( CNN ) -- At least 17 employees at the Idaho National Laboratory were exposed Tuesday to what the lab described as low-level radiation from plutonium . The workers underwent initial decontamination at the facility where the incident happened and were then transported to an on-site medial center for evaluation , the lab said in a statement . There is no evidence of a leak outside the facility and there is no risk to the public or environment , it added . The Idaho National Laboratory ( INL ) , located in eastern Idaho , is a U.S. Department of Energy nuclear research site . Tuesday 's incident happened within the lab 's materials and fuels complex , which has facilities for remotely handling , processing and examining spent nuclear fuel , irradiated materials and radioactive wastes , according to the INL 's website . The workers were inside the decommissioned Zero Power Physics Reactor ( ZPPR ) when a container was opened for scheduled work , `` resulting in low-level worker exposure to plutonium , '' the lab said . The ZPPR was a low-power test reactor that evaluated various design features .
The exposure happened at the Idaho National Laboratory . Workers were exposed to low-level radiation from plutonium , the lab says . They were transported to an on-site medical center and are undergoing evaluation . There is no risk to the public or environment , the lab says .