Nuclear power plants in the TVA system cannot operate without incoming power to operate cooling systems. a loss of incoming electrical power results in a scram, emergency shutdown, of the reactor. Back up diesel generators supply power to the reactor cooling system. Nothing reliable about nuclear power as you must have another power source to power the reactor cooling systems. Loose offsite power and you loose the electrical generating capacity of TVA nuclear power. In the information and fact points below it is demonstrated that nuclear power has sickened and killed over 48,000 American citizens in the past 7 years.
When dealing with nuclear materials some degree of secrecy is required, nuclear materials have the capability to be utilized as a weapon of mass destruction. Security at civilian fuel facilities has been a long time concern, so has telling the true story of the domestic nuclear threat at nuclear fuels facilities. A secret such as nuclear materials loss ( declassified document http://www.irmep.org/ila/nukes/NUMEC/default.asp ), and just as dangerous is the clear and present danger at the nuclear fuel manufacturing plants spread across our nation.
Today the costs to U.S. taxpayers for health and death claims paid to nuclear fuels workers exceeds $7.2 billion dollars, the costs in human pain and suffering is unimaginable. (Dept of Labor part B & E Statistics of the EEOICP http://www.dol.gov/owcp/energy/regs/compliance/weeklystats.htm )
Current government information on the nuclear fuels process tends to lead (trick) those interested in the problem of human suffering due to the nuclear fuels process down the road of weaponization of Uranium. In the days of "tickling the dragon" [Manhattan Project] and the Cold War, up to the middle 1960's, this was certainly true. For the past 40 plus years, the major usage of refined Uranium is in civilian, military and experimental nuclear reactors, the major usage of nuclear fuels is for commercial nuclear power plants.
The following is a partial listing of
The following is a partial listing of
"Commercial Nuclear Power Secrets, shh-don't tell-nuclear fuels processing is killing folks."
( Wise Uranium Project links and listings http://www.wise-uranium.org/indexc.html )
-->NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) Event Report 45785-Global Nuclear Fuels, Wilmington, NC, March 23, 2010 [reported Mar 24, 2010] - 8.7KG (19.14 pounds) of Uranium Oxide found in a waste receptacle containing vacuum bags. An observant operator discovered the problem when the waste bag had broken free of its holder, the 8.7kg of nuclear fuel was found in vacuum bags.
NRC, Event Reports link http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/2010/20100324en.html#en45785
More on Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas, L.L.C., Wilmington nuclear fuel plant, North Carolina, NRC License No. SNM-1097
-->Violation of criticality rules at GNF Wilmington nuclear fuel plant
On March 2, 2011, the NRC was notified through Event Notification 46650 that GNF-A had failed to maintain mass control of UO2 powder in the sinter test grinding station HEPA filter enclosure. Specifically, on March 1, 2011, GNF staff identified that approximately 46 kilograms of UO2 powder had been present in the sinter test grinder filter housing, which was greater than the analyzed safe mass to prevent a criticality.
Based on the results of an inspection conducted March 14 - 18, 2011, the NRC has determined that two Severity Level IV violations of NRC requirements occurred. (NRC Special Inspection Report and Notice of Violation, June 29, 2011, ADAMS Acc. No. ML111810118
)
-->NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) Event Report 45785-Global Nuclear Fuels, Wilmington, NC, March 23, 2010 [reported Mar 24, 2010] - 8.7KG (19.14 pounds) of Uranium Oxide found in a waste receptacle containing vacuum bags. An observant operator discovered the problem when the waste bag had broken free of its holder, the 8.7kg of nuclear fuel was found in vacuum bags.
NRC, Event Reports link http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/2010/20100324en.html#en45785
More on Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas, L.L.C., Wilmington nuclear fuel plant, North Carolina, NRC License No. SNM-1097
-->Violation of criticality rules at GNF Wilmington nuclear fuel plant
On March 2, 2011, the NRC was notified through Event Notification 46650 that GNF-A had failed to maintain mass control of UO2 powder in the sinter test grinding station HEPA filter enclosure. Specifically, on March 1, 2011, GNF staff identified that approximately 46 kilograms of UO2 powder had been present in the sinter test grinder filter housing, which was greater than the analyzed safe mass to prevent a criticality.
Based on the results of an inspection conducted March 14 - 18, 2011, the NRC has determined that two Severity Level IV violations of NRC requirements occurred. (NRC Special Inspection Report and Notice of Violation, June 29, 2011, ADAMS Acc. No. ML111810118
) -->Global Nuclear Fuel, NRC finds two violations at GNF Wilmington nuclear fuel plant During an NRC inspection conducted February 22-26, 2010, two violations of NRC requirements were identified: the licensee failed to report within 24 hours of discovery, a loss or degradation of an item relied on for criticality safety, and, the licensee failed to install automatic fire detection equipment in the Process Technology laboratory area where fire hazards were present. (ADAMS Acc. No. ML100850027 )
)-->Global Nuclear Fuel, NRC finds five apparent violations at GNF Wilmington nuclear fuel plant
During inspections conducted from November 7, 2008, through August 28, 2009, five apparent violations were identified and are being considered for escalated enforcement action. The apparent violations involve the failure to identify credible accident scenarios during process hazard analyses or document them in the Integrated Safety Analysis Reference Report; the failure to identify criticality accident scenarios as high consequence events; and three separate failures to designate controls as items relied on for safety.
"The apparent violations are of concern to the NRC because they appear to indicate a programmatic issue with your Integrated Safety Analysis. Specifically, these apparent violations indicate a systematic and consistent failure to identify and categorize accident sequences and declare items relied on for safety in accordance with your Integrated Safety Analysis methodology and the requirements of 10 CFR Part 70." (NRC letter to GNF, Nov. 6, 2009, ADAMS Acc. No. ML093100078)
-->Global Nuclear Fuel, Violation of criticality rules at GNF Wilmington nuclear fuel plant
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has established a Special Inspection Team at the Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas commercial nuclear fuel plant near Wilmington, N.C., to inspect and assess facts and circumstances associated with an event in which moisture was detected on Jan. 30, 2008, in a process vessel which should not have contained moisture so as to prevent a nuclear criticality.
> View NRC release Feb. 1, 2008
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has proposed a $16,250 civil penalty against Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas, L.L.C., for incorrectly categorizing an emergency level declaration during a Jan. 30, 2008, incident at the plant's low-enriched uranium processing line in Wilmington, N.C.
> View NRC release Aug. 14, 2008
--> The Westinghouse Electric Company (WEC) Nuclear Fuel Fabrication Plant, Columbia, SC. On Feb. 25, 2011, NRC issued a Notice of Violation to Westinghouse Electric Company for violations of criticality protection rules identified at its Columbia nuclear fuel plant.
-->Spill at WEC Columbia nuclear fuel plant, South Carolina
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has dispatched a Special Inspection Team to the Westinghouse commercial nuclear fuel plant near Columbia, S.C., to review the circumstances associated with a Jan. 24 event involving a spill of about 200 gallons of waste water containing ammonia and low levels of uranium.
The spill was the result of a pump failure and operators shut down the process after a few minutes. Plant employees cleaned the area, no workers were exposed to significant concentrations and no medical attention was needed. Westinghouse reported the event to the NRC on Jan. 25 and the NRC staff decided that a special inspection to review the facts surrounding the event, assess the Westinghouse response and evaluate the company's corrective actions was the appropriate course of action.
> View NRC release Feb. 1, 2010
NRC proposes $17,500 fine against Westinghouse for violations at Columbia nuclear fuel plant: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has proposed a $17,500 civil penalty against Westinghouse Electric Company for violations of nuclear safety requirements at its commercial nuclear fuel plant in Columbia, S.C. NRC officials said the proposed civil penalty is based on violations identified during an NRC review of a Jan. 24, 2010 event involving a spill inside the plant of about 200 gallons of waste water containing ammonia and low levels of uranium. NRC release Nov. 4, 2010 (PDF)
-->Nuclear fuel pellets missing from WEC Columbia nuclear fuel plant, South Carolina
The operators of a Bluff Road nuclear fuel plant can't find 25 pounds of radioactive material - and federal investigators say that's a problem. Officials with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission suspect someone at the Westinghouse nuclear fuel factory deliberately moved uranium fuel pellets without properly accounting for them. Neither Westinghouse nor the NRC has been able to pinpoint the person. Investigators say the fuel pellets, first reported missing in May, pose little danger to the public because the material likely never left the site. The pellets were probably recycled in the fuel plant, according to the NRC. (The State Oct. 2, 2009) (Problematic is the assumption that the fuel pellets remained in the plant, a dangerous assumption.)
> View NRC release Sep. 17, 2009 Notice of Violation and NRC Inspection Report , Oct. 15, 2010
-->U.S. NRC issues Confirmatory Order regarding falsifications at Westinghouse Electric Company's Columbia nuclear fuel facility
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a Confirmatory Order to Westinghouse Electric Company's Columbia facility as part of a settlement agreement involving the actions of a former contractor foreman. That individual deliberately created inaccurate training records for his work group and also falsified ventilation system data when the required readings had not been taken. The foreman caused Westinghouse to be in violation of NRC requirements.
> View NRC release Aug. 7, 2009
-->BWX Technologies, Inc., Lynchburg, Va., Nuclear Fuel Plant
NRC finds further violation of criticality safety procedures at B&W Lynchburg nuclear fuel plant
> Download Inspection Report and Notice of Violation, July 15, 2011
-->NRC finds further violation of criticality safety procedures at B&W Lynchburg nuclear fuel plant
> Download Inspection Report and Notice of Violation, Nov. 4, 2010
-->Alert over potential criticality issue after discharge of highly enriched uranium at B&W Lynchburg nuclear fuel plant
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has proposed a $35,000 civil penalty against the Babcock & Wilcox facility in Lynchburg, Va., for a violation of NRC requirements related to the company's emergency declaration for an event in July 2009. The violation involved a failure of Babcock & Wilcox facility staff to declare an Alert emergency classification in a timely manner as required by their emergency plan. On July 15, 2009, company employees failed to declare the emergency for more than two hours after they discovered a band saw cooling reservoir did not have the proper criticality controls.
> View NRC release Jan. 12, 2010
> Download Notice of Violation Jan. 11, 2010 (ADAMS Acc. No. ML100110209)
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled a predecisional enforcement conference in Atlanta for Nov. 6, 2009, to discuss with officials of Babcock and Wilcox Nuclear Operations Group in Lynchburg, Va., apparent violations of NRC requirements associated with the loss of nuclear criticality controls on a mechanical saw.
> View NRC release Oct. 29, 2009
"The apparent violations are of concern to the NRC because they appear to indicate a programmatic issue with your Integrated Safety Analysis. Specifically, these apparent violations indicate a systematic and consistent failure to identify and categorize accident sequences and declare items relied on for safety in accordance with your Integrated Safety Analysis methodology and the requirements of 10 CFR Part 70." (NRC letter to GNF, Nov. 6, 2009, ADAMS Acc. No. ML093100078
)-->Global Nuclear Fuel, Violation of criticality rules at GNF Wilmington nuclear fuel plant
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has established a Special Inspection Team at the Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas commercial nuclear fuel plant near Wilmington, N.C., to inspect and assess facts and circumstances associated with an event in which moisture was detected on Jan. 30, 2008, in a process vessel which should not have contained moisture so as to prevent a nuclear criticality.
> View NRC release Feb. 1, 2008
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has proposed a $16,250 civil penalty against Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas, L.L.C., for incorrectly categorizing an emergency level declaration during a Jan. 30, 2008, incident at the plant's low-enriched uranium processing line in Wilmington, N.C.
> View NRC release Aug. 14, 2008
--> The Westinghouse Electric Company (WEC) Nuclear Fuel Fabrication Plant, Columbia, SC. On Feb. 25, 2011, NRC issued a Notice of Violation to Westinghouse Electric Company for violations of criticality protection rules identified at its Columbia nuclear fuel plant.
-->Spill at WEC Columbia nuclear fuel plant, South Carolina
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has dispatched a Special Inspection Team to the Westinghouse commercial nuclear fuel plant near Columbia, S.C., to review the circumstances associated with a Jan. 24 event involving a spill of about 200 gallons of waste water containing ammonia and low levels of uranium.
The spill was the result of a pump failure and operators shut down the process after a few minutes. Plant employees cleaned the area, no workers were exposed to significant concentrations and no medical attention was needed. Westinghouse reported the event to the NRC on Jan. 25 and the NRC staff decided that a special inspection to review the facts surrounding the event, assess the Westinghouse response and evaluate the company's corrective actions was the appropriate course of action.
> View NRC release Feb. 1, 2010
NRC proposes $17,500 fine against Westinghouse for violations at Columbia nuclear fuel plant: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has proposed a $17,500 civil penalty against Westinghouse Electric Company for violations of nuclear safety requirements at its commercial nuclear fuel plant in Columbia, S.C. NRC officials said the proposed civil penalty is based on violations identified during an NRC review of a Jan. 24, 2010 event involving a spill inside the plant of about 200 gallons of waste water containing ammonia and low levels of uranium. NRC release Nov. 4, 2010
(PDF) -->Nuclear fuel pellets missing from WEC Columbia nuclear fuel plant, South Carolina
The operators of a Bluff Road nuclear fuel plant can't find 25 pounds of radioactive material - and federal investigators say that's a problem. Officials with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission suspect someone at the Westinghouse nuclear fuel factory deliberately moved uranium fuel pellets without properly accounting for them. Neither Westinghouse nor the NRC has been able to pinpoint the person. Investigators say the fuel pellets, first reported missing in May, pose little danger to the public because the material likely never left the site. The pellets were probably recycled in the fuel plant, according to the NRC. (The State Oct. 2, 2009) (Problematic is the assumption that the fuel pellets remained in the plant, a dangerous assumption.)
