Panic at federal nuclear site as raging blaze shuts down air, rail and ground travel

Panic at federal nuclear site as raging blaze shuts down air, rail and ground travel A fire at a national lab in South Carolina that is in a complex where key parts for nuclear bombs were once made triggered an emergency declaration Wednesday - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in A fire at the Savannah River National Laboratory in South Carolina prompted an emergency declaration on Wednesday, halting incoming traffic and restricting air and rail service in the surrounding area. Firefighters extinguished the blaze by Wednesday night, and the site returned to normal operations. A Savannah River Site statement said it found no detectable levels of contamination. The laboratory sits within the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site, a massive complex where the federal government once produced materials used in nuclear weapons, primarily tritium and plutonium-239. The lab occupies the northwest corner of the site, near its edge. The complex opened in the early 1950s as the Cold War was heating up and was built near Jackson, South Carolina. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, it is used today for environmental stewardship and cleanup, nuclear waste management, and the disposition of nuclear materials. Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the lab currently conducts experiments with nuclear materials and processes radioactive material, including operating a facility for radioisotope recovery from used nuclear fuel. Lyman said it is reassuring that officials said there has been no off-site contamination, noting that a buffer zone separates most of the facilities from public areas. But if you have a fire involving radioactive material, “you need to take extreme precautions because of the potential dispersal of that material and the potential for contamination, potential for the public to be exposed,” he said. The emergency declaration issued Wednesday is the second-highest of three emergency categories at the site and indicates “something more serious has occurred,” according to the site's community preparedness information. It ended on Wednesday night after the fire was extinguished. A U.S. Department of Energy spokesperson said one person suffered minor injuries in the fire. The spokesperson, citing officials at the Savannah River Site, said the person injured was an employee who was taken to the hospital. The spokesperson said the fire was extinguished and no contamination has been reported. The Savannah River Site did not say what caused the fire. According to its website, the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily restricted flights in the area because of the fire. The Savannah River Site said rail, river and ground travel in the area also was restricted. It said employees not involved in emergency response or shutdown operations were sheltered as a precaution. The fire prompted a "site area emergency." After producing material for nuclear weapons during the Cold War, the Savannah River National Laboratory now focuses on waste cleanup and nuclear materials management. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments