Ambient office = 111 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 85 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 87 nanosieverts per hour

Red onion from Central Market = 87 nanosieverts per hour

Tap water = 74 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 65  nanosieverts per hour

Ambient office = 91 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 122 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 122 nanosieverts per hour

Red bell pepper from Central Market = 93 nanosieverts per hour

Tap water = 108 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 94  nanosieverts per hour

Dover sole = 103 nanosieverts per hour

      The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is an underground repository for solid wastes generated by research and manufacture of nuclear weapons for the U.S. arsenal. It is located near Carlsbad, New Mexico. There are major problems with respect to fire training and firefighting vehicles. Its fleet is in disrepair after years of neglect according to the U.S. Energy Department’s Office of Inspector General.
      The IG’s investigation was triggered by allegations regarding fire protection concerns at the repository. The WIPP is the backbone of a multi-billion-dollar effort to clean up Cold War-era waste from past nuclear research and bomb manufacturing at national laboratories and defense sites across the U.S.
     Investigators found that the problems with the fire department training program went back to at least 2016. They pointed out that there was an underdeveloped training curriculum for the technical rescue programs. They also mentioned that there were claims by firefighters that their training needs weren’t being met.
     According to the IG’s report, the problems persisted because the contractor that manages the repository inadequately addressed and closed recommendations from prior internal assessments that were aimed at fixing the deficiencies. The report also said that there was inadequate oversight by Energy Department officials.
     The Office of the Inspector General said, “WIPP has experienced growth with the number of buildings and employees since 2006 and is anticipated to operate beyond 2050. The next management and operating contractor must be able to provide effective emergency response at WIPP to protect lives, property and the environment.”
     U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) officials responding to the Inspector General said that the agency has followed through with corrective actions and will continue to “make progress on ensuring local fire departments and first responders have all necessary training and equipment to handle any event in relation to WIPP’s operations.” The agency officials admitted that the was much more work to be done.
       The safety concerns were raised as New Mexico Governor Grisham and others voiced opposition to expanding the types of radioactive waste that can be shipped to the repository. Grisham sent a letter this month to U.S. DoE Secretary Granholm. In the letter, Grisham noted continuing frustration with respect to the lack of meaningful public engagement from federal officials on waste cleanup, shipments of waste and long-term plans for the repository.
     This month, the work of processing incoming waste shipments was temporarily halted after workers discovered radioactive liquid in a container from the Idaho National Laboratory. The WIPP only accepts solid wastes.
     The latest report from a federal oversight board also cited three recent incidents. One of the incidences involved a container from Los Alamos National Laboratory that was placed in the repository without adequate analysis of it flammability. It turned out that the contained posed no risk.
     Nuclear Waste Partnership is the contractor that manages the repository. They expanded their fire brigade to a department with full-time responders following two emergencies in 2014. One emergency involved a salt-hauling truck that was followed days later by a radiation release from a drum that had been inappropriately packed at Los Alamos. These incidents prompted major policy and procedure overhauls related to the national cleanup program.
     According to the IG, a 2019 review found that almost half of the WIPP firefighters had not participated in required live training for at least on year. Some had not participated in over two years. Another review in April 2021 found that not all firefighter training records were being maintained in accordance with the hazardous waste permit issued by the state Environmental Department.
      In interviews, several WIPP firefighters told investigators that the majority of the training was web-based as opposed to hands-on fire drills, vehicle extrications or rope training. The firefighter also expressed concern that without adequate training, they would lose their skills
    Regarding the WIPP fire department fleet, federal officials said that they were in the process of revising maintenance procedures and that about two million dollars was spent to purchase two new fire trucks in 2021.

Ambient office = 120 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 90 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 92 nanosieverts per hour

Pineapple from Central Market = 108 nanosieverts per hour

Tap water = 137 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 130  nanosieverts per hour

