Fairborn commencement
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Ill-equipped workers frantically tried to stop toxic leak
Monday, November 13, 2006
PIKETON — When a 14-ton cylinder ruptured, spewing a caustic, radioactive cloud, supervisors ordered Kenny Estep to stop the leak with something that happened to be all over the ground: snow.
Estep, a truck driver with no special emergency training, used a front-end loader to bury the cylinder in snow in hopes of chilling and solidifying the remaining uranium hexafluoride inside.
Extras
He was given an air cylinder and a pair of paper coveralls to wear as he repeatedly drove through radiation-contaminated snow, according to an internal investigative report issued months after the March 7, 1978, accident at the U.S. Department of Energy's Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant.
The night of the accident, Estep came home talking about walking in "green poison" — slushy radioactive snow surrounding the cylinder and in the path of his front-end loader, said his widow, Barbara Barker, 62, of Piketon.
"He told me when he got home, he was like, 'That was dangerous what we done tonight. They really panicked,' " Barker said.
"They took a shower but no urine test," she said. "When he got back the next day he said not only were his clothes gone but the lockers were gone. So they knew everything was contaminated."
Even so, plant health officials dismissed as unrelated to the accident serious rashes that Estep and another man developed about five days later, Barker said.
Seven years after the accident, Estep died of a rare form of liver cancer at age 42. Although no one knows for sure what triggered his illness, Estep's widow said he believed the cancer was caused by regular contact with radioactive and chemical contaminants in his job as a truck driver at the plant.
After Estep's death, Barker filed a workers' compensation claim, but it was denied, so she gave up and moved on with her life. She was spurred to try again after watching news coverage of proposed government compensation for the families of 9/11 victims.
"I kept thinking, the federal government didn't come right out and kill them the way they done ours," said Barker. "These guys out here die slowly."
She said it took the intervention of U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland, D-Lisbon, now governor-elect, to convince the federal government that the plant made Estep sick. In 2002 — 17 years after his death — Barker was compensated for her loss.
The cylinder accident was the worst in the plant's 47 years of operation.
The plant's accident investigation board later found that the "conditions contributing to the accident have existed for a considerable number of years," even dating to the plant's opening in 1954, according to the board's June 1, 1978, report.
Unenriched uranium hexafluoride, which is what leaked at Piketon, is not highly radioactive but is very corrosive. When it hits air, it releases a scalding cloud that can cause severe burns and death. Uranium hexafluoride killed one worker and injured 40 other people after a cylinder burst in 1986 at a Kerr-McGee uranium processing plant in Gore, Okla.
The night of the accident at Piketon, the government's own investigative report shows that much of what needed to go right with the emergency response did not.
Still, the next day's news release from Goodyear Atomic Corp., which operated the uranium enrichment plant for the Energy Department, downplayed the accident.
The news release said the cylinder of "mildly radioactive" uranium hexafluoride had developed "a small crack" when it was accidentally dropped on concrete. According to Goodyear, the incident resulted in no injuries.
The plant's accident investigation board subsequently found that 21,125 pounds of uranium hexafluoride leaked from the ruptured cylinder, nearly draining it after a chronically defective straddle carrier dropped the cylinder in an outside storage yard. Plant operators had ignored workers' warnings about the unsafe carriers and previous accidents involving dropped cylinders, according to the report.
The investigative report paints a gripping account of the 21/2 hours it took to stop the leak.
It began with a worker, who forgot his protective mask, using the forklift-like carrier to move the cylinder of hot liquid uranium hexafluoride. When the cylinder slipped off and burst, forming a toxic cloud, the worker ran to a nearby building to call for help.
Outside, workers threw tarps and sandbags on the cylinder in an unsuccessful attempt to plug the breech, according to witnesses.
They decided to try snow, but it took 45 minutes to find a working front-end loader to haul it.
Supervisors assigned a driver, whose name is redacted from the report but was Estep, according to Barker and Estep's friend Clyde Blanton. Estep dumped snow on the cylinder for 30 minutes before staunching the flow.
By that time, the wind had carried off 10,600 pounds of uranium in a toxic airborne plume. Meanwhile, employees frantically worked to stop uranium flowing into a ditch at the western edge of the plant site. But ice, rocks and debris clogged the opening of a pipe in the ditch, and workers wielding sledgehammers were unable to force the gate closed. It leaked heavily throughout the night.
