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The
state of New Mexico has fined the federal government a record of more than US$54
million for violations at a nuclear waste facility where two incidents in
February caused radiation release and human exposure.
The fine – the biggest ever by the state on US Department of Energy – was
issued for 37 violations of hazardous waste permits at the Waste Isolation
Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad and the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).
New Mexico Environment Department said
that a thorough nine months investigation found 13 violations at WIPP,
resulting in civil penalties of US$17,746,250; and 24 violations at LANL,
resulting in civil penalties of US$36,604,649.
The
probe confirms “the existence of
major procedural problems that contributed to these events, and also found a
less than adequate response,” a press release read.
New
Mexico said the Feds’ actions led to an improperly maintained salt truck
catching fire at the Carlsbad plant in early February and a rupture of an
improperly packaged LANL barrel of waste a week later stored at WIPP, leading
to non-life-threatening low level radiation exposure of 22 workers.
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The
latter incident led to the closure of the facility, the only underground
nuclear waste storage in the US, which is crucial for the country’s effort to
eradicate Cold War era waste.
The
state says it’s continuing to investigate and more fines are possible.
“The
health and safety of New Mexicans will always be our priority and we have to
hold federal agencies accountable for safe operations in the state,”
New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez said in a statement.
Federal officials are
expected to release their own assessment reports into the accidents before the
end of the year. The price tag for the clean-up effort has been estimated a
half-billion dollars and will take years, AP reports.
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