Congressman Mark Udall (D-Eldorado Springs), Chairman of the Science and Technology Subcommittee on Space & Aeronautics, joined with Science and Technology Committee Chairman Bart Gordon and Technology & Innovation Subcommittee Chairman David Wu in demanding more information about the accidental release of plutonium at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder.
"Though I have received assurances from NIST and local officials that the public's safety has not been compromised as a result of this incident, I remain troubled by the prospect that this contamination could have ended up in the local sewer system," Udall said. "My office has been in close contact with the City of Boulder and will continue to work with local and state authorities to ensure the safety of area residents. In the meantime, I am seeking answers from NIST as to how this situation could have been allowed to occur in the first place."
In a letter to NIST Acting Director Dr. James Turner, Representatives Udall, Gordon and Wu have requested that NIST make the following information available to the House Science and Technology Committee:
- Copies of the radiation and chemical safety protocols followed by NIST employees, and
verification of the status of training and refresher training for all current employees;
- Information regarding how NIST's radioactive substance handling and clean up protocols
align with those followed by the Department of Energy (DOE) and Los Alamos National
Laboratory;
- A summary of NIST environmental, health, and safety (EHS) incident reports for the past
year, focusing specifically on chemical EHS incidents;
- Copies of notices sent to NIST employees regarding the incident;
- Copies of correspondences with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the DOE;
- Copies of communications with Boulder, Colorado city officials and the appropriate county and
state officials;
- Copies of any external safety audits done for NIST laboratories;
- And the completed reports on the incident by NIST's review team and the Independent
Review Board.
"NIST has long been an important part of the Boulder community, and a tremendous asset to the nation as a whole," Udall added. "Yet this incident underscores the need for NIST to have in place comprehensive safety procedures that are strictly adhered to. I am working with my colleagues on the Science and Technology Committee to conduct a thorough review of safety practices at NIST, and will do all that is necessary to ensure NIST is doing everything humanly possible to protect its employees and the public at large."