Source: http://kcpw.org, April 24, 2009
A half-gallon of hazardous waste leaked from an EnergySolutions tanker in Carbon County last month. But the incident has only now come to light. The company held an extensive media roundtable earlier this week but failed to mention the incident. Spokesman Mark Walker says the company followed standard reporting procedure by notifying the state.
“When our team arrived and did the assessment, there was no contamination found and there was no safety or health compromised to the environment or to the residents of Carbon County,” Walker says. “We followed the procedures that we are required to follow and ensured that there was no contamination.”
The waste was labeled flammable, hazardous waste and toxic upon inhalation. It was a byproduct of Department of Energy radioactive waste processed at EnergySolutions’ Clive, Utah, facility. The radioactive part of the waste was removed and stored, while the hazardous chemical byproduct was transported to a waste facility in Tennessee.
At a weigh station in Carbon County, an employee noticed a duct-taped hose was leaking. Walker said the leaky container did not belong to the company. However, he said the incident prompted changes at the facility to improve the tanker inspection process.
“Our employees didn’t notice that. There are a lot of hoses on these types of tankers,” Walker says. “Since then, like we do all incidents that we have. We evaluate the situation, and as a result of this particular incident. We’ve strengthened our evaluation process of these tankers before they leave the Clive facility.”
The incident occurred March 31st. It’s being investigated by the Utah Division of Radiation Control.