

KUNM, Mar. 24, 2014: The director of an organization that evaluated the WIPP site for over 25 years said officials aren’t doing enough to inform New Mexicans. […] “I just can’t stress the importance of DOE being available to respond to detailed questions that people have,” [Dr. Bob Neill] said. “There’s no substitute for direct communication.” Immediately after the leak was discovered, the public should have been given a detailed explanation of what was released, said Dr. Neill, who received his degree in radiological medicine. Americium 241 and plutonium 239 were mentioned. “But there are four other radio-isotopes of plutonium, namely the 238, 240, the beta and 241,” he said. “They’re all bone-seekers. So you want to be able to report all the values—how each one may have contributed. It’s just essential.” […] “It’s so important to answer people’s questions—and not just people in Carlsbad, but throughout the state and elsewhere,” he said. As for the leak itself, he said all of the possible causes of the failure at WIPP must be considered, and a response system should be designed accordingly.

Interview with Dr. Helen Caldicott, March 2014 (at 37:30 in): One of the repositories for very, very dangerous radioactive waste plutonium, americium, etc. has just leaked radiation all around the area in Carlsbad, New Mexico. One microgram of plutonium, a millionth of a gram of plutonium, if inhaled will induce lung cancer. It’s extraordinarily radioactive. So they thought this would be safe storing radiation in salt mines, but something happened, one of the casks blew up or part of the ceiling fell on the casks, we do not know. But I predict that that facility will never be able to be used again, it will be so contaminated.

Read more5 Types Of Plutonium Released From WIPP; Officials Not Informing Public – Dr. Caldicott: Inhaling A Millionth Of A Gram Of Plutonium Will Induce Lung Cancer

Radiation Leaks Force Transfer Of Nuclear Waste From New Mexico To Texas

March 22, 2014 by Infinite

– Official: Radioactive Material Escaping Everyday From WIPP And Dispersing – Expert: Leaks From ‘UNFILTERED’ Ducts Went On FOR WEEKS

– Over 30 Times More Radiation Got By WIPP Filters Than Government Claims?

– Nightmare At WIPP – Radiation Level Doubles Far From Leak; Carlsbad Monitor Up 40%

– US Government: Never Faced Challenge Like This, But ‘Not Giving Up Hope’ At WIPP; Salt From Contaminated Mine To Be Sold As Feed To Dairy Farms

– Nuclear Expert Arnie Gundersen Explains The WIPP Nuclear Safety Failure – WIPP Whistleblowers Claim Mine Ceiling Collapsed Directly On Top Of Canisters Storing Highly Radioactive Waste (Video)

– Radiation leaks force transfer of nuclear waste from New Mexico to Texas (RT, March 21, 2014):

The cause of the radiation leaks at the United States’ first nuclear waste repository are still under investigation, but in the meantime government officials have decided to move a stalled shipment of waste to a private dump in Texas.

According to Reuters, the shipment of approximately 1,000 barrels of radioactive leftovers to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico, was put on hold when the facility began leaking radioactive material in February. On Thursday, the Department of Energy announced it would temporarily relocate those barrels to a rural site in western Texas.

Read moreRadiation Leaks Force Transfer Of Nuclear Waste From New Mexico To Texas

WIPP Officials Admit New Release Of Plutonium And Americium – Nearly Double February Leak

March 21, 2014March 21, 2014 by Infinite

– WIPP officials admit new release of Plutonium and Americium — More expected in future — Nearly double levels seen after February leak — 61 DPM on March 11 vs. 36 DPM in February (ENENews, March 19, 2014):

AP, Mar. 19, 2014: New air sampling data from southeastern New Mexico’s troubled nuclear waste dump indicates there has been another small radiation release. […] they believe the contamination is from previous deposits on the inner surface of exhaust ductwork. […] Officials say occasional low-level releases are anticipated, but they should be well within safe limits.

Las Cruces Sun, Mar. 18, 2014 (emphasis added): DOE: Another radiation release reported at WIPP […] Samples collected from the ventilation exhaust recorded 61 disintegrations per minute of americium. DPM measures the amount of radioactive contamination from alpha and beta rays in an area. […] The DOE believes the most recent contamination was residual radioactive particles that were trapped in the ventilation system from the initial radiation leak. […] The DOE said it anticipates additional low-level releases on occasion, but officials expect radiation in the environment will remain at safe levels. New Mexico Environment Department Secretary Ryan Flynn said the state was briefed of the news Tuesday morning and thinks there is nothing to worry about at this time. “The level they detected is low and we don’t believe there was any risk to public health or the environment but we need to investigate more,” he said. […] Department of Energy officials were not available for comment.

