10 publishers · first seen Thu, 29 Oct 2026 01:00 UTC · updated Thu, 29 Oct 2026 21:33 UTC
A fire at the Savannah River National Laboratory in South Carolina prompted a site area emergency declaration on Wednesday at 5:39 p.m., leading to temporary restrictions on air, rail and boat traffic, sheltering of employees, and a temporary flight restriction over the area. The U.S. Department of Energy stated the fire did not release radiological material or expose workers to contamination, with no risk to the public or environment, and the emergency was lifted about five hours later. The Savannah River Site, a 310-square-mile complex established in the early 1950s for producing nuclear weapons materials like plutonium-239 and tritium, now focuses on environmental cleanup and nuclear materials management.
Nuclear watchdog groups and experts have called for a thorough investigation into the incident, emphasizing the need for transparency and safety reviews, especially as U.S. officials plan to build a new facility at the site to produce plutonium pits. While officials report no off-site consequences, some experts question the scale and response duration, noting the site's handling of hazardous materials and the seriousness of the precautions taken.
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