Friday, August 10, 2007


Aug. 10, 2007 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) --
A Monday night fire at the Anniston Army Depot involving radioactive gas will be investigated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and is causing a change in procedures at the depot, according to depot officials.

The fire started around 7 p.m. Monday in a warehouse containing leaking tritium gauges. Depot public affairs officer Joan Gustafson said the depot considered the fire minor, and not a threat to the public.

The investigation by NRC is routine following incidents involving radioactive material, according to a depot news release.

Tritium is a radioactive gas. It is used in dials and gauges inside weapons, including tanks, because it glows in the dark, according Gustafson. She said the depot replaces leaking items, recycling the damaged units when possible and disposing of them when necessary.

Gustafson said the Army is trying to replace some of these devices with non-radioactive material, if it is available.

The fire started when towels covered with hydrogen peroxide used to decontaminate leaking tritium devices picked up a small amount of 'oily residue' and were sealed in a zip-lock bag. The bags containing the towels were placed in a box along with tritium devices awaiting recycling or disposal.

The mixture of peroxide and oil caused a chemical reaction that started the fire, according to the news release. At approximately 7 p.m., depot employees noticed smoke coming from a warehouse housing the radioactive material.

The depots' fire department extinguished the fire within minutes, the release says.

The fire damaged a wooden pallet containing 75 of the radioactive devices, and another pallet was charred. No water used to put out the fire escaped from the building which had a sealed concrete floor, the release said.

Because the incident was considered minor, Gustafson said, she did not intend to send out a press release, but did after receiving inquiries from local media.

Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency Director Dan Long said he was contacted by Anniston Army Depot officials on Tuesday as a matter of courtesy.

'They don't have to report to me right away,' Long said. 'The depot is lucky. They have their own fire department and (hazardous materials teams).'

The depot tested protective clothing and breathing apparatuses worn by the firefighters for radioactive contamination, but the results were negative, the release said. Workers also were tested for contamination, but the depot did not have the results of those tests Thursday. They are expected to be negative, the release says.

'To preclude this situation from occurring again, hydrogen peroxide will no longer be used as a decontamination source and all hydrogen peroxide supplies will be turned in for proper hazardous waste disposal,' the release said.

About Dan Whisenhunt
Dan Whisenhunt covers Anniston and Calhoun Co. for The Star.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0317-18806682


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