Tunnel at plutonium uranium extraction plant collapses in Hanford [View all]

[n2doc]

Hundreds of workers were in "take cover" position after a tunnel in a plutonium uranium extraction (PUREX) plant collapsed at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation early Tuesday morning.

The AP reports no workers were in the tunnel at the time of collapse. Workers at the site have now been evacuated. Workers farther away were told to remain indoors.

"I would underscore this is confined to a small area of the Hanford site," Destry Henderson, deputy news manager for the Hanford Joint Information Center, told NBC News. "There are no reports of injuries, no reports of a radiological release."

The tunnel was full of highly contaminated materials such as hot radioactive trains that transport fuel rods. It connects to a PUREX (plutonium uranium extraction) building.

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http://www.king5.com/news/local/hanford/hanford-tunnel-plutonium-uranium-extraction-plant-collapse/438116235