The Associated Press
Sandia National Laboratories has not adequately assessed risks to the public from an accident involving one of its reactors, a federal report concludes.
The National Nuclear Security Administration's report, dated Dec. 10, was released Friday by the Washington, D.C.-based Project on Government Oversight, known as POGO.
The evaluation "noted no unsafe operations during the course of the review," but found deficiencies in safety procedures and documents.
"The problem is that if there is indeed an accident, they have a serious problem" because the lab underestimated possible radiation doses or how far and fast a hazardous plume could travel, Pete Stockton, a senior investigator for POGO, said by telephone.
"So the issue is one of safety analysis. In case of an accident, what is the impact, and you have to protect public health and safety," Stockton said.
John German, head of media relations for Sandia, said the lab has been aware of the concerns for months and that "corrective actions are being completed now."
"The draft report that POGO has publicized is further evidence that the oversight process is working as it should," he said. "The NNSA independent review was part of the routine oversight the NNSA provides for the lab's reactor facilities, and the lab welcomes and values its input and recommendations."
The report found no immediate threat to lab workers or the public, German said.
The December assessment of safety analyses found deficiencies in the lab's evaluation for Sandia's pulsed reactor facility — specifically, the team found it "not credible" that people at a nearby golf course or stables could be evacuated in time to avoid plumes of hazardous material that might be released.
"Thus, the best that can be achieved is the mitigation of any doses that the public may receive from an accident," the report said.
It also faulted Sandia for "incomplete consideration" of the impact of accidents on workers in the area and its analysis of types of accidents and how to handle them.
The team also found shortcomings in the analysis for Sandia's annular core research reactor, saying the radiation dose from an accident there could be significant.
It also said that in some cases, both natural and manmade hazards weren't properly identified and assessed, and that the lab failed to justify why it didn't evaluate certain hazards.
The team said the Sandia site office appears capable of correcting most of the issues. However, among other things the report recommended updating the office's review and approval procedures and developing screening standards to evaluate the adequacy of safety documents.
The report also criticized a corrective action plan Sandia developed to address issues raised in a letter last September from the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board. The team said the plan lacked timetables and details.
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