Read moreWIPP Officials Admit New Release Of Plutonium And Americium – Nearly Double February Leak

Official: Radioactive Material Escaping Everyday From WIPP And Dispersing – Expert: Leaks From ‘UNFILTERED’ Ducts Went On FOR WEEKS

March 20, 2014 by Infinite

– Official: Radioactive material escaping everyday from WIPP and dispersing — Top officials “not made available for comment” — Expert: Leaks from ‘unfiltered’ ducts went on for weeks (ENENews, March 20, 2014):

Carlsbad Current Argus, Mar. 19, 2014: [Last week’s radiation release] incident is believed to have been caused from a buildup of radioactive particles that eventually escaped the duct much like smoke from a chimney, and officials anticipate more residual releases until the original source of last month’s radiation leak can be fixed. “Small amounts (of radioactive particles) are escaping everyday and we’re going to see those spikes every once in a while,” said Donavan Mager, spokesman for the Nuclear Waste Partnership. “It’s so small that it’s going to disperse quickly. Everything is working the way we expect it to and as it was designed, otherwise you wouldn’t see any (particles escaping) if the leak was contained.” […] WIPP officials said Wednesday they plan to test the mine’s HEPA filters to ensure they’re working as expected. […] DOE and NWP officials will provide another public update at the weekly Carlsbad town hall meeting on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in the city council chambers on 101 N. Halagueno Street. DOE Carlsbad Field Office Manager Jose Franco and newly-appointed NWP president Bob McQuinn were not made available for comment on the situation.

Read moreOfficial: Radioactive Material Escaping Everyday From WIPP And Dispersing – Expert: Leaks From ‘UNFILTERED’ Ducts Went On FOR WEEKS

Over 30 Times More Radiation Got By WIPP Filters Than Government Claims?

March 13, 2014March 13, 2014 by Infinite

– TV: Over 30 times more radiation got by WIPP filters than gov’t claims? Radiation also released from ‘unfiltered’ vents — Foam used to plug openings is degrading — Filters too radioactive for lab techs to check — No ‘immediate’ danger to public — Rumors of dump getting shut down (VIDEO) (ENENews, March 13, 2014):

KRQE, Mar. 11, 2014: Department of Energy says there is no basis to some of the rumors floating around the area here that WIPP might get shut down.

Read moreOver 30 Times More Radiation Got By WIPP Filters Than Government Claims?

New Mexico: Officials Confirm Plutonium & Americium Reached Carlsbad

March 11, 2014 by Infinite

And the most deadlieast substance on the planet (plutonium) poses no threat to health ???, …

“… would result in no health potential to a child, or a fetus,…”

… when…

New York Times: Plutonium and americium […] lodged in the body bombards internal organs with subatomic particles for the rest of the person’s lifetime.

Sounds perfectly safe, doesn’t it? (More info on the dangers of internal emitters down below.)

– TV: Officials now confirm Plutonium and/or Americium reached Carlsbad, New Mexico’s 10th most populated city — Container of radioactive waste may have “blew up” (VIDEO) (ENENews, March 10. 2014):

Carlsbad Current-Argus, Mar. 10, 2014: Four more employees at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant have tested positive for elevated levels of radiation over the weekend. The Department of Energy announced that fecal samples taken from employees at the nuclear waste facility found 17 workers tested positive for low levels of radiation. After initial testing more than a week ago, the DOE reported 13 workers tested positive for trace amounts americium and plutonium. […]

Read moreNew Mexico: Officials Confirm Plutonium & Americium Reached Carlsbad

Nightmare At WIPP – Radiation Level Doubles Far From Leak; Carlsbad Monitor Up 40%

March 10, 2014March 10, 2014 by Infinite

– “Truly an operational nightmare” at WIPP — Radiation level doubles at location far from leak; Carlsbad monitor jumps around 40% — Residents plead for more info, concerns over safety (MAP) (ENENews, March 9, 2014):

KRQE, Mar. 6, 2014: Many left Thursday night’s meeting with the Department of Energy uneasy. They pleaded for more information about the underground radiation leak last month that seeped outside, but many remain frustrated and concerned for their safety. The DOE tried to reassure people they are safe even though the underground storage areas remained sealed off.

