.
. >>>
. >>> NOW
. >>> NOW YOU ARE LOOKING AT
VIDEO, THE KING 5
INVESTIGATORS OBTAINED THIS
VIDEO AND UNCOVERED THE TRUTH
ABOUT THE NUCLEAR NEAR MISS A
YEAR AGO.
YEAR AGO.
YEAR AGO. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HIRED A
CONTRACTOR TO REMOVE
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL FROM A
BUILDING NEAR HARBORVIEW
MEDICAL CENTER.
MEDICAL CENTER. BUT THE MISSION DID NOT GO AS
PLANNED.
PLANNED.
PLANNED. KING 5'S CHRIS EGAN JOINS US
LIVE IN SEATTLE TO EXPLAIN.
CHRIS?
CHRIS?
CHRIS? >>
CHRIS? >> Reporter: HELLO.
IT HAS BEEN 383 DAYS SINCE
THAT LEAK HERE AT THET
HARBORVIEW MEDICAL CENTER
BUILDING AND THIS BUILDING IS
STILL CLOSED.
STILL CLOSED. PART OF A CLEAN UP OF
RADIATION BY THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT.
GOVERNMENT. IT WAS AN ACCIDENT THE FEDS
NOW SAY WAS PREVENTIBLE AND
NEARLY A DISASTER FOR DOWNTOWN
SEATTLE.
SEATTLE.
SEATTLE. >> SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
>> THE CONTRACTOR DIDN'T CALL
FOR HELP WHEN IT WAS CLEAR
THERE WAS A RADIATION LEAK.
>> Reporter: FOUR HOURS AFTER
RADIATION FIRST SPILLED INTO
THE LOADING DOCK AREA OF THE
RESEARCH AND TRAINING
BUILDING.
BUILDING.
BUILDING. ACROSS THE STREET FROM
HARBORVIEW MEDICAL CENTER.
>> .
>> .
>> . >>
>> . >> YOU CANNOT SEE IT, SMELL
IT.
IT.
IT. YOU
IT. YOU DON'T KNOW HOW FAST IT IS
SPREADING.
SPREADING. >> Reporter: HE IS A RADIATION
EXPERT FROM NEW YORK.
ON THAT EVENING ONE YEAR AGO,
A FEDERAL CONTRACTOR WAS
DECOMMISSIONING MEDICAL
DECOMMISSIONING MEDICAL EQUIPMENT.
EQUIPMENT. A CAPSULE CONTAINS THE SAME
NUCLEAR MATERIAL FROM THE
ACCIDENT.
ACCIDENT.
ACCIDENT. >> ENOUGH RADIATION TO KILL ME
IN 11 HOURS.
>> Reporter: THIS BROADCAST
VIDEO RELEASED BY THE FEDS AT
KING 5 NEWS' REQUEST, SHOWS
THE CONTRACTOR'S BLUNDER.
THE CAPSULE IS IN THIS TUBE,
UNDER A CUTTING BLADE.
SPARKS FLY WHEN THE SAW
PIERCES THE TUBE AS THE
CONTRACTOR TRIES TO CUT IT
FROM A PIPE IT IS MOUNTED TO.
THE CONTRACTORS ARE OUTSIDE A
LEAD BALK.
LEAD BALK. THEY ARE USING ROBOTIC ARMS
AND WATCHING ON A LIVE VIDEO
FEED.
FEED.
FEED. >>
FEED. >> WE SEE THE ARMS GRABBING
THE DEVICES, THE SAW.
WHAT IS GOING ON THERE?
WHAT IS THAT PROCESS?
>> AS I SAID YOU CANNOT BE
CLOSE TO IT, THAT IS WHY THEY
USE EXTERNAL HANDS.
>> THE CONTRACTOR WAS UNABLE
TO UNSCREW THE CAPSULE FROM
THE HOLDER PIPE.
THAT IS WHEN THE CUTTING
STARTED.
STARTED.
STARTED. SOMETHING FEDERAL
SOMETHING FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS LATER SAID WAS
NOT PERMITTED.
NOT PERMITTED. >> IT WAS AN UNFORTUNATE
INCIDENT.
INCIDENT.
INCIDENT. I AM NOT SURE ABOUT WHY THE
CONTRACTORS STARTED CUTTING.
>> Reporter: THIS VIDEO SHOWS
THE CUTS THE CONTRACTOR
INTENDED FOR THE THREADS BUT
INSTEAD SLICED INTO THE
CAPSULE.
CAPSULE.
CAPSULE. THE BRIGHT SPOTS ON THE VIDEO
IS RADIATION INTERFERING WITH
THE VIDEO SIGNAL.
