Navy Probes Spill Of Radioactive Water During Test

The Navy is reviewing circumstances surrounding a 100-gallon spill of radioactive water from the USS California’s nuclear propulsion system, a Puget Sound Naval Shipyard official says.

Three sailors were contaminated in the spill early Sunday, and one of the men suffered second-degree burns to one shoulder from the 160-degree water, said Steve Anderson, radiological controls director at the facility.

Anderson declined Monday to release the men’s names, but said the tainted water was washed off and no further problems were anticipated. The radioactivity involved was less than might be found in a typical home smoke detector, he said.

The spill was contained aboard the ship, Anderson said.

The sailors were testing equipment in the cruiser’s reactor compartment when the spill occurred. When a valve was opened as part of the preparation for the procedure, a temporary hose disconnected, apparently unable to withstand the heat and pressure of the water.

The test was halted when the spill occurred, he said.

The Navy’s nuclear operations are not subject to oversight by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, he said. The incident will be reviewed by the directorate of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program based in Washington, D.C.

The sailor who opened the valve was sprayed with hot water. He was treated for minor burns at Bremerton Naval Hospital and released.