Workers Report Possible Chemical Vapors at Nuclear Tank Farm

RICHLAND (AP) — Three workers at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation have reported symptoms consistent with exposure to chemical vapors at one of the tank farms.

The Tri-City Herald reports six other workers on Wednesday reported suspicious odors as they put on protective clothing.

Workers inside the tank farm and those in the dressing facility were instructed to leave the area.

Officials for Washington River Protection Solutions, the private contractor that operates the tank farms for the U.S. Department of Energy, said six workers, including the three who reported symptoms, had medical evaluations.

Officials say they were cleared to return to work.

For decades, Hanford made plutonium for nuclear weapons, and 56 million gallons of the most dangerous waste from that work is stored in 177 giant underground tanks.

Dozens of workers in recent months have sought medical exams for possible exposure to chemical vapors from the tanks.