Investigation board to look into reported leak at Los Alamos

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The National Nuclear Security Agency has formed an accident investigation board to look into last month’s reported leak that contaminated several workers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that a breached plutonium glove box at Los Alamos on Jan. 7 released airborne radioactive material that was more than double the yearly limit for a work area.

The newspaper says the leak occurred in a sealed compartment which has attached gloves so workers can handle radioactive material.

According to a report by the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, a Los Alamos employee noticed the breach after working with a container of legacy waste in the glove box.

Alarms then sounded, prompting the six-person crew to evacuate..