Hanford Nuclear Reservation: High Risk 2nd Tunnel Will Collapse, Feds Say

SPOKANE, WA — The U.S. Department of Energy says there is a high risk that a second tunnel filled with radioactive waste might collapse at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington state.

A tunnel partially collapsed on May 9, forcing some 3,000 workers to seek shelter for a few hours.

There were no injuries. (For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

The Energy Department said Friday it had completed an evaluation of a second tunnel on the former nuclear weapons production site and determined there is a high potential for that 53-year-old tunnel to collapse. The agency says it has an Aug. 1 deadline to develop plans to prevent that.

Hanford is located in south-central Washington state and for decades made plutonium for nuclear weapons. The site is now engaged in cleaning up a massive inventory of nuclear waste.

Senator Ron Wyden previously called for an independent investigation of Hanford.

"I will also be asking the U.S. Government Accountability Office to examine what and when DOE knew about the leaks in these tanks, the adequacy of the department’s tank safety efforts and responses to the deteriorating condition of all of the high-level waste tanks."

By Nicholas K. Geranios, Associated Press

Photo credit: Nicholas Geranios, Associated Press