A worker at the Research Center on the outskirts of the capital was involved. Investigations being carried out by the national Nuclear Safety Inspectorate which lead it to “find out what happened and how the protective devices required by the relevant regulations could have contaminated a member of staff who should have been working fully to have happened”. Sogin answers: “There was no nuclear accident”
Alert in the Casaccia Research Center, on the outskirts of Rome, due to a suspected plutonium contamination case of a worker. The national Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ISIN) immediately intervened in the plant and announced that “it has given the greatest attention to the case of contamination recorded at the Plutonium plant in the center of Casaccia” which had “a worker in service” involved. The suspected contamination was detected a few days ago in a decommissioned research facility at the Enea center in Casaccia. The decommissioned plant is managed by Sogin, the public company for dismantling nuclear plants.
The investigations
“Immediately after the contamination” the Isin, as reported in a note, “conducted an initial inspection of the plant and recorded the statements of the people responsible on the dynamics of what happened”.Simultaneously occurring, the Inspectorate has also begun to follow the evolution of the issue, which “does not seem to have serious consequences” at the moment. However, Isin has already announced that it has scheduled a second inspection of the plant to be carried out in the coming days. “There is still a need, of course, to find out what happened and how the contamination of a staff member could happen – continues Isin – who should work completely safely thanks to the protective devices required by the relevant regulations. The task of “Isin is also to discover, where there were, defects in the security procedures or their implementation and will gather elements to identify any responsibilities”.
Pd asks the Minister for the Habitat to clarify
When the news about the suspected case of corruption was heard, some representatives
from the Democratic Party spoke out and asked the Minister of the Environment, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, to clarify the incident. “We learn from press reports that in the last few days at the former Casaccia nuclear site, managed by Sogin, on the outskirts of rome, it was discovered that a worker was affected by plutonium contamination”, said the deputies Simiani, Peluffo, Di Sanzo , Laus and D’Alfonso during a parliamentary question. “we thus ask the Minister of the Environment who was promptly informed of what happened, what facts he has regarding the accident and, in particular, regarding the state of contamination of the site and the project on which the worker in question at work and whether suitable measures have been implemented to ensure the greatest protection of safety and health for the population”. Then the Dáil Deputies concluded their speech by asking the Minister “what urgent initiatives he intends to undertake to speed up the process of identifying the single national repository of radioactive waste for commissioning face compared to the 2039 forecast”.
“As reported by some press outlets, there was no ‘nuclear accident’ and any information that is circulated in this sense is baseless.” Sogin details this in a note,adding that “on November 21,during radioactive waste management activities within the Plutonio plant,located at the Enea site in Casaccia,an event of ‘internal contamination’ was found for an employee that could be more than the annual dose. limits prescribed by law”. Sogin ”immediately informed all the competent authorities about what happened. The procedures required by law aimed at protecting the health of workers were immediately activated, as usually happens”. “The monitoring carried out and concluded this evening recorded pleasant values. Sogin will continue to monitor the situation in accordance with established procedures.Sogin does not categorically rule out any contamination of the external environment”, he concludes.
“We don’t know exactly what happened, because the Plutonium plant is being managed by Sogin for the purposes of dismantling it. We
Tactical nuclear weapons have a lower potential and range than strategic ones, to reach specific targets in the field, and are easier to carry. According to some estimates,there are about 1,900-2,000 in Russia. To understand the impact, we simulated a launch over the colosseum in Rome
Once again the fear that the war between Russia and Ukraine it can also lead to promotion nuclear weapons. After giving tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus and conducted exercises with the same type of warheads on the borders of the territory of Ukraine, Putin signed several changes to Moscow’s nuclear doctrine that governs the use of warheads in the event of an attack on Russian territory: they can be used even if the attack is carried out by a non-nuclear power backed by a state with nuclear weapons.
But what are existing nuclear weapons and how do they work? These are divided into “strategic” and “tactical”. The tactical nuclear weapons they are low-intensity nuclear weapons: they have destructive power that is not on a large scale but limited to specific targets, such as a bunker or a dam. They are small devices, easily portable, usable without the use of air vehicles and directly by the troops in the field
According to Iriad review, the periodical of the international research institute of the disarmament Archive, according to some estimates Russia has about 1,900 tactical nuclear weapons. The United States has 230
How can nuclear facilities improve their safety measures to prevent contamination incidents in the future?
Interview between Time.news Editor and Nuclear Safety Expert
Time.news Editor (TNE): Good afternoon, and thank you for joining us today to discuss the recent suspected plutonium contamination incident at the Casaccia Research Center. to kick things off, can you provide us with a brief overview of what transpired there?
Nuclear Safety Expert (NSE): Good afternoon, and thank you for having me. The incident in question involves a worker at the Casaccia Research Center, located just outside of Rome. It seems a contamination case was detected at a decommissioned facility that is managed by Sogin, the organization responsible for dismantling nuclear plants in Italy. The contamination was flagged by the National Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ISIN), which has since commenced an investigation into how such an incident could occur despite existing safety protocols.
TNE: Given the alarming nature of this incident, what steps is ISIN taking to investigate?
NSE: ISIN responded swiftly. They conducted an initial inspection of the plant immediately after the contamination was reported. This involved gathering statements from key personnel about the circumstances leading to the incident. ISIN has also assured that they will pay close attention to this case, evaluating whether there were any breaches of safety procedure or defects in security protocols.A second inspection is scheduled to follow, allowing for a deeper understanding of how the protective devices designed to keep workers safe may have failed.
TNE: That sounds like a thorough approach. Though, many people are understandably concerned about workplace safety in nuclear facilities. What can you tell us about the safety measures that are supposed to be in place to protect workers?
NSE: Nuclear facilities like the one in Casaccia are required to adhere to very strict safety regulations. Workers must use protective devices, and there shoudl be multiple layers of safety checks designed to prevent incidents of contamination. Any incident like this raises serious questions about those safety measures and whether they were properly implemented. The investigation will hopefully shed light on the specific failures that lead to this contamination.
TNE: There has been some political response to this incident, with members of the Democratic Party requesting clarification from the Environment Minister. What do you think the ramifications of this could be?
NSE: Political scrutiny is to be expected, especially given the potential health risks associated with nuclear contamination. the public wants assurance that regulatory bodies are not only enforcing laws but are also capable of preventing future incidents. Depending on the findings from ISIN’s investigation,there could be calls for stronger regulations,changes in management at the facility,or even a review of the current protocols in place at other nuclear sites in Italy.
TNE: Lastly, how does this incident fit into the broader context of nuclear safety in Italy and worldwide?
NSE: This incident underscores the critical importance of maintaining stringent safety protocols in the nuclear industry, both in Italy and globally. While nuclear energy can be a clean and efficient power source, it comes with inherent risks that must be managed carefully. Events like this remind us that there is always a need for vigilance and proactive safety measures, and also transparent dialog with the public. The lessons learned from this situation could lead to improvements in safety standards that benefit not just Italy but also inform practices worldwide.
TNE: Thank you for your insights.it’s essential to keep the dialogue about nuclear safety open and engaging, as the consequences of thes incidents are dire. We look forward to seeing the outcomes of the ongoing investigation.
NSE: Thank you for having me, and I hope we can continue to promote awareness and understanding around nuclear safety in the future.