The potential greater public concern is the dumpsite where as many as 30,000 55-gallon drums of plutonium-contaminated waste are stored in fabric tents above ground this adds to the element of usual catastrophic effects of fire.
“These drums are designed to a safety standard that would withstand a wildland fire worse than this one,” Lab spokeswoman Lisa Rosendorf said, the drums contain cleanup from Cold War-era waste that the lab sends away in weekly shipments to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Charlie McMillan, Los Alamos Labs Director as of a month ago, starts off with significant challenges.
Teams from the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Radiological Assistance Program are on the way to the scene to help assess any nuclear or radiological hazards, said Kevin Smith, Los Alamos Site Office manager. The teams will monitor the air and contaminants. The National Guard and State Police have been called in to patrol, with the main road into Los Alamos closed.
Watch the news reports coming out today, and it is hard to hold the light for humanity. The key is appreciation of what we have now, and to gain perspective to change our patterns regarding the source of energy.
I live in Albuquerque and this fire has really unsettled me. The circumstances are just too “perfect”… distance from the labs, the direction from the labs (perfect path when winds pick up to take the fires straight to LANL’s), and started in the Jemez on private property. I am in support of alternative energy, and not a fan of nuclear-anything – but I am NOT a radical. But if this was purposely set, there are too many homes, lives, and wildlife at stake here. This is not the way to do this.
Additionally, if the fires do encroach into LANL space, the details will not be available to the public. There is so much security and clearance with these people. I’ve tried the “blink once for ‘yes’ and twice for ‘no’ ” with my lab friends, and all I get is a blank stare. There is much more up there than we know.
I am constantly watching and updating my site as the whole state is starting to go up in fire now. We have only had 16/100th’s of an inch of precip this year, and I’m terrified the fools with fireworks will bring our Bosque up in flames. Watch for more updates, photos and video on my site if you wish. http://www.motleynews.net