16 February 2014 (16:08 UTC-07 Tango)/15 Rabi ‘ath-Thani 1435/27 Bahman 1392/17 Bing-Yin (1st month) 4712

“….I believe it’s safe to say we’ve never seen a level like we are seeing. We just don’t know if it’s a real event, but it looks like one.”-Roger Nelson, U.S. Department of Energy

Radiation alarms have been going off at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, New Mexico, since Friday night!  Most employees have been sent home, sensors indicate alpha and beta contamination in the air!  Local news media reports said employees were seen taking soil samples, but say no contamination found, so far.

The alarms went off as WIPP was being prepped for routine maintenance ops.  High levels of airborne radiation is being detected near WIPP’s Panel 7, Room 7, in the south salt mine.  DoE officials admitted alarms have gone off before, but were always determined to be false alarms.  This time they are concerned because the levels being detected, now, have never been seen before: “I can’t tell you the amount or level but they were elevated and above normal, above background….”-Roger Nelson, DoE

Several days ago a WIPP salt truck caused an evacuation when it caught on fire!  DoE officials say there is no connection to the current radiation leak and the truck fire.