RICHLAND, Wash. (AP) - A spokesman for a Hanford Nuclear Reservation contractor says about a dozen Hanford workers have recently reported smelling chemical vapors from underground waste tanks. Two workers who reported coughing and throat irritation linked to the vapors were checked at a hospital Tuesday.
The Tri-City Herald reports (https://is.gd/4OBSMW ) that Washington River Protection Solutions spokesman John Britton says the two workers checked at a local hospital were released later Tuesday and were expected to be cleared to return to work.
Britton says workers were evacuated from two tank farms as a precaution.
He says another eight workers at several tank farms were checked Tuesday by Hanford’s health provider after they also reported smelling chemicals. He says two other workers smelled chemicals last week. All were released to return to work.
Hanford’s underground waste tanks vent to the atmosphere, where employees working outdoors can sometimes smell the vapors. Workers typically smell ammonia, although other chemicals are in the mix.
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Information from: Tri-City Herald, https://www.tri-cityherald.com
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