Radioactive particles detected in air at Hanford

Low levels of two radioactive materials were detected from samples taken by the Washington health department in June off Highway 240 near the Hanford site.

State health officials say the low levels of Plutonium and Americium were found in air samples collected at the Rattlesnake Barricade, where workers enter the secure areas of Hanford.

The samples were taken on June 8th, which is also the day the Plutonium Finishing Plant workers were ordered to take cover due to the airborne release of radioactive particles. At this point, John Martell says the health department can not pinpoint it to that incident.

"Based on the IMC conditions that were occurring that day, we should not have seen anything from the PFP event, we should have been upwind from it. But that doesn't mean that it is not from that case, you know winds swirl and local IMC conditions can change," says Martell.

He adds there is not a risk to the public. The Department of Heath and Energy are investigating.

(Associated Press contributed to this report)