Nuclear Waste Barrel Prompts Investigation After Sparks Fly

Human error will happen, regardless of the policies a company puts in place. That’s why it’s incredibly dangerous to store high-level nuclear waste in the Permian Basin, above ground, above our Ogallala Aquifer. This is not the first time there has been a nuclear waste accident at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant facility in New Mexico.

“This is yet another reminder that as the lab ramps up plutonium ‘pit’ bomb-core production, it has yet to resolve its chronic nuclear waste and safety problems,” said Jay Coghlan, executive director of the nonprofit Nuclear Watch New Mexico.

The incident occurred on February 26, 2021. Both Los Alamos lab and the Environmental Department of the United States are investigating the incident. Kaitlyn O’Brien of the Environmental Department said that the incident was caused by a person conducting irregular practices in the containerization process of the radioactive waste. These continued instances of human error showcase that WIPP is not ready to be responsible for plutonium pits. 

Four additional barrels were found to hold similar contents that caused the first drum to emit sparks.