Community Corner

UPDATE: 'No Radioactive Threat' from APG Explosion; ATF Investigating

The contract worker killed in Saturday's blast was identified as Nanaj Bhamare. The investigation is ongoing.

UPDATE (6:45 P.M.)—The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is investigating the explosion Saturday at an Aberdeen Proving Ground laboratory that left one independent contractor dead.

 "We are awaiting the chemistry analysis from ATF's National Laboratory Center," said Clare A. Weber, a representative from the ATF field office in Baltimore.

So far APG officials have determined one element about the blast: No radioactive substance was involved.

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An unsourced report in The Aegis newspaper had stated that the base was investigating "the possibility that a radioactive substance was involved in the explosion."

However, officials said no radioactive materials were involved in the blast, which occurred about 3 p.m. Saturday at the Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense laboratory. The contractor killed has been identified as Nanaj Bhamare, officials said.

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"There was no radioactive threat of any kind," said George Mercer, an APG spokesman.

Local, county and state government officials—including the Maryland Emergency Management Agency—told Patch that they received no calls from APG officials alerting them to the potential that radioactive substances were involved in the blast. And on Saturday, Mercer said in a statement that "there is no threat to the work force, the rest of the Proving Ground or the surrounding community."

County Councilman Dion F. Guthrie, who represents Edgewood, Joppatowne, Joppa, Magnolia and part of Winter’s Run, said Thursday that he was not made aware of any radioactive threat by APG officials.

"It's safe," Guthrie said. "That's what they're telling us."

Guthrie said sirens and speakers issuing evacuation instructions would have sounded in case of a radioactive emergency.

Guthrie also said he was unaware of any public funeral or memorial service being planned to honor Bhamare, a subcontractor to Battelle Inc. of Columbus, OH.

"What I have heard is that the family wanted it private," Guthrie said. "I understand he is a great young man and dedicated to his work."

In a statement, Katy Delaney of Battelle wrote that "Dr. Nanaj Bhamare was an independent contractor working in the government facility. He was a subcontractor to Battelle under an Army contract. The incident is subject to an ongoing government investigation."

The Columbus, OH-based research company has offices in Aberdeen at the HEAT center.


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