Tags
alpha radiation, burns, cancer, Columbia SC, Erwin Tennessee, HEU, HEU Conversion, Hopkins SC, IHI, Kazatomprom, LEU, LEU scrap recovery, Naval Reactor Fuel Cycle, NFS, nuclear fuel, nuclear fuel chain, Nuclear Fuel Services, public exposure, scrap recovery, Toshiba, transit, UF6, UO2, uranium hexafluoride, Westinghouse, worker exposure
Westinghouse is now a Toshiba (Japan) subsidiary. It is 87% Toshiba owned; 10% Kazatomprom (Kazakhstan State owned), and 3% IHI (Japan) owned.
The first US NRC “event” apparently has to do with down-blending of [Obama’s beloved] HEU (highly enriched uranium) and LEU (low enriched uranium) recovery. Some of the containers for the radioactive material shipped from South Carolina to Tennessee had high levels of alpha radiation on the outside. The highest was 106 Bq (disintegrations, shots, per second) per 100 sq cm (i.e. 10 x 10 cm or 4 x 4 inches). Nuclear is lethal through its entire fuel chain. Any one of these shots can cause genetic damage, which may or may not be properly repaired, and which can thus lead to cancer or other diseases, which may sometimes even be inherited. Alpha emitters are particularly damaging and thus difficult to repair.
How much, if any, of this radioactive dust blew through the air? How much, if any, fell upon crops? In short, who may have been exposed, or may be exposed, along the route? Alpha radiation is extremely dangerous upon ingestion, also upon inhalation.
The back side of the Westinghouse Facility in Hopkins, SC, according to the address given on the Westinghouse site. The front side looks much more neat.
“Fuel Cycle Facility
Event Number: 51767
Facility: NUCLEAR FUEL SERVICES INC.
RX Type: URANIUM FUEL FABRICATION
Comments: HEU CONVERSION & SCRAP RECOVERY
NAVAL REACTOR FUEL CYCLE
LEU SCRAP RECOVERY
Region: 2
City: ERWIN State: TN
County: UNICOI
License #: SNM-124
Agreement: Y
Docket: 07000143
NRC Notified By: MICHAEL C. TESTER
HQ OPS Officer: STEVE SANDIN
Notification Date: 03/04/2016
Notification Time: 10:26 [ET]
Event Date: 03/03/2016
Event Time: 21:23 [EST]
Last Update Date: 03/04/2016
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
20.1906(d)(1) – SURFACE CONTAM LEVELS > LIMITS
Person (Organization):
MARVIN SYKES (R2DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFIC (EMAI)
Event Text
CONTAMINATED RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL SHIPMENT
“On March 3, 2016, at approximately 1745 [EST], a radioactive material shipment was received at NFS from the Westinghouse Electric Company in Hopkins, South Carolina. Receipt contamination and radiation surveys were completed at approximately 1905. Results indicated removable surface contamination on two of the nine radioactive material packages that exceeded the criteria of the cited regulations.
“The radioactive material shipment left the Westinghouse Electric Company facility at 1300 [EST] on March 3, 2016. It was received at the NFS receiving facility at approximately 1745 on March 3, 2016. Surface contamination and radiation surveys were initiated immediately upon receipt. Removable surface contamination in excess of 10 CFR 20.1906(d) limits was verified to be present on the external surface of two of the nine shipping containers in the shipment at 1905. Contamination was controlled at the receiving facility and successfully decontaminated below criteria of 10 CFR 20.1906(d) by approximately 2030 on March 3, 2016.”
This was an exclusive shipment. The alpha contamination measured 4278 dpm/100 sq. cm. and 6345 dpm/100 sq. cm., respectively. The licensee informed Westinghouse who is conducting an investigation into this incident.
The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector.”
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/en.html
6345 dpm (disintegrations per minute) is 106 Bq (disintegrations per second) per 100 sq cm (15.5 sq. inches), i.e. 10 x 10 cm or 3.9 x 3.9 inches.
This certainly looks nasty…
Less than 6 months ago
Although they say it is Columbia, the only facility which Westinghouse has in the area appears to be the one, above, which is in suburban Columbia
“Fuel Cycle Facility
Event Number: 51425
Facility: WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORPORATION
RX Type: URANIUM FUEL FABRICATION
Comments: LEU CONVERSION (UF6 to UO2)
COMMERCIAL LWR FUEL
Region: 2
City: COLUMBIA State: SC
County: RICHLAND
License #: SNM-1107
Agreement: Y
Docket: 07001151
NRC Notified By: NANCY PARR
HQ OPS Officer: CHARLES TEAL
Notification Date: 09/25/2015
Notification Time: 12:09 [ET]
Event Date: 09/25/2015
Event Time: 04:30 [EDT]
Last Update Date: 09/25/2015
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
PART 70 APP A (c) – OFFSITE NOTIFICATION/NEWS REL
Person (Organization):
SHANE SANDAL (R2DO)
ANGELA MCINTOSH (NMSS)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFIC (EMAI)
Event Text
OFFSITE NOTIFICATION DUE TO EMPLOYEES INJURED BY NON-RADIOACTIVE HIGH TEMPERATURE WATER AND STEAM
“On September 25, 2015 at roughly 0430 EDT, four employees were in the work area when high temperature water and steam released from a wash operation in the Final Assembly Area. The cause of the water/steam release is unknown at this time, and a comprehensive investigation is underway. The area is in a safe, shutdown state, and is roped off to preserve the scene. The event did not involve any special nuclear material or contamination and is classified as an industrial safety incident.
“Three of the four employees were affected by the high temperature water/steam and were transported by ambulance to the hospital for treatment.
“This concurrent report is being made under Paragraph c of 10 CFR 70, Appendix A because in-patient hospitalization requires a 24 hour report to the South Carolina Department of Labor.”
The licensee will notify NRC Region 2“.
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/2015/20150928en.html
Location exported from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erwin,_Tennessee
Toshiba (87%) