Global Courant 2023-05-09 21:27:05
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission began a special inspection Monday at Urenco USA’s uranium enrichment facility in southeastern New Mexico following an incident last month.
NRC officials said the April 21 incident involved the operation of a crane near a building processing uranium hexafluoride without the required safety controls in place.
They said there are concerns about safety protocols at the site and that additional NRC inspection is warranted as it pertains to the breakdown of the controls designed to prevent chemical, radiological and critical hazards, which are the main concern with US fuel cycle facilities.
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A crane at Urenco USA’s uranium enrichment facility was handling uranium hexafluoride without the required safety controls in place, prompting the NRC to launch a special inspection.
Two similar events last year at the Urenco USA facility prompted the NRC to propose a $70,000 civil fine.
Inspectors from NRC’s Region II office in Atlanta will be at the Urenco USA plant for the next few days.
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They plan to review the effectiveness of previous corrective actions taken by the facility to implement safety controls during construction operations and evaluate the appropriateness of the company’s overall response.
The inspection team documents their findings and conclusions in a public report that is usually issued within 45 days of completion of the inspection.