By the time they plugged the pipe with dirt, an estimated 1,500 pounds of uranium had escaped into the Scioto River, which flows south to the Ohio River.
Although officials knew they'd failed to stop the uranium hexafluoride from escaping the plant grounds, no mention was made in the next day's public news release.
Despite all the problems that night, the internal investigative report applauded the emergency response, saying, "There were no injuries or internal exposures of personnel to radioactive material in excess of Plant Allowable Limits. Under less favorable circumstances, injury and possibly even fatalities could be expected from such a release."
Barker said the government doesn't want people to know what really happened that night. She remembers hearing one company official say he'd been there during the accident and it hadn't made him sick.
But he was safe inside a building, said Barker, who recalls thinking, "You weren't out there with those guys walking in that green muck."
Comments
By M.J.Kraft
November 20, 2006 06:28 PM | Link to this
I hired on at Mound 1980 entry level ,{labor gang].Assignments ranging from ,office moves,,assisting skilled trades in and out of contaminated areas, yards and grounds,and digging lots of holes.In 1986 I moved up to Firefighter classification. Fire prevention was top priority.For the 13 years myself, and 8 other firefighters perforfmed ispections over every inch of every building. Hot or cold. In 1990 I was diagnosed with COPD,1994Moderate Emphysema,Lung Cancer 2006.Do yourself A favor
By Trish Quinn
November 20, 2006 11:49 AM | Link to this
Very well reported article. I work on a similar program as the WHHP but its for the construction and building trades workers that worked at Mound, Fernald and other various DOE sites. We offer an in-depth work history questionnaire and a free medical screening exam. If you worked construction at a DOE site, please call us at 1-888-464-0009. Or check us out on-line at www.btmed.org.
By Mary M.
November 19, 2006 08:27 PM | Link to this
I’ve just reread the entire series. Why does it begin with Mound in 1948? What happened at Bonebrake and the Runnymede Playhouse long before 1948 was even more dangerous and secretive.
By Mary M.
November 19, 2006 08:14 PM | Link to this
Investigative reporting at it finest (and most expensive) so it isn’t often seen in daily newspapers. I am a Mound widow and also a Mound survivor as I worked on the “cool” side. At age 81 I consider myself very, very lucky.
By nukeboy
November 16, 2006 10:23 AM | Link to this
Thanks for reporting a story which has been reported about a zillion times already. This is old news.
By Paige Gibson
November 16, 2006 08:24 AM | Link to this
I also wanted to thank DDN for continually keeping this story in the news. Good article. As part of Mound/WHPP we are starting a database to help people with their claims. Because of the cloak of secrecy we worked under and records that are missing we rely on workers for their stories and information. Anything that you can offer may help a fellow Mound worker and thanks to everyone who has already contributed. We have information that spans the decades!!!
By Paige Gibson
November 16, 2006 08:19 AM | Link to this
I worked at Mound as did my father. I became aware of the occpational exposure and got involved. I now work for Mound Workers Health Protection Program. We offer Mound workers a free medical screening. Since July we have diagnosed 6 people with lung cancer or asbestosis. We are also helping people with their claims. What a mess! So Mound people if you have questions or comments call us at 937-866-6802.
By Paige Gibson
November 16, 2006 08:12 AM | Link to this
I worked at Mound as did my father. I became aware of the occupational exposures and got involved. i am now one of three people who work at Mound Workers Health Protection Program. We offer free medical screenings to people who worked at Mound. We are also helping people with the ridiculous amount of paperwork in the compensation program.Since we started in July 6 people have been diagnosed with lung cancer& asbestosis.Questions call 937-866-6802
By Carolyn
November 14, 2006 09:39 PM | Link to this
Excellent series. Your series and others in papers near other sites where atomic workers worked and became ill should be circulated in each community so readers know the situation in the local plant was repeated over and over all over the country.
These plants, not to mention the bombs they helped create, were the American weapons of mass destruction of several generations of workers.
By WALT
November 14, 2006 09:15 PM | Link to this
I WORKED AT MOUND FOR 36 YEARS IN SOME OF THE MOST HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS. I AM NOW PAYING THE PRICE WITH CHRONIC INCURABLE LUNG DISEASE. I AM TRYING TO WORK MY WAY THRU THE PAPER WORKMILL WHICH STARTED OVER 2 YEARS AGO.
