Why is Y-12 being allowed to lie about uranium chip fires. Isn't that
dishonest?
This is another one of those news pieces that contains a big lie. The
fire
originated from the pyrophloric tendencies of uranium chips to ignite
due to
friction, then get red hot, and set other things on fire. Uranium
fires are
difficult to put out.
The Bill Wilburn statement that the uranium did not catch fire is
untruthful,
as the only way this fire started was for the uranium chip to catch on
fire
and oxidize. They put out uranium fires with powdered graphite to
block the
oxygen, as that is one of the few methods that can put out a uranium
fire.
It appears the days of Y-12 telling lies and the news helping tell
those lies
has not gotten any better. When uranium chips catch fire they release
fine
uranium oxide particles that suspend in air and become a health hazard.
It
appears they want to hide this problem, as the workers likely didn't
wear
respirators. And the only way to get graphite dust on the uranium
chip fire is to
rip open the bag and dump in some graphite dust to put out the fire.
In the 50s and 60s at Y-12, uranium chip fires were very common and the
production area workers would scuff their feet on the floors and watch
sparkler
effects come from under their yellow shoe scuffs. And they inhaled
the small
uranium particles very often in uranium part production areas, and
filled the
drains and creek with uranium dusts.
========
www.knoxnews.com/kns/local...53,00.html
Small fire confirmed at uranium warehouse
Official says Sept. 22 incident at Y-12 over in a 'matter of minutes'
By FRANK MUNGER, munger@knews.com
October 11, 2006
OAK RIDGE - A small fire occurred Sept. 22 in a warehouse where highly
enriched uranium and other materials are stored at the Y-12 nuclear
weapons plant, a
spokesman confirmed Tuesday.
But the uranium itself did not catch on fire, and the entire incident
was
over in a "matter of minutes," said Bill Wilburn of BWXT, the company
that
manages Y-12 for the federal government.
The Project On Government Oversight, a Washington-based watchdog group,
was
the first to report on the incident. Peter Stockton, an investigator
with POGO,
said the group has long been concerned about the Y-12 warehouse,
Building
9720-5, because it is constructed of wood and is considered vulnerable
to fire.
The incident occurred while workers were using a protective "glove bag"
to
examine a package of highly enriched uranium that was wrapped in
plastic and
masking tape, Wilburn said. A glove bag allows workers to examine
uranium without
the possible release of contaminants or direct exposure to the
radioactive
material, he said.
During the procedure, a small piece of the uranium apparently oxidized
upon
exposure to air and caused some combustion of the plastic packaging and
masking
tape, he said.
Neither the uranium nor the glove bag caught fire, Wilburn said.
Workers
immediately put out the fire using powdered graphite, known as coke, he
said.
"There were no injuries and no release of contamination," the Y-12
spokesman
said. "They responded quickly, and the other folks evacuated the
building. The
whole incident only lasted a matter of minutes."
Wilburn said an investigation of the incident was being conducted, but
he
said he did not know the status of it. He said he could not comment on
POGO's
remarks about the building being constructed of wood.
"I can't discuss the building or what it's made out of," he said.
Steven Wyatt, a federal spokesman with the National Nuclear Security
Administration, said Y-12 workers reacted properly to an unexpected
event.
"It's certainly something you don't want to happen, but their response
was
very swift," Wyatt said.
The workers were handling a "legacy" material that has been in storage
at the
Oak Ridge nuclear facility since the 1970s, Wilburn said.
Y-12 employees are "de-inventorying" Building 9720-5, as part of the
preparations for moving into a new storage facility for highly enriched
uranium. The
new $500 million storage center is under construction and about 35
percent
completed.
Oak Ridge officials typically do not discuss their storage facilities
in
depth for safety and security reasons.
According to a study guide for workers published in 1997, Building
9720-5 is
used for storage and shipping of safeguarded nuclear materials.
"The materials handled in the warehouse include uranium, lithium,
beryllium,
and thorium and come in the form of canned subassemblies, fuel
assemblies,
oxides, metals and alloys," the document states.
