Energy Department ends inquiry into Idaho radiation exposure

The U.S. Department of Energy says it’s concerned about a radiation leak two years ago at an eastern Idaho nuclear facility that contaminated nine workers but says it will not begin a formal investigation.

In a letter Tuesday to Battelle Energy Alliance, a research contractor, the federal agency’s Office of Enforcement says the safety consequences of the event at the Idaho National Laboratory were low but it views seriously any exposure of workers.

Officials say the low-level exposure of the nine workers in late August 2014 occurred after faulty air monitors failed to detect a release of radioactive material from a sealed compartment.

Battelle Energy Alliance in a statement says it has taken corrective actions to address the federal agency’s concerns at the Idaho National Laboratory.