No leaks detected after tunnel collapse at nuclear waste facility

Officials at the Hanford Nuclear Waste facility about 150 miles southwest of Spokane, Wash., say no radioactive material escaped when a tunnel partially collapsed this morning. The underground tunnels, which are hundreds of feet long and covered with about eight feet of soil, contain rail cars contaminated after transporting radioactive waste to the site. The collapsed section of tunnel covered about 400 square feet. As a precaution, workers were evacuated or told to remain indoors. None of the 9,000 employees suffered any injuries. Hanford opened during World War II and made plutonium for the U.S. nuclear arsenal. It now is the largest depository of radioactive defense waste that must be cleaned. The site holds about 56 million gallons of radioactive waste—enough to fill 84 Olympic-sized swimming pools—mostly in 177 underground tanks. Emergency crews are surveying the site for any signs of radioactive contamination.