Part 2 of 2 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
     (Continuing impact of shock waves)
       People will need to shield themselves from thermal and nuclear radiation because they could die if exposed. Obviously, they must find shelter beyond the zone of destruction. They should shelter indoors and in a reinforced bunker or basement, if possible. If they are in a brick or concrete house without a basement, they should find a strong part of the building to shelter in. This could be a small bathroom at ground level or in a laundry room with brick walls.
     The incoming shockwave will bounce off internal walls. It will be superimposed on the original wave which doubles the intensity. People should avoid the explosion side of the room and lie down instead of standing or sitting. If there is not a reinforced room, they can lie under a sturdy table or next to a bed or sofa. They should keep away from doors, tall furniture and windows because those will probably be shattered by the shock wave. If the walls of the building collapse, people might be able to survive in a pocket in the rubble. It they are sheltering in an apartment building, they should run to the fire staircase in the structural core of the building. Timber, fiber cement or prefabricated structures probably won’t survive and should be avoided. When the shock wave hits, it is best for people to open their mouths so that their eardrums will be hit with high pressure on both sides and not rupture.
      The third stage of the detonation is the fallout which is a cloud of toxic radioactive particles from the bomb. This cloud will be raised by the blast and deposited by the wind, contaminating everything in its path. This will continue for hours or even days after the explosion. In a set of British-Australian nuclear tests, the fallout was clearly preserved in the desert along a half mile track, extending from three miles to fifteen miles. People who do not protect themselves from fallout will not have a long life.
      If people are in a stable structure such as a basement or fire staircase, they can shelter in place for a few days if necessary. If their building is destroyed, they should move to the nearest intact structure. All doors, windows and air gaps should be sealed. Water can be obtained from intact pipes and food sealed in cans can be eaten.
     If it is necessary for survivors to go outside, they should wear any personal protective equipment that is available, especially a P2 mask or even a dust mask. Tactical nuclear weapons are designed to destroy infrastructure and kill personnel, but they still allow troop movements under the cover of the explosion. The radiological danger is significant but survivable with the proper protection.
     Once people find shelter, they will need to decontaminate. This requires a thorough scrub of the skin, hair and nails, and a change into clean clothing. Of course, any severe burns should be tended first. Hopefully, within a few days of the blast, national authorities should have arrived for rescue and medical treatment.

Ambient office = 51 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 140 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 138 nanosieverts per hour

Nutmeg from Central Market = 86 nanosieverts per hour

Tap water = 130 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 120  nanosieverts per hour

Part 1 of 2 Parts
     I have blogged before about ways to improve your chances of surviving a nearby nuclear blast. Since we seem to be teetering on the brink of World War III, I thought it would be a good idea to revisit the subject. Russia has threatened to use tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield if it is being beaten by NATO. Given that NATO is skirting the edge of being directly involved in Ukraine and Russia’s invasion is failing, the possibility of tactical nuclear weapons being used in Ukraine is rising.
     It is estimated that Russia has thousands of tactical nuclear weapons, probably the biggest stockpile in the world. They could be deployed at any time. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has repeatedly said that the world must take Russia’s threat to use nuclear weapons seriously.
     In this post, we will consider what happens during the three stages of a tactical nuclear bomb explosion, The three stages are ignition, shock wave and radioactive fallout. The main focus of this post is how to survive such a blast.
     Ignition is the first stage. There is a sudden flash in the sky as bright or brighter than the Sun. People turn away and run for cover. The bright flash suddenly fades but then comes back and continues. The double flash is caused by a competition between the fireball and the shockwave from the explosion. The landscape becomes very hot and bright. People shield their eyes to avoid retina burns. The intense thermal radiation will also cause burns on the skin. This may occur even through clothing. The best option here is to wear pale colored clothing or to be inside a building.
     People will have received substantial doses of nuclear radiation including gamma rays, X-rays, and neutrons. They will seek shelter to avoid the worst of the heat and radiation.
     For those who are still alive, they have survived the first few seconds of a nuclear detonation that was probably smaller than the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima which was equivalent to fifteen tons of TNT. The survivors will have been on the periphery of the blast, not at ground zero. But in order for the surviving people to live through the next few seconds, a few actions are required.
     The second state of the detonation is the blast wave. This consists of an overpressure shock wave which is followed by an outward blast wind. This is often followed by reverse winds returning to ground zero. These winds will damage or destroy all built structures within a certain radius from the epicenter of the blast. The destruction depends on the yield and height of the burst.
     A fifteen-kiloton bomb would have a fireball radius of about three hundred feet. It would completely destroy everything up to about one mile from the epicenter.  A one kiloton blast would have a fireball radius of about one hundred and sixty feet. There would be severe damage out to about thirteen hundred feet.
      The shock wave travels faster than the speed of sound which is one thousand one hundred twenty-five miles per second. If a person is about six tenths of a mile from ground zero, they have less than three seconds to find cover. If they are three miles away from the epicenter, they have fifteen seconds to find cover.
Please read Part 2 next