No nuclear contamination found at homes of Hanford workers

RICHLAND – No radioactive contamination has been found at the homes of seven Hanford Nuclear Reservation workers that were surveyed this week.

The surveys were completed Thursday.

The state Department of Health accompanied Hanford officials on the home checks to observe and verify results.

The surveys take several hours for each home as floors, counters, furniture and furnace filters were checked for possible contamination.

The Tri-City Herald said the work was started after specks of radioactive contamination were found on seven workers’ vehicles.

The contamination is believed to be the result of the final day of demolition of the Plutonium Reclamation Facility at Hanford’s Plutonium Finishing Plant. The last of the reclamation facility was torn down to its foundation on Dec. 15.

Hanford for decades made plutonium for nuclear weapons.