Brush fire at former uranium mine operation flares up again, Kleberg officials say
Brush fire at former uranium mine operation flares up again, Kleberg officials say
10 August 2011
published by www.caller.com
USA — A brush fire inside a former Uranium mining operation near Ricardo in Kleberg County that firefighters extinguished early this morning flared up again around lunchtime.
Kleberg County Sheriffs Office officials confirmed the flare-up but had no further details as of 1:05 p.m.
However, a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality field employee at the site reported the fire has again been extinguished, said Lisa Wheeler, commission spokeswoman.
The original blaze started late Tuesday evening and, fed by 40 mph winds, continued until about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, when firefighters with the Ricardo Fire Department put it out.
Portions of Farm-to-Market roads 1118 and 772 were closed during the fire.
The fire was contained in the well field, said Rick Van Horn, senior vice president of operations for Uranium Resources Inc., the company responsible for the site. Uranium Resources Inc. operated an in-situ mining operation at the site until 2008.
Theres no danger of radiation, Van Horn said. The only thing that burned, other than grass, was some plastic pipe.
Wheeler said the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality took air quality readings at the site and found no evidence of radiation or other harmful contaminants.
