UPDATE: Incident Reported at Idaho Nuclear Site, Crews Responding
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) — The Latest on Idaho nuclear site incident (all times local):
10:20 a.m.
Federal officials say there are no injuries at a nuclear facility in eastern Idaho following the release of radioactive material from a ruptured 55-gallon (208-liter) barrel inside a containment structure.
The U.S. Department of Energy in a statement Thursday says the breach occurred late Wednesday at the 890-square-mile (2,305-square-kilometer) site that includes the Idaho National Laboratory.
Officials say the Idaho National Laboratory Fire Department responded to a fire alarm late Wednesday at the structure at the Idaho Cleanup Project's Radioactive Waste Management Complex.
The agency says the facility is designed with high-efficiency filters and no contamination has been detected outside.
Workers have been preparing stored waste at the isolated desert site about 55 miles (89 kilometers) west of Idaho Falls for shipment to a storage facility in New Mexico.
EARLIER STORY:
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) — Federal officials say they've activated an Emergency Operations Center and crews are responding to a reported incident at a nuclear site in eastern Idaho.
The U.S. Department of Energy in a statement Thursday morning says it's gathering information about the incident at the 890-square-mile (2,305-square-kilometer) site that includes the Idaho National Laboratory.
Officials haven't released details about the type of incident reported at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex, where radioactive waste from around the country was buried for decades.
Workers have been digging up the waste at the isolated desert site for shipment to a storage facility in New Mexico.
Idaho National Laboratory Joint Information Center spokeswoman Laura Scheele says there's no information about any injuries or possible radioactive contamination.
Officials say there is no risk to the public.