Outside lab asked to review Hanford vapor problem
A South Carolina lab will lead an independent review of chemical fumes reported by workers at waste storage tanks at the nation's most contaminated nuclear weapons site in Washington state.
Washington River Protection Solutions, a contractor, asked the Savannah River National Laboratory to provide a broader analysis and recommendations for the Hanford Nuclear Reservation than previous reviews in 2008 and 2010.
The U.S. Energy Department supports the review to resolve questions raised this spring after more than two dozen workers received medical attention following apparent exposure to chemical vapors at the nuclear reservation in eastern Washington.
The Tri-City Herald reports the vapors that vent from underground tanks have been a concern for two decades.
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