A fire at the Savannah River National Laboratory in South Carolina on Wednesday triggered an emergency declaration, leading to the shutdown of incoming traffic and restrictions on air and rail service in the vicinity. The fire, which occurred at a complex that once manufactured components for nuclear weapons, was extinguished by Wednesday night.
The U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site statement confirmed that normal operations have resumed and no detectable levels of contamination were found. The site, established in the early 1950s during the Cold War, was a significant producer of materials like tritium and plutonium-239 used in nuclear weapons. Today, its mission includes environmental stewardship, cleanup, and the management and disposition of nuclear materials.
The Savannah River National Laboratory, located in the northwest corner of the site, conducts experiments with nuclear materials and processes radioactive materials. It operates a facility for radioisotope recovery from used nuclear fuel.
Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists, noted that while the absence of off-site contamination is reassuring, fires involving radioactive materials necessitate extreme precautions due to the potential for dispersal and public exposure. The emergency declaration issued was the second-highest of three categories, indicating a significant incident. The declaration was lifted after the fire was successfully extinguished.