THE CONTRACTOR IS UNAWARE THIS
IS THE FIRST EVIDENCE OF A
RADIATION LEAK.
RADIATION LEAK. >> YOU SAY THE SEATTLE
ACCIDENT INVOLVED A SMALL
AMOUNT, BUT WHAT DOES IT TELL
US ABOUT OUR DANGEROUS THIS
STUFF IS?
STUFF IS?
STUFF IS? >> SO JUST IMAGINE A TINY
FRACTION -- WHAT WILL IT DO
WITH THIS -- JUST TRY TO
IMAGINE HOW BAD WOULD IT BE.
>> Reporter: ONE OF THE
LEADING VOICES CALLING FOR THE
REMOVAL FROM MEDICAL AND
RESEARCH BUILDINGS ACROSS
AMERICA.
AMERICA.
AMERICA. THEY SHOOT GAMMA RAYS TO KILL
GERMS IN BLOOD FOR HOSPITAL
USE BUT TERRORIST EYED IT FOR
DIRTY BOMB INGREDIENTS SO THEY
HAVE BEEN COLLECTING AND
DISPOSING OF THEM.
>> SINCE 2009 NSA REMOVED 350
FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY
WITHOUT ANY CONTAMINATION.
>> THAT IS WHAT WAS HAPPENING
AT HARBORVIEW MEDICAL CENTER.
THIS WAS PART OF A FEDERAL
PROGRAM TO REMOVE THREE FROM
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
FACILITIES.
FACILITIES. >> IN THIS JOINT
INVESTIGATION, NSA TOOK A LOOK
AT THE INCIDENT AND CONCLUDED
IT WAS PREVENTIBLE.
IT WAS A RESULT OF WEAK AND
PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED
PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED OVERSIGHT PROCESS.
OVERSIGHT PROCESS. >> Reporter: THIS
INVESTIGATION BLAMES WEEK
FEDERAL OVERSIGHT FOR A NEAR
MISS TO A DISASTER.
THE CONTRACTOR CHOSE MISSION
COMPLETION OVER SAFE CONDUCT
AND THERE WAS NO NEED TO CUT
THE PIPES.
THE PIPES. THEY COULD HAVE BEEN PACKED
FOR DISPOSAL.
FOR DISPOSAL. WE LEFT MESSAGES FOR THE
CONTRACTOR BUT THE CEO NEVER
CALLED US BACK.
AT THE RESEARCH AND TRAINING
BUILDING RADIATION ENTERED THE
VENTILATION BUILDING AND
SPREAD THROUGH THUCOMPLEX.
ONE YEAR AND $9 MILLION LATER
THE BUILDING IS STILL
UNUSABLE.
UNUSABLE.
UNUSABLE. >> IT WAS A WAKE UP CALL TO
ALL OF US.
>> Reporter: BACK HERE LIVE AT
THE TRAINING CENTER.
WE ASKED THE FEDS AND SEATTLE
MAYOR WHETHER THERE IS ANY
THREAT FROM RADIATION OUTSIDE
OF THIS BUILDING.
>> BASED ON THE INFORMATION WE
HAVE THERE IS NO RISK TO THE
PUBLIC THAT IS IN AND AROUND
NOR A RISK TO THE EMPLOYEES
WORKING THERE.
WORKING THERE. THAT WOULD BE THE PRIMARY
CONCERN.
CONCERN.
CONCERN. >> Reporter: THE FEDS SAY
THERE IS ROUTINE TESTING TO
MAKE SURE THE RADIATION LEVELS
ARE LOW AND THAT IT IS SAFE.
AND DURING THIS EVENT, 13
PEOPLE WERE CONTAMINATED ON
THAT NIGHT A YEAR AGO BUT NONE
OF THEM ACCORDING TO THE
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON HAVE
LASTING INJURIES.
LASTING INJURIES. CHRIS INGALLS REPORTING LIVE
IN SEATTLE.
IN SEATTLE. >> INCREDIBLE.
>> INCREDIBLE. IF THEY TAKE THEM OUT, IS
THERE SOMETHING THEY CAN
REPLACE THEM WITH?
>> ACTUALLY THERE IS.
THAT IS THE PITCH THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT MAKES.
GOVERNMENT MAKES. THEY WILL TAKE THEM OUT AND
MEDICAL AND RESEARCH
FACILITIES CAN USE X-RAY
MACHINES BUT NOT ALL THE
MEDICAL COMMUNITY IS AS
CONVINCED THEY WORK AS WELL SO
THEY HAVE TO CONVINCE THEM IT
IS WORTH SWITCHING TO X-RAY.
IT IS