Nation IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON STATE : Alarms Silenced at Nuclear Plant

Westinghouse Hanford Co. officials said they are investigating the apparently intentional silencing of an alarm at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Richland, Wash. A paper clip was found wedged in an alarm panel, preventing six audible alarms from sounding, the company said in a statement. The tampering was found in one of two evaporators used to reduce the volume of nuclear waste stored in underground tanks. No one’s health or safety was affected by the tampering, said Ralph DiSibio, Westinghouse Hanford executive vice president. But the company intends to find out who was responsible, he said.