U.S. Nuclear Site "WIPP" - Concern over "Possible Sabotage"

‘Green burst’ and ‘criticality event’ under investigation by gov’t in connection with plutonium release at U.S. nuclear site #WIPP — Official: Underground fire may have initiated reaction in ruptured radioactive waste drum — Concern over possible arson/sabotage? (VIDEO)

Dr. Nan Sauer, Leader of LANL’s Internal Technical Investigation and Associate Director for Chemistry,

Meeting of New Mexico’s Radioactive & Hazardous Materials Committee, July 23, 2014: (UNCLASSIFIED: LA-UR-14-xxxxx) What caused Drum 68660 to breach?

Two hypotheses considered in this complex investigation:

1. Chemical Reactivity: Trace Metal Impurities, Process Changes, Radiation Chemistry, Trigger Mechanisms

2. Broader Issue: Green Burst, Related to Truck Fire, Criticality Event, Issue with Other Waste Containers, Arson/Sabotage, Other Materials

ENENEWS


For Research Purposes:

WIPP: Disaster-History

AND

UNCLASSIFIED LA - UR - 14 - xxxxx
( high-quality color photos )

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OPINION:

Current (Asymetrical?) Events Increases ...

The "Sabotage" Possibility.
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a reply to: FarleyWayne

I don't have time to read the sources, but I do remember someone mentioning a couple months ago that the reaction was caused by someone using the wrong kitty litter.

Found a little reference to kitty litter

New emails reveal concern over plutonium chain reaction in WIPP containers — “There shouldn’t be a ‘significant’ reaction… criticality safety issues are not my area of expertise” — “Significant amount of plutonium” — No mention of kitty litter
enenews.com... ivity-of-plutonium-and-criticality-safety-issues-are-no

Albuquerque Journal News, May 29, 2014: WIPP probe: Emails raise new questions [...] internal Los Alamos National Laboratory emails showing Los Alamos approved products to be used in the drums that some experts say contain ingredients widely known to cause a heat reaction when combined with the drums’ other contents. The emails are not about the switch from inorganic to organic cat litter [...] The emails trace LANL’s approval of two products [...] to neutralize the pH balance of drum contents sent to WIPP. [...] despite product warnings clearly stating that the product is incompatible with metallic nitrates and “strong oxidizers,” such as nitrate salts, both of which are found in the LANL drums. Nitrates and organic matter are known to oxidize, a reaction that generates heat. [...] When Zeke Wilmot, [LANL contractor] EnergySolutions industrial hygienist, asked in an August 2013 email for approval to use the product, he notes that “criticality safety issues are not my area of expertise” and “it may be advisable to have LANL personnel weigh in on these issues as well.” [...] WIPP and LANL did not grant requests for interviews regarding the emails [...]