Flagstaff, Ariz. • Grand Canyon National Park officials say they are investigating whether anyone was exposed to radiation at unsafe levels while samples of uranium ore sat in plastic buckets in a park research building.
Three 5-gallon buckets have been removed from a building about a half mile from the South Rim that houses the park’s archives and artifacts. About 550 people tour the collections each year, mostly by appointment.
The National Park Service is working with Arizona health and workplace safety officials on the investigation. The agency also plans to set up a hotline for anyone concerned about potential radiation exposure, said spokeswoman Vanessa Lacayo.