Safety Board Calls Nuclear Lab's Earthquake Resistance Analysis 'Technically Inadequate'
From the Project On Government Oversight
By MIA STEINLE
An ongoing government analysis of an important nuclear weapons laboratory’s ability to withstand earthquakes may be flawed, according to a federal oversight panel.
The analysis of how the plutonium facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory would hold up in a strong earthquake “is technically inadequate” in several ways, the oversight panel wrote in a July 18 letter to the Department of Energy.
“Timely action must be taken to fully understand if additional building modifications are required,” the oversight board said.
The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board said in the letter that it “remains concerned by the seismic integrity of the Plutonium Facility,” adding that the ongoing analysis has “profound implications for ensuring public health and safety.”
The analysis in dispute is being performed by the Department of Energy’s semiautonomous National Nuclear Security Administration and by the contractors that operate the New Mexico laboratory.
The oversight panel’s criticism comes one month after the panel issued a report that found that Los Alamos National Laboratory had underestimated the amount of radiation that could leak from the plutonium facility as a result of an earthquake. As the Project On Government Oversight reported, the panel concluded that the radiation could be more than four times as intense as the laboratory had estimated.
The plutonium facility was designed and built in the 1970s and lacks the earthquake resistance required by modern building codes, the oversight panel said in its July 18 letter.
As a result, in the event of a strong earthquake, the facility is “susceptible to catastrophic structural failure,” according to the letter.
In 2007, the contractor that runs Los Alamos found that an earthquake near the facility could cause ground motions up to five times greater than the facility was designed to withstand, the letter said.
Los Alamos, which is located 35 miles outside of Santa Fe, was last shaken by an earthquake in October 2011, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The oversight panel demanded that the Department of Energy write a report within 30 days explaining how it is assessing the facility’s vulnerability to a strong quake.
The Department of Energy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mia Steinle is an investigator for the Project On Government Oversight.
Image from Flickr user domsticat
The Project On Government Oversight is a nonpartisan independent watchdog that champions good government reforms. POGO’s investigations into corruption, misconduct, and conflicts of interest achieve a more effective, accountable, open, and ethical federal government. Founded in 1981, POGO (which was then known as Project on Military Procurement) originally worked to expose outrageously overpriced military spending on items such as a $7,600 coffee maker and a $436 hammer. In 1990, after many successes reforming military spending, including a Pentagon spending freeze at the height of the Cold War, POGO decided to expand its mandate and investigate waste, fraud, and abuse throughout the federal government.
Throughout its history, POGO’s work has been applauded by Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle, federal workers and whistleblowers, other nonprofits, and the media.
2012-07-27 12:58:05
Source:
Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.
"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.
Please Help Support BeforeitsNews by trying our Natural Health Products below!
Order by Phone at 888-809-8385 or online at https://mitocopper.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST
Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomic.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST
Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomics.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST
Humic & Fulvic Trace Minerals Complex - Nature's most important supplement! Vivid Dreams again!
HNEX HydroNano EXtracellular Water - Improve immune system health and reduce inflammation.
Ultimate Clinical Potency Curcumin - Natural pain relief, reduce inflammation and so much more.
MitoCopper - Bioavailable Copper destroys pathogens and gives you more energy. (See Blood Video)
Oxy Powder - Natural Colon Cleanser! Cleans out toxic buildup with oxygen!
Nascent Iodine - Promotes detoxification, mental focus and thyroid health.
Smart Meter Cover - Reduces Smart Meter radiation by 96%! (See Video).