Energy Secretary Rick Perry said Thursday that the emergency at the Hanford nuclear weapons facility has subsided, but there is still the need to develop a longer-term risk management plan.
“I am pleased to announce that our dedicated and talented team of experts at the Department of Energy’s Hanford site have completed filling in the hole discovered at the PUREX tunnel,” Perry said in a Thursday statement. “This was accomplished swiftly and safely to help prevent any further complications.”
The incident occurred Tuesday morning when staff at the facility found a hole in one of the tunnels that lead to the plutonium refining complex. The agency raised the alarm immediately because of a risk of a radiation leak.
The emergency climbed the chain of command to President Trump on Wednesday, as the White House began monitoring the incident response. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said crews were expected to fill in the tunnel breach by end of business on Wednesday.
The energy secretary said the agency’s next step will be “to identify and implement longer-term measures to further reduce risks.”
Perry added that the incident “is a reminder that the men and women who work for the Department of Energy do incredible work, but that work does not come without risk. Thankfully, the system worked as it should and all are safe,” he said.
“As secretary, the safety of our workforce, the communities and tribal nations that surround our sites, and the environment is my highest priority,” he said.