By Sam Elliott
November 14, 2006 04:49 PM | Link to this
I worked at this site in 1982 and this is the first of heard of any type of health risk. Who do I contact?????
Sicerely,
Sam Elliott
By Carrie
November 14, 2006 03:33 PM | Link to this
The Dayton Daily News(paper) just did a huge 3-part story on this, Ohio’s Nuclear Legacy. Very good. Dates Nov. 12, 13, 14. Check it out online at www.daytondailynews.com
By Bill
November 14, 2006 12:54 PM | Link to this
I worked at the infamous “bomb” plant for 31 years and am still healthy except for an unrelated heart problem. Don’t blame the plant for the bad stuff that happened and ignore the fact that most people never have had a health problem from working there. Help the ones that have!
By Bill
November 14, 2006 12:51 PM | Link to this
Having worked at the Piketon plant from 1967 until 1998, I believe I know a little about the conditions of the plant. Many mistakes were made by plant workers and management. Many ex-workers have died because of working at the plant. I’m fortunate to be healthy except for a unrelated heart problem. Don’t condemn the plant because times were different then, help those today that need help!
By Bill Bankes
November 14, 2006 12:17 PM | Link to this
I worked at Mound and my Grandfather worked at Fernald, Waverly, and GE Evendale. He died in 1963 of Cancer caused by exposure.
His claim was denied because they would not accept his time at GE and a site to be included although there were large amounts of radioactive materials there.
By Deb
November 14, 2006 07:40 AM | Link to this
Thank you for publishing this extremely important and well written series. People need to know what is and was happening in Ohio’s nuclear industry as well as the problems people struggle with trying navigate the complicated EEOICPA compensation program.
By Jodi Hingtgen
November 13, 2006 09:48 PM | Link to this
Is anyone keeping a central repository or database of people who worked at the Mound and have since died of unnatural causes? Anyone other than the government? My mother (Doris Hill) worked there between 1956 and 1963 and died of various cancers when she was only 42 and I was 16. NIOSH has so far denied my claims. Any information on people who worked there in the late 50’s and early 60’s would be be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Jodi
By Charles Driver
November 13, 2006 06:21 PM | Link to this
Just a note to say thanks for publishing the articles concerning the conditions of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. I have corresponded with Vina Colley for years and can verify, as a former worker in the Paduch Gaseous Diffusion plant and a victim of Heavy Metals Poisoning resulting in total disability, that all her information is correct and accurate. We were told the same lies in different plants for years, resulting in hard to diagnose illnesses that have destroyed our health.
By J
November 13, 2006 05:19 PM | Link to this
My dad worked at Y-12 in Oakridge. I say was because he contracted lung cancer and died. His work/medical records say he was exposed to uranium and radiation. It has been 4 years on the claim. It got to the final adjudication and the person in charge told my siblings and me that he was going to approve the claim. Five days later we received notice that it was going back to NIOSH reconstruction when the govt had already said that dose reconstruction could not be done. Go figure!
By Nelson
November 13, 2006 04:51 PM | Link to this
Having worked at the plant for over 40 years, I believe while there were problems, chain smoking and failure to use provided safety equipment caused many problems.
By Cindy
November 13, 2006 03:58 PM | Link to this
…and We The People pay for all of this.
By Terri Robson
November 13, 2006 01:32 PM | Link to this
The Piketon Site sounds like where The cartoon show the Simpsons got their idea from. As long as the American Government does not recognize the degree which it has poisoned not only the planet but, it’s own citizens and as long as the world leaders do not push for an accounting and retribution of these CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY as that is the only way to describe the actions nothing will ever get done or be resolved.
By Katelyn
November 13, 2006 11:55 AM | Link to this
As an EnvironmentalHealthNews.org regular, I read this excellent article right after this Washington Post piece on the legacy of Agent Orange in Vietnam: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/12/AR2006111201065.html.
It impresses me how we have caused great environmental (and thus HUMAN HEALTH) destruction at home and abroad, indiscriminately.
How can my generation ensure America stops repeating these mistakes?
By Greg
November 13, 2006 09:17 AM | Link to this
A very well reported story. It underlines the need for safe energy alternatives - most notably solar energy. Another interesting question would be - how is Utah or Nevada better managed? and what is the long term disposal plan? store it forever until it decays?
By Stephanie
November 13, 2006 07:37 AM | Link to this
Thank you for bringing these important issues to light!