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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A union representing some 200 workers at the nation's only underground nuclear waste dump says its wants to be sure employees are safe when the repository opens after a radiation leak that exposed at least 13 people.
The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad has been off-limits to most workers for nearly three weeks.
Plant officials say they have yet to determine what caused the leak. The results of more air, soil, vegetation and water samples are expected in the coming days.
Officials with United Steelworkers of America say they're waiting for more information from the U.S. Department of Energy and the contractor that runs the repository. They want to know where the radiation contamination came from and whether something can be done to prevent leaks in the future.
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