CONGRESSMAN “SHOCKED” BY OUR REPORT
U.S. Representative Tim Ryan (D-OH, 13TH District) made it clear what he expects from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in the wake of a Local 12 Investigation, “Fallout from Russia.”
“Complete transparency, period.”
Congressman Ryan led a call for a meeting with DOE officials and Pike County leaders on Friday, May 20th in Piketon, Ohio to discuss, among other items, serious questions raised in our reports over the past three weeks.
After the meeting, Congressman Ryan told us the reports caught his attention.
“You know, the first time you see it. It is shocking,” he said.
MEGATONS TO MEGAWATTS
Over the past three weeks, our investigative reporting laid out the details of “Megatons to Megawatts,” a U.S. program to buy and dismantle former-Soviet nuclear warheads from Russia, convert them to uranium and ship the radioactive material to the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS) in Piketon for processing.
While the program was praised at the time, our investigation uncovered documents from the General Accounting Office (GAO), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and other sources that appear to indicate that some of those Russian shipments were contaminated with at least trace amounts of plutonium, which is far more dangerous than the uranium.
- WATCH PART 1 – FALLOUT FROM RUSSIA? “Russian nuclear warheads bought, processed and material shipped to Southern Ohio”
- WATCH PART 2 – FALLOUT FROM RUSSIA? “Local 12 Investigation tracks down source of Russian radioactive shipments to Ohio”
US DOE DISPUTES OUR REPORTS
DOE, which oversaw the program and regulates PORTS, disputes our reports, stating in part, “There is no evidence over the 20 years of safely implementing the program to substantiate the claim that plutonium of any amount that would be significant for public health and safety was part of these shipments."
READ FULL STATEMENT FROM DOE
“Megatons to Megawatts” was an enormous nonproliferation success that made Ohio and the nation safer, not just because it secured hundreds of tons of weapons-grade uranium that could have fallen into the hands of terrorists or black marketeers, but because it was accomplished while protecting the health and safety of the public and delivering low-carbon electricity to millions of American homes and businesses. The shipments were of low-enriched uranium, not plutonium. There is no evidence over the 20 years of safely implementing the program to substantiate the claim that plutonium of any amount that would be significant for public health and safety was part of these shipments.
Shipments to Portsmouth as part of the program were subject to strict quality requirements – not just to keep the public safe, but also to ensure Russia lived up to its obligations. The implementing contract required all low-enriched uranium to meet the American Society for Testing and Materials specifications for safe handling in the United States. Samples for all shipments of Russian-origin uranium were analyzed by the United States and Russian executive agents (USEC, now Centrus, and Tenex respectively) for the Agreement to confirm that they met all necessary health, safety, and technical specifications.
The Department of Energy has conducted extensive environmental testing, both as ongoing monitoring of cleanup activities at Portsmouth and in response to specific community concerns about the potential for contamination. As the publicly available data shows, that extensive testing, conducted by experts from DOE’s national labs with expertise in radiological monitoring and response, has detected no signs of plutonium or related elements above what we would normally expect to find in the natural environment. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts143.pdf
Stephen D. Clutter
Director of External Affairs
Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management
A PLUTONIUM PUZZLE
While it denies any plutonium, DOE has not agreed to sit down for an on-camera interview to clarify its position.
As he was leaving the meeting, Ike White, Senior Advisor for DOE’s Office of Environmental Management told us he was not aware of any plutonium in the Russian material that was shipped to PORTS.
- Ike White: “So that was that was all uranium from the from Russia.”
- Duane Pohlman: “No plutonium?”
- Ike White: “No. It was uranium.”
- Duane Pohlman: “You never had plutonium?”
- Ike White: “Not that I'm aware of?”
Government monitors around PORTS have picked up plutonium-related particles in the air and an independent report from Dr. Michael Ketterer at Northern Arizona University identified plutonium isotopes in river sediment and from dust collected inside homes surrounding the plant.
When asked if plutonium was present at PORTS, White wouldn’t answer.
- Duane Pohlman: “Yes or no, did you ever have plutonium at the plant?”
- Ike White: “This plant was intended to process uranium.”
- Duane: “I understand that. That didn't answer the question. Did you have plutonium? Did you have plutonium?”
White walked away.
PROOF OF PLUTONIUM AT PORTS
Internal documents obtained from a former high-level security inspector and a former OSHA investigator clearly show plutonium was present at PORTS while it was processing the Russian material.
A handwritten note in the 1990’s by an inspection team from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) that sampled everything from dust on the walls to equipment inside PORTS noted plutonium was present in solid, liquid and gas forms.
In 1995, LLNL issued an official “Moody” report, listing in much more detail the plutonium that was captured inside PORTS.
In 1998, an internal memo at PORTS provided a partial inventory list at the plant that included, “One 55 gallon drum” with Plutonium-238 and Plutonium-239 in it.
LOCAL LEADERS APPRECIATE COVERAGE
Pike County Commissioner Jerry Miller is pleased that we’re investigating radioactive issues at the plant and contamination of the community.
“I'm glad it's getting your attention.” Miller said.
Pike County Health Commissioner Matt Brewster also appreciates our coverage.
“You're in our corner and we appreciate that,” Brewster said, adding, “We want the truth.”
CONGRESSMAN RYAN REQUESTS “ALL THE INFORMATION THEY HAVE”
But truth can be elusive around the Cold War plant, which is why Congressman Ryan says he’s serious about getting real answers to the questions raised in our investigation.
- Congressman Tim Ryan: “I think we are now obligated to ask the Department of Energy to be completely transparent and release all the information that they have.”
- Duane Pohlman: “So you're making that request?”
- Congressman Tim Ryan: “We're making that request.”
- Duane: “And if they don't comply, what do you do?”
- Congressman Tim Ryan: “Well, we'll take it to the next step.”
While Congressman Ryan hopes DOE fully cooperates, he concedes that “next step” could include an official congressional investigation if it doesn’t.