A possible leak is being investigated at a US nuclear facility after radioactive material was found on a worker’s clothing.
The probe began after a contractor with Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), detected a spike in radiation levels on a device called a "crawler" that had been pulled out of a nuclear waste tank.
"Established decontamination procedures were followed, which involves removing the contaminated clothing. Further surveying the worker showed no contamination remained. No other workers were affected, and all members of the crew were cleared for normal duty," said WRPS spokesman Peter Bengtson.
The Double-Shell Tank AZ-101 contains 800,000 gallons of nuclear waste, according to the Washington Department of Ecology, which oversees the Hanford site.
Washington governor Jay Inslee called it a “serious situation”, and managers of the plant sent workers a message telling them to “secure ventilation in your building” and to “refrain from eating or drinking".
The discovery follows an incident last week, which forced hundreds of workers to “take cover”, after a tunnel in the nuclear finishing plant collapsed in Washington State.
The tunnel collapse had been found by workers on patrol, and while researchers did not find leaked or spilled radioactive materials, it nevertheless caused concern.
Several officials are calling on the USDOA to conduct an investigation of the site, fearing additional leaks.
Maia Bellon, Director of the Washington Department of Ecology is requesting “an immediate investigation by US Dept of Energy into contamination [and] potential leak in a Hanford nuclear waste tank”.
The USDOA confirmed the leak in a statement, and reassured the public that workers had returned to “normal duty”. They did not say if there will be a federal investigation.
The department did not immediately return a request for comment.
Located in south-central Washington, the former plutonium production site was used to help develop the American nuclear arsenal 70 years ago.
A private contractor has since been hired by the USDOA on a $110 billion (£84.4 billion) project to clean up 56 million gallons of chemical and nuclear waste, stored in approximately 177 underground tanks.
