[Note: This is a developing story. ECA will continue to update as more information becomes available. Updates from the Hanford site will also be posted at www.hanford.gov]
Latest Update:
9:38 AM PDT/ 12:38
EST
The Hanford Fire Department is on scene and updates will be posted as they are available. Workers in the vicinity are still being sheltered as a precaution
Event Summary:
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Richland Operations Office activated the Hanford Emergency Operations Center at 8:26 a.m., after an alert was declared at the 200 East Area. There are concerns about subsidence in the soil covering railroad tunnels near a former chemical processing facility. The tunnels contain contaminated materials.
Actions taken to protect site employees
include:
- Facility personnel have
been evacuated
- As a precaution, workers in
potentially affected areas of the Hanford Site have gone indoors
- Access to the 200 East Area of the Hanford Site, which is located in the center of the Hanford Site, has been restricted to protect employees
The public can request information regarding the event by calling (509) 376-8116. The media may call (509) 376-3322.
No action is currently required for residents of Benton and Franklin Counties. >>See article
