On May 26, 1999, four AECL employees entered a controlled radiological zone to perform work on a ventilation system. The work involved the removal of a component (baffle box) in a room in a building that contained a plutonium processing facility. The facility has been non-functional since 1957, and remained in a dormant state in preparation for decomissioning. Workers were wearing protective and monitoring equipment. Cutting of the baffle box proceeded for an hour and 40 minutes and dust was observed falling from the box. When work was terminated and upon exiting the area, personal contamination monitors detected contamination on the clothing of all workers. Immediate actions included placing work restriction on affected personnel and initiating dose assessment through bioassay techniques. Initial exposure estimates were less than 11 mSv. Recent indications are that the maximum committed doses are of the order of 24 to 55 mSv for the four individuals involved. 50 mSv is the regulatory dose limit. Radiochemical analysis is continuing to determine whether doses exceeded the regulatory limit. Following the incident, the AECB, the regulatory authority in Canada, has conduced an inspection at CRL and continues to gather information on the incident.
Location: CHALK RIVER LABORATORIES Event date: Wed, 26-05-1999
The Pacific News Bulletin (since September 1986) and its predecessor Pacific Bulletin was published for the Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific (NFIP) Movement by the Pacific Concerns Resource Centre (PCRC), first based in Petersham (Australia) and later at Suva on the Fiji Islands. The NFIP movement grew out of the first regional Nuclear Free Pacific […]
On 29 June 2026, the Urenco Group issued a statement announcing that the UK Government formally requested the company to support its effort "to re-establish a nuclear fuel cycle for reactor fuel for defence purposes." The UK Government announced its intent to re-establish this program in November 2024. This announcement is part of a broader […]
The Netherlands has agreed to allow Urenco to be used for the British military nuclear program. This clears the way for uranium enriched by Urenco to be used in nuclear weapons. With his decision, Foreign Minister Berendsen (CDA Christen Democrats) is departing from the principle that civilian and military nuclear applications must remain strictly separate. […]
Behnam Raeesian is an internationally recognized visual artist and poster designer from Iran, known for bold political and cultural works. Through exhibitions, workshops, jury roles, and collaborations with cultural institutions worldwide, he has built a strong voice in contemporary political graphic design. His projects confront complex issues such as nuclear risk and technological impact, transforming […]
Everywhere you look, the nuclear industry’s hype machine is in overdrive. Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and the UK government all tout small modular reactors as the silver bullet for climate change and energy security. Tech billionaires are hiring nuclear veterans. Wall Street is whispering about “round-the-clock power” for artificial intelligence data centers. For those old enough […]
