An important security system and a cordoned off area. Measures were put in place due to radioactivity readings in a company in Colmar, indicated the Haut-Rhin prefecture in a press release sent during the night from Wednesday to Thursday.
The system was established after the metallurgy company ADF, located 14, rue Édouard-Branly in Colmar, reported on Wednesday around 6:40 p.m. "difficulties in stopping a gamma graph, used to control the quality of welds and emitting gamma radiation,” explained the prefecture.
Teams specializing in radiological risk from the Haut-Rhin fire and rescue service (SIS68) immediately went to the site and a departmental operational center was set up at the Haut-Rhin prefecture.
“As a precautionary measure, the company site was evacuated and a security perimeter was set up,” explains the prefecture. This specifies “that no risk of contamination or dispersion is to be feared”.
No injuries were reported, according to Latest News from Alsace. The worker who was on the front line at the time of the leak would have suffered little radiation.
Residents evacuated
According to Latest News from Alsace, at least ten local residents were evacuated and accommodated in premises made available by the neighboring Berlioz college and others, who could not return to their homes, were rehoused. Berlioz College, located outside the perimeter, will not be impacted and classes must be held normally.
The district must remain inaccessible on Thursday within a security perimeter with a radius of 130 meters, indicated the prefecture and a specialized company must intervene to shut down the gamma graph. “The grammograph must be disabled in order to avoid the risk of irradiation,” explained Éric Straumann,
the mayor of Colmar on his Facebook account.
Due to the malfunction of a gamma graph intended to control the quality of welds, around fifteen residents of...
Published by Eric Straumann on Wednesday April 10, 2024
Companies located within the security perimeter will therefore not be able to welcome their employees until the end of these operations.