> View NRC release Sep. 17, 2009
Notice of Violation and NRC Inspection Report , Oct. 15, 2010 -->U.S. NRC issues Confirmatory Order regarding falsifications at Westinghouse Electric Company's Columbia nuclear fuel facility
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a Confirmatory Order to Westinghouse Electric Company's Columbia facility as part of a settlement agreement involving the actions of a former contractor foreman. That individual deliberately created inaccurate training records for his work group and also falsified ventilation system data when the required readings had not been taken. The foreman caused Westinghouse to be in violation of NRC requirements.
> View NRC release Aug. 7, 2009
-->BWX Technologies, Inc., Lynchburg, Va., Nuclear Fuel Plant
NRC finds further violation of criticality safety procedures at B&W Lynchburg nuclear fuel plant
> Download Inspection Report and Notice of Violation, July 15, 2011
-->NRC finds further violation of criticality safety procedures at B&W Lynchburg nuclear fuel plant
> Download Inspection Report and Notice of Violation, Nov. 4, 2010
-->Alert over potential criticality issue after discharge of highly enriched uranium at B&W Lynchburg nuclear fuel plant
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has proposed a $35,000 civil penalty against the Babcock & Wilcox facility in Lynchburg, Va., for a violation of NRC requirements related to the company's emergency declaration for an event in July 2009. The violation involved a failure of Babcock & Wilcox facility staff to declare an Alert emergency classification in a timely manner as required by their emergency plan. On July 15, 2009, company employees failed to declare the emergency for more than two hours after they discovered a band saw cooling reservoir did not have the proper criticality controls.
> View NRC release Jan. 12, 2010
> Download Notice of Violation Jan. 11, 2010
(ADAMS Acc. No. ML100110209) The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled a predecisional enforcement conference in Atlanta for Nov. 6, 2009, to discuss with officials of Babcock and Wilcox Nuclear Operations Group in Lynchburg, Va., apparent violations of NRC requirements associated with the loss of nuclear criticality controls on a mechanical saw.
> View NRC release Oct. 29, 2009
A scare at the B&W Nuclear Operations Group in Lynchburg Wednesday (July 15) prompted a review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission after oil containing an unknown amount of highly enriched uranium discharged at the facility. The incident began around 7:45 p.m. Wednesday (July 15). According to a news release from the NRC, a saw used to cut fuel components discharged some of that oil. The facility declared an alert and the NRC called in its response teams. Staff at the facility analyzed the materials and determined only a small amount of uranium was in the oil. (WDBJ7 Roanoke News July 16, 2009)
The problems at nuclear fuel plants are great. There is a serious health risk to employees in nuclear fuel plants and one interested in the story of civilian nuclear reactors and their safety cannot overlook the fuels cycle processes. Further reports at the nuclear fuel facilities may be found at these WISE Uranium Project links:
The problems at nuclear fuel plants are great. There is a serious health risk to employees in nuclear fuel plants and one interested in the story of civilian nuclear reactors and their safety cannot overlook the fuels cycle processes. Further reports at the nuclear fuel facilities may be found at these WISE Uranium Project links:
· Nuclear Fuel Services Erwin (Tennessee) plant (extra page)
All to often we hear the political propaganda in some form, "there have been no accidents taking life at civilian nuclear reactors." That statement twists and distorts the full story of nuclear power. One must look at all aspects of the nuclear power generation, from Uranium mining to plant decommissioning and all aspects of nuclear power in between. Failure to consider all the facts results in facilitating a danger on our citizenry.
I periodically review NRC event reports at this link: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/ When reading the reports I take particular interest in the events which indicate radiation exposures. What is not told in the event reports are the end results of exposures to radioactive materials, a colorless, odorless, most times-tasteless material. Unless the exposure is immediately life threatning, the cellular mutations which occur from radioactive material exposures may not become problematic or discovered until many years later, the NRC reports do not reflect the end results related to the health of the exposed workers.
Some of the workers lives, suffering and death are told at our web site and other sites listed at our site. The extent of health problems and their costs relating to nuclear power are partially exposed at the Department of Labor link in the first paragraph begining this article and again listed here: Dept of Labor part B & E Statistics of the EEOICP http://www.dol.gov/owcp/energy/regs/compliance/weeklystats.htm . Failure to expose the rest of the story concerning the nuclear fuels workers and the cost in human suffering related to the nuclear fuels process is nothing less than negligence and hiding the truth of nuclear power from the public. Shhh, we have nuclear power secrets! link: http://radioactivepoison.blogspot.com/
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