Senior writer Frank Munger may be reached at 865-342-6329
dishonest?
This is another one of those news pieces that contains a big lie. The
fire
originated from the pyrophloric tendencies of uranium chips to ignite
due to
friction, then get red hot, and set other things on fire. Uranium
fires are
difficult to put out.
The Bill Wilburn statement that the uranium did not catch fire is
untruthful,
as the only way this fire started was for the uranium chip to catch on
fire
and oxidize. They put out uranium fires with powdered graphite to
block the
oxygen, as that is one of the few methods that can put out a uranium
fire.
It appears the days of Y-12 telling lies and the news helping tell
those lies
has not gotten any better. When uranium chips catch fire they release
fine
uranium oxide particles that suspend in air and become a health hazard.
It
appears they want to hide this problem, as the workers likely didn't
wear
respirators. And the only way to get graphite dust on the uranium
chip fire is to
rip open the bag and dump in some graphite dust to put out the fire.
In the 50s and 60s at Y-12, uranium chip fires were very common and the
production area workers would scuff their feet on the floors and watch
sparkler
effects come from under their yellow shoe scuffs. And they inhaled
the small
uranium particles very often in uranium part production areas, and
filled the
drains and creek with uranium dusts.
========
www.knoxnews.com/kns/local...53,00.html
Small fire confirmed at uranium warehouse
Official says Sept. 22 incident at Y-12 over in a 'matter of minutes'
By FRANK MUNGER, munger@knews.com
October 11, 2006
OAK RIDGE - A small fire occurred Sept. 22 in a warehouse where highly
enriched uranium and other materials are stored at the Y-12 nuclear
weapons plant, a
spokesman confirmed Tuesday.
But the uranium itself did not catch on fire, and the entire incident
was
over in a "matter of minutes," said Bill Wilburn of BWXT, the company
that
manages Y-12 for the federal government.
The Project On Government Oversight, a Washington-based watchdog group,
was
the first to report on the incident. Peter Stockton, an investigator
with POGO,
said the group has long been concerned about the Y-12 warehouse,
Building
9720-5, because it is constructed of wood and is considered vulnerable
to fire.
The incident occurred while workers were using a protective "glove bag"
to
examine a package of highly enriched uranium that was wrapped in
plastic and
masking tape, Wilburn said. A glove bag allows workers to examine
uranium without
the possible release of contaminants or direct exposure to the
radioactive
material, he said.
During the procedure, a small piece of the uranium apparently oxidized
upon
exposure to air and caused some combustion of the plastic packaging and
masking
tape, he said.
Neither the uranium nor the glove bag caught fire, Wilburn said.
Workers
immediately put out the fire using powdered graphite, known as coke, he
said.
"There were no injuries and no release of contamination," the Y-12
spokesman
said. "They responded quickly, and the other folks evacuated the
building. The
whole incident only lasted a matter of minutes."
Wilburn said an investigation of the incident was being conducted, but
he
said he did not know the status of it. He said he could not comment on
POGO's
remarks about the building being constructed of wood.
"I can't discuss the building or what it's made out of," he said.
Steven Wyatt, a federal spokesman with the National Nuclear Security
Administration, said Y-12 workers reacted properly to an unexpected
event.
"It's certainly something you don't want to happen, but their response
was
very swift," Wyatt said.
The workers were handling a "legacy" material that has been in storage
at the
Oak Ridge nuclear facility since the 1970s, Wilburn said.
Y-12 employees are "de-inventorying" Building 9720-5, as part of the
preparations for moving into a new storage facility for highly enriched
uranium. The
new $500 million storage center is under construction and about 35
percent
completed.
Oak Ridge officials typically do not discuss their storage facilities
in
depth for safety and security reasons.
According to a study guide for workers published in 1997, Building
9720-5 is
used for storage and shipping of safeguarded nuclear materials.
"The materials handled in the warehouse include uranium, lithium,
beryllium,
and thorium and come in the form of canned subassemblies, fuel
assemblies,
oxides, metals and alloys," the document states.
Senior writer Frank Munger may be reached at 865-342-6329
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