A tunnel containing radioactive materials has reportedly collapsed at a plutonium finishing plant in Hanford, Washington.
Following the collapse this morning, a manager sent a message to workers telling them to "secure ventilation in your building" and to "refrain from eating or drinking".
Randy Bradbury, a spokesman for the Washington state Department of Ecology, told the AP there apparently has been no release of radiation and no workers were injured.
The emergency was declared at 8:26 a.m., according to an announcement on the Energy Department's website.
Access to the affected area, which is located in the center of the Hanford Site, has been restricted to protect employees.
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Graham Independent School District, where he attended high school, released a statement shortly after his death Monday. The plaza was re-opened to foot traffic by Tuesday morning. "We are here to serve the people ", Bayliss said.
Residents of the nearby Benton and Franklin counties do not need to take any action, the facility said. She had no other information to share and said updates would be posted on the Hanford Emergency Information website.
At 9:39 a.m. the Hanford Fire Department was on scene and workers remained indoors.
The massive plant, formally called the Plutonium Uranium Extraction Plant, was used to chemically process irradiated fuel rods to remove plutonium for the nation's nuclear weapons program.
KING 5 Investigative Reporter Susannah Frame covering this story.
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