U.S. Congressman Steve Pearce, Mar. 8, 2014: I Will Ask Tough Questions About Radiation Leak — “I will hold their feet to the fire. In my meetings with Secretary Moniz, and in my conversations with top officials at the Department of Energy, I have strongly voiced New Mexicans’ concerns about the lack of information about WIPP.”

Read moreNightmare At WIPP – Radiation Level Doubles Far From Leak; Carlsbad Monitor Up 40%

US Government: Never Faced Challenge Like This, But ‘Not Giving Up Hope’ At WIPP; Salt From Contaminated Mine To Be Sold As Feed To Dairy Farms

March 7, 2014 by Infinite

Reuters, Mar. 5: The leak may have been caused by falling slabs of salt that created a breach of a drum or drums containing waste, officials have said.

Joe Franco, US DOE, Mar. 5: “We have not faced this kind of challenge in our 15-year history”

KRQE, Mar. 5: Damage control is in full swing.

Read moreUS Government: Never Faced Challenge Like This, But ‘Not Giving Up Hope’ At WIPP; Salt From Contaminated Mine To Be Sold As Feed To Dairy Farms

Nuclear Expert Arnie Gundersen Explains The WIPP Nuclear Safety Failure – WIPP Whistleblowers Claim Mine Ceiling Collapsed Directly On Top Of Canisters Storing Highly Radioactive Waste (Video)

March 7, 2014 by Infinite

Description:

Located near Carlsbad, New Mexico this Department of Energy (DOE) experimental nuclear waste dump is attempting to store leftover radioactive plutonium and americium from the US weapons program. On February 14, 2014 there was a nuclear safety failure at the site and the Department of Energy is not being honest about it. In this film Fairewinds Energy Education’s Arnie Gundersen pieces together what happened and points out Fairewinds’ major concerns about the facility, the accident and the lack of transparency at the DOE.

– WIPP Nuke Accident: Every Single Worker Contaminated With Plutonium & Americium

– South Central US Poisoned With Plutonium By New Mexico Nuke Garbage Dump (Veterans Today)

– Prepare To Evacuate! USAF Base Orders 1,200 Radiation Suits In New Mexico – Plutonium Cloud Was 330 MILLION Becquerels

– ’4.4 MILLION Disintegrations Of Alpha Radiation’ Incl. Plutonium Detected At Leaking U.S. Nuclear Site; ‘Highest Recorded Level’

– Airborne Plutonium Detected Outside Troubled U.S. Nuclear Facility – ‘Levels Are Highest Ever Detected’ Around Site

– Radiation Alarm At New Mexico Nuclear Disposal Plant – No One Able To Enter Facility Due To ‘High Radiation’ Levels

– ‘Unusually High’ Radiation Levels At U.S. Nuclear Site — Gov’t: ‘We’ve Never Seen A Level Like We Are Seeing … I Can’t Tell You The Amount’

– ‘Imminent Situation’ At U.S. Nuclear Site – Emergency Operations Center Evacuated Due To Fire Deep Underground – ‘One Of Most Serious Incidents’ On Record – Anonymous Footage Of Thick Black Smoke Coming From Ground

South Central US Poisoned With Plutonium By New Mexico Nuke Garbage Dump (Veterans Today)

March 3, 2014 by Infinite

– South Central US Poisoned by New Mexico Nuke Garbage Dump (Veterans Today, Feb 28, 2014):

Enough to Kill 35,500 People Released so Far

(San Francisco) – Feb 28, 2014 – Carlsbad, New Mexico is the site of the nation’s only nuclear weapons program garbage dump. Plutonium is used in making The Bomb, it melts at 640 Deg C or 1,184 Deg F, and is made in reactors. It is not mined anywhere on Earth. Reactors exist to make Bombs.

____________________________

The Carlsbad Bomb making garbage dump is on fire. The burning radioactive metal does not go away, it turns to dense black radioactive smoke. The black smoke is very obvious in the daytime and it streamed from several ventilator shafts during a fire at the dump two weeks ago.

The shafts were then closed and the visible smoke kept underground. Plutonium does not need oxygen to burn and escaped anyway. The HEPA filters are not good enough to contain the very small Plutonium particles; that’s because nothing is. The fire very well could still be burning Plutonium and Uranium in the salt mine.

Read moreSouth Central US Poisoned With Plutonium By New Mexico Nuke Garbage Dump (Veterans Today)