1970s List of military nuclear accidents

baneberry s radioactive plume rises shock fissure. contaminants carried in 3 different directions wind.



december 18, 1970 – nevada test site – accidental venting of nuclear explosion

the partial nuclear test ban treaty of 1963 meant prevent nuclear fallout freely associated earlier above ground tests. venting might still happen on site, 1970 baneberry test blast – part of operation emery – resulted in extensive off-site fallout. 10 kiloton baneberry test took place under area 8 on yucca flat. weapon detonated planned @ bottom of sealed vertical shaft 900 feet (274 m) below earth s surface, device s energy cracked soil in unexpected ways, causing fissure near ground 0 , releasing plume of hot gases , radioactive dust continued many hours, raining fallout on workers within nts. 6 percent of explosion s radioactive products vented, releasing 6.7 mci of radioactive material, including 80 kci of iodine-131 , high ratio of noble gases. hot cloud s lighter particles carried 3 altitudes , conveyed winter storms , jet stream deposited heavily radionuclide-laden snow in lassen , sierra counties in northeast california, , lesser degrees in northern nevada, southern idaho , eastern sections of oregon , washington states. 3 diverging jet stream layers conducted radionuclides across u.s. canada, gulf of mexico , atlantic ocean. 86 workers @ site exposed radioactivity, according department of energy, none received dose exceeding site guidelines and, similarly, radiation drifting offsite not considered pose hazard doe. in march 2009, time magazine identified baneberry test 1 of world s worst nuclear disasters.


december 12, 1971 – new london, connecticut, usa – spill of irradiated water

during transfer of radioactive coolant water submarine uss dace submarine tender uss fulton 500 gallons (1,900 l; 420 imp gal) spilled thames river (usa).


december 1972 – pawling, new york, usa – contamination

a major fire , 2 explosions contaminated plant , grounds of plutonium fabrication facility resulting in permanent shutdown.


1975 – location unknown – contamination

radioactive resin contaminates american sturgeon-class submarine uss guardfish after wind unexpectedly blows powder towards ship. resin used remove dissolved radioactive minerals , particles primary coolant loops of submarines. type of accident common; however, u.s. navy nuclear vessels no longer discharge resin @ sea.


october 1975 – apra harbor, guam – spill of irradiated water

while disabled, submarine tender uss proteus discharged radioactive coolant water. geiger counter @ 2 of harbor s public beaches showed 100 millirems/hour, fifty times allowable dose.


august 1976 – benton county, washington, united states – explosion, contamination of worker

an explosion @ hanford site plutonium finishing plant blew out quarter-inch-thick lead glass window. harold mccluskey, worker, showered nitric acid , radioactive glass. inhaled largest dose of ever recorded, 500 times u.s. government occupational standards. worker placed in isolation 5 months , given experimental drug flush isotope body. 1977, body s radiation count had fallen 80 percent. died of natural causes in 1987 @ age 75.


1977 – coast of kamchatka – loss , recovery of nuclear warhead

the soviet submarine k-171 accidentally released nuclear warhead. warhead recovered after search involving dozens of ships , aircraft.


january 24, 1978 – northwest territories, canada – spill of nuclear fuel

kosmos 954, soviet radar ocean reconnaissance satellite onboard nuclear reactor, failed separate booster , broke on reentry on canada. fuel spread on wide area , radioactive pieces recovered. soviet union paid canadian government $3 million cad expenses relating crash.


may 22, 1978 – near puget sound, washington, united states – spill of irradiated water

a valve mistakenly opened aboard submarine uss puffer releasing 500 gallons (1,900 l; 420 imp gal) of radioactive water.






^ cnn (1998). cold war: broken arrows (1970a) . cnn.com. archived original on 2007-03-30. retrieved 2007-06-17. 
^ lawrence livermore national laboratory. news archive. tarabay h. antoun. 3 dimensional simulation of baneberry nuclear event
^ university of las vegas. nevada test site oral history project. clifford olsen (interviewed september 20, 2004) . digital.library.unlv.edu. retrieved 2010-01-27. 
^ estimated exposures , thyroid doses received american people iodine-131 in fallout following nevada atmospheric nuclear bomb tests: history of nevada test site , nuclear testing background (pdf). national cancer institute. chapter 2. september 1997. nih 97-4264. 
^ two-sixty press. richard l. miller. fallout maps. gallery 33 . 260press.com. retrieved 2010-01-27. 
^ nuclear testing @ nevada test site . brookings. archived original on 2008-11-10. 
^ worst nuclear disasters
^ jamadhagni, s utham kumar (2014). unrecognised peril: threats environmental security. vij books india pvt ltd. p. 265. isbn 9382652507. 
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^ ap wire (2005-06-03). hanford nuclear workers enter site of worst contamination accident . archived original on 2005-12-22. retrieved 2007-06-17. 
^ cnn (1998). cold war: broken arrows (1970d) . cnn.com. archived original on 2007-06-02. retrieved 2007-06-17.