The licensee reported that the shutter on a locked out gauge, that was inside the cupola of a refractory, had fallen and resulted in overexposure of members of the public. The gauge contained a 296 GBq (8 Ci) Cs-137 source. On the morning of 10/24/2011, it was discovered that the shutter on the gauge had fallen, leaving the source unshielded. Inspectors from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) visited the site on 11/15/2011. A total of 10 non-radiation workers were exposed to radiation. On 11/29/2012, the State of New Jersey completed its dose assessment and determined that some of the workers received a total effective dose equivalent that ranged from 12.79 to 0.54 mSv (1.3 rem to 0.054 rem). Confirmation of the final dose estimate from was received on 1/28/2013. Four workers received doses greater than 10 mSv (1 rem). The gauge was removed, the shield welded back in place, and then sent back to the manufacturer for failure analysis. That analysis revealed that the shutter was badly corroded and rusted, which was unexpected because it was only five years old. A contributing factor of the failure was chipping that occurred during routine maintenance while the gauge was still attached to the cupola. The licensee used pneumatic chipping hammers to remove a refractory brick layer from inside the cupola. The gauge was located in such a position so that visual inspections were difficult. It is believed that the vibrations caused the badly rusted and corroded shield to fall off. To prevent recurrence, the licensee has received a new gauge which is housed in stainless steel with a stainless steel shutter and it has been placed in the same location where visual inspections are difficult. The licensee has committed to having the gauges removed by a licensed service provider if work on the cupola requires jack hammering or other vibrational work. While the sources are removed, the service provider will inspect the gauges for signs of corrosion or other signs of damage or potential failure. If no work requiring gauge removal occurs within 3 years from the last inspection, the licensee has committed to having a service provider come to their facility for the express purpose of removing the gauges to perform a thorough visual inspection. NRC EN47445.
Last year, the Dutch Province of Limburg started an alliance in which, besides the local government, research institutes, small nuclear reactor (SMR) developers, utilities, industrial customers and funders cooperated. With this "Limburg SMR alliance" Limburg tried to lead the way towards an SMR in Limburg. The preferred site for a first SMR would be Chemelot, […]
From the IPFM: During a visit to the Civaux nuclear power plant on 18 March 2024, France's Minister of the Armed Forces unveiled a plan to use the plant to produce tritium for the French nuclear weapons program. Civaux is a civilian power plant that belongs to and is operated by Electricité de France. According […]
An analysis by the Norwegian NGO Bellona of transborder trade operations with the customs code 840130 (irradiated fuel assemblies or fuel elements) show a more than twofold increase of import to EU countries of fresh nuclear fuel in cash terms – from 280 million Euros in 2022 to 686 million Euros in 2023. In physical […]
The French government has said it is "seriously" studying the option of building a plant to convert and enrich reprocessed uranium to cut its reliance on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. The only plant in the world that currently converts reprocessed uranium for use in nuclear power plants is in Russia. "The option of […]
Jan vd Putte quickly changed from dressing as the pied piper at the protest during the IAEA nuclear power conference to warn for the Russian nuclear power conglomerate Rosatom and its role in Ukraine.