The Unveiling: Deeper Layers of Deception in PORTS' Radioactive Practices
The "Midnight Rockets" exposé revealed a shocking truth about deliberate atmospheric releases. Now, a deeper probe into internal documents uncovers a more insidious reality: a pervasive environment of unquantified radioactive emissions, significant radioactive waste generation, and monitoring protocols that, despite their apparent rigor, were fundamentally flawed in capturing the full scope of radioactive contamination. This new information paints a picture far more disturbing than previously imagined, focusing solely on the plant's radioactive footprint.
Beyond the Rockets: A Legacy of Radioactive Waste Accumulation
While the "Midnight Rockets" launched radioactive gases, internal records expose the hidden burden of other radioactive materials being generated. Annually, an estimated 700 lbs of uranium-contaminated alumina from purge traps and an additional 350 lbs from seal exhaust stations were produced. These radioactive residues were either buried in the X-749 Low Level Radioactive Burial Ground or stored in the X-744G Warehouse. This reveals a massive, ongoing accumulation of solid radioactive waste that was not merely emitted but actively managed, albeit in ways that may have created further long-term environmental liabilities.
The Precedent: Undisclosed Catastrophic Radioactive Releases
In December 1983, a specific "process malfunction" in the X-326 side purge cascade resulted in an accidental release of a substantial 50 kg of uranium. This single event, occurring three years before the first media report on venting from the facility.
The Illusion of Control: Flawed Radioactive Emission Monitoring
Despite the existence of seemingly elaborate internal procedures for monitoring radioactive emissions, the documents highlight critical flaws. They detail the intricate Vent Sampler Cabinet system, specific X-326 Evacuation Vents, Sample Values (C) Data Log Sheets for individual purge lines, and meticulous Continuous Vent Sampler Trap Change Checklists for tracking radioactive material. These procedures even included precise formulas for calculating uranium and technetium emissions.
Yet, the damning truth, corroborated by revelations in the "Midnight Rockets" article, is that despite this complex façade, the very systems designed to monitor these radioactive emissions were, by the plant's own admission, incapable of accurate measurement during high-flow events, and completely failed to capture technetium-99 for periods. The contrast between these detailed, bureaucratic protocols and their fundamental failure to provide accurate data on actual radioactive releases exposes a profound, deliberate disconnect between documented procedure and true environmental protection. The Environmental Control Procedure (ESH-E-3C3), which aimed for "reliable representative samples" of particulate radionuclides, appears to have been a facade given the known limitations.
Quantified Contamination: Internally Tracked, Publicly Concealed
Beyond general statements of contamination, internal data provides a more precise, and alarming, historical record of airborne radioactivity. From 1987-1991, PORTS was tracking specific trends in Net Airborne Alpha and Beta-Gamma Concentrations. These records show distinct peaks in airborne alpha and beta-gamma concentrations in 1988 and 1990. This confirms that the plant possessed internal knowledge of fluctuating and significant airborne radionuclide levels over several years, even as the "Midnight Rockets" continued their silent assault on the surrounding communities.
The cumulative weight of these previously undisclosed details—the vast scale of other radioactive waste, the specific, unquantified historical accidents, the inherent design flaws in seemingly robust radioactive emission monitoring systems, and the internal tracking of long-term airborne radionuclide trends—paints a stark picture of a facility where radioactive safety was not merely compromised, but systematically undermined, leaving a legacy of hidden danger far beyond the initial shocking revelations.
Add comment
Comments