47°F
weather icon Mostly Clear

Project is set to clean up Tonopah Test Range

The U.S. Department of Energy will remove 5,000 cubic feet of low-level waste from the Tonopah Test Range as part of the clean-up effort, officials said.

The soil at the Tonopah Test Range was contaminated by plutonium after operation Clean Slate II experiments were designed to determine if nuclear weapons could be accidentally set off and produce a nuclear yield.

Kelly Snyder, public affairs specialist for the DOE said after clean-up activities, contamination levels will be such that a construction worker performing work within the site for a full year will receive a dose less than 25 millirem per year which is equivalent to one chest X-ray per year.

Officials said most of the plutonium contamination at the Clean Slate II site is at the surface or within five centimeters of the surface, however, some potentially contaminated debris is buried at an estimated depth of one meter.

“Although residual amounts of plutonium will still be dispersed in the soil at these areas, the remediation work will remove the higher contamination areas at Clean Slate II,” Snyder said.

The Energy Department’s environmental management Nevada Program has conducted clean-up activities at the Tonopah Test Range since 1996. In the late 1990s, approximately 7,400 cubic yards of radioactive contaminated material was removed and disposed at the Nevada Test Site now known as the Nevada National Security Site.

According to the DOE’s presentation, the material is only hazardous if inhaled or ingested because alpha-emitting radioactive particles cannot penetrate the human skin.

“Radiation from plutonium is hazardous only if inhaled or ingested,” Snyder said. “It loses energy very rapidly and has a low penetrating ability – it cannot penetrate skin, or even a sheet of paper. However, if it is inhaled or ingested, the alpha radiation can cause harm to individual cells or organs, depending on factors such as quantity inhaled/ingested, cell sensitivity, and the individual.”

Transportation of waste

Remediation at the site is planned for June and shipments are anticipated to begin in July, DOE said. The planned 15-week shipping campaign will have five trucks per day, four days per week.

The soil and debris collected from the site will be sealed in containers, loaded onto placarded trucks and transported from the Tonopah Test Range along U.S. Highway 95 to the Nevada National Security Site Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site, where it will be permanently disposed.

According to the information provided by the DOE, it hosted several training classes and exercises for local responders to ensure emergency responders are prepared in an event of an incident involving any shipments to the Nevada National Security Site.

According to DOE, close to 100 emergency responders live in communities along U.S. Highway 95 trained by the DOE Transportation Emergency Preparedness Program.

In addition to local responders, numerous high-tech resources and emergency response personnel are stationed at the NNSS which has agreements in place to support nearby communities, DOE said in a presentation.

History

DOE’s predecessor agency, Atomic Energy Commission, began testing weapon systems, research rockets, and artillery on Tonopah Test Range in 1956.

Some tests involved conventional explosive detonations of nuclear devices that produced no yield but resulted in radioactive and chemical contamination of the environment, according to the presentation.

DOE and the Department of Defense currently carry out missions on the Tonopah Test Range, officials said. The locations where historic nuclear weapons tests took place limits the current type of work that can be completed in the area due to residual contamination.

“Continued remediation activity will allow for additional land to be used for ongoing missions. In addition, all current activities meet strict environmental regulations,” officials said.

Tonopah Test Range is about 50 miles southeast of Tonopah.

Contact reporter Daria Sokolova at dsokolova@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @dariasokolova77

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Beatty Clinic gets tons of help with new a/c

BEATTY — The Beatty Foundation, an affiliate of AngloGold-Ashanti (AGA), did tons of good at the Beatty Clinic on March 22. Nine tons, exactly.

11th Annual Chili Cook-Off brings tempting tastings and festival fun

The 11th Annual International Chili Society and Silver State Chili Cook-Off took over Petrack Park this past weekend for three days filled with savory tastings, fun and activities and of course, some intense culinary competition.

Pahrump homeschoolers dance the night away

Pahrump Valley’s homeschool youth were whisked away into the Enchanted Forest this month, with local Moose Lodge #808 hosting a night of dancing and revelry in honor of an age-old adolescent right-of-passage, prom.

Looking for some family fun for Easter? Hop over to Simkins Park

Anyone looking for a fun, family-friendly festivity to enjoy this holiday can hop on over to Simkins Park to join the Mills family as they celebrate Easter Sunday with worship music, free food and an enormous 14,000-egg hunt that is sure to bring a smile to hundreds of faces.

Campground fees to increase at Death Valley National Park

DEATH VALLEY, Calif. — Visitors to Death Valley National Park can expect a slight increase in entrance fees for various campgrounds beginning on May 1.

Clerk staffer Cori Freidhof appointed interim leader

Nye County Clerk Mark Kampf’s time in office officially comes to a close on March 31 and deputy clerk Cori Freidhof has now been selected to assume that vacated seat. Freidhof will take over the office as of Monday, April 1 and fulfill the unexpired term ending Jan. 1, 2027.

Gaming can have impact on us

When does gaming cross the line from recreational relaxation to problematic behavior? How do video games and gambling relate? What resources are available for those who find themselves struggling to control their relationship with video games and gambling?

County eyeing impact fee increases

The cost to develop in Pahrump could go up, with a public hearing on a proposal to raise local impact fees set for next month.

Here’s who filed as political candidates in Nye County

Locals have filed their political candidacy as of March 15 and this year two major offices in Nye County will be up for grabs in the general election. Nye County residents have to first narrow down their preferred party candidate on June 11 in the primary and then vote in November to support their preferred candidates.