The accident report from this test stated five of the six possible causes of the accident were due to geologic problems. The Mighty Oak accident, according to James K. Magruder, assistant manager for operations for DOE at NTS, was due to rock beneath Rainier Mesa caving in from the shock of the nuclear blast. Every underground nuclear explosion at NTS is associated with the risk of a major release of radioactivity beyond NTS boundaries. Because of deficiencies in the monitoring system around NTS, major released of radioactivity could go undetected. DOE has no quality assurance plan to insure the integrity of its off-site radiation monitoring program.
Wildlife have access to radioactively contaminated water in drainage ponds near Rainier Mesa.