Fort Bliss: Contaminated bunker not a threat

(AP)—Army officials are downplaying the threat to Fort Bliss personnel exposed to radiation detected in a bunker at the West Texas military post.

Leaders at Fort Bliss said Friday that testing shows contamination is contained to the floor of the bunker at a portion of the post known as Biggs Army Airfield. Nuclear weapons were assembled and stored in the bunker in the 1950s and 1960s.

Officials have said a tip from a former worker prompted an investigation that revealed radioactivity in the bunker, calling into question the safety of personnel at the post.

But they said Friday there was no risk to people who worked in the bunker during the Cold War era or more recently.

The bunker is now used to store weapons used for training.

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