Radiation fallout: 40 people so far report contact with Fort Bliss bunker

Fort Bliss officials have received close to 40 phone calls from people who had contact with a Cold War-era storage bunker at Biggs Airfield where radioactive residue was found. On Tuesday, Army officials announced that the bunker had tested positive for low-levels of alpha and beta radiation, but not the dangerous gamma radiation. During a news conference, Sgt. Joe Buccino, Fort Bliss spokesman, urged anyone who worked in the bunker or had any contact with it to call a 24-hour hotline at one of four phone numbers. Buccino said that about 40 people had called the hotline on Wednesday. One of the callers was Efrain Zamora, 71, who was the key custodian at the bunker for several years until he retired last year. "We had no idea we were working in a hazardous environment," Zamora said. "The family and myself are a little concerned about my health. With radioactivity you don't know what will happen as time goes on." He said he would sweep out the bunker before it would be used to load and unload weapons, such as rifles and machine guns. He estimated he would spend about two or three hours inside the bunker, at least once a week for half of the year. Vivian Thomas, 48, worked at the bunker up until two years ago. She kept inventory of the weapons and ammunition inside the bunker for ManTech International Corporation, which had a contract with Fort Bliss from 2007 to 2011. "I wasn't really that surprised because it was an old bunker," Thomas said. "It is rather large and it has a safe inside. It kind of looks like a dome." Thomas would spend an entire day in the bunker about two to three times a month while she did inventory. She also called the hotline and gave her information. She was told it would take about 24 to 72 hours for someone to get back to her. "I'm just waiting to see what they tell me," Thomas said. "I don't have any idea what their plan is."...more