Workers at a former plutonium production plant in Hanford, Washington are on the hunt for a radioactive mouse after “active” droppings were found in the plant. Earlier this month, workers also trapped a radioactive rabbit on the premises of what The Washington Post has called the nation’s most contaminated nuclear site.
The Hanford site was founded in the 1940s and continued creating weapons grade plutonium throughout the Cold War. Two years ago, the federal government launched a $639 million decontamination plan that is expected to take decades to finish.
Last year, 33 contaminated critters were found in the off-limits facilities. The presence of the nuclear rodents is a hot topic for local residents, however authorities as well as Greenpeace have put out statements saying the rodents themselves are probably not a direct threat to human populations. Several mousetraps have been put in place, but the mice caught so far have not shown traces of contamination.
via aolnews
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