1200 Radiation Suits Ordered for New Mexico Radiation leak!

FROM THE WEST WIRE

On February 20th the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) posted a special notice to the Federal Business Opportunities website announcing an order of 1200 sets of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) single use overgarments, meant to protect the wearer from radiological contamination in the form of radiological particulates. These PPE suits, which include hoods and boots, are to be received by the DTRA at their location on Kirtland Airforce Base, located in New Mexico. The potentially alarming attribute of this order is that the Kirland Airforce Base is only a few hours drive from the DoD’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad.  For governmental agencies, this location would seem to be a logical link in a supply chain of transporting supplies. The WIPP, which is one of only three like-plants in the world, is the same location where alarms have been sounding lately, indicating a radiation leak.

The “highest ever” levels of radiation detected at this plant are, no doubt, connected to the plants storage of nuclear waste in deep underground bunkers. This method of storage is considered permanent by advocates, which say the storage time frame for safe-keeping is 10,000 years. It would appear they may have been over-zealous in that calculation, considering the plant has only been open for 15 years.

Officials have stated that the levels of radiation associated with this contaminant leak are still under “well below those deemed unsafe” and pose no need for immediate concern. In nearly the same breath Joe Franco, the Department of Energy’s Carlsbad field office manager, says they won’t know what is causing the leak until they can get underground, which could take weeks. While Joe seems to be fairly nonchalant about the situation, elevated particulate radiation levels found half a mile away from a nuclear waste-storage facility is not normal.

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