Radiation fears as Uranium processing facility goes up in flames

A secure uranium processing facility in Tennessee has gone up in flames according to news agency WVLT.

The facility confirmed on Wednesday, February 22 that a fire broke out Wednesday morning in Building 9212 in a chemical handling hood.

Officials at the Y-12 site said that the fire had been contained and presented no danger to residents. They said: “I think if you live nearby you’d be very concerned” adding “The situation is under control and is contained.”

Some 200 employees were evacuated according to Y-12 who said that personal trained to deal with such an event had addressed the fire, but had also requested assistance from the Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC and the National Nuclear Security Administration.

The facility is believed to have been built in 1945 and is due for replacement by the end of 2025. One of the primary chemical processing and enriched uranium production facilities at Y-12, the fire involved a uranium compound.

All staff are being checked to ensure that no one has been affected by the fire with radiation poisoning of prime concern. The company added that local residents were unaffected and that an environmental impact survey will be completed to ensure that the surrounding neighbourhoods were unaffected.

As of writing no confirmation had been provided that the fire in the Uranium processing facility had been put, just that it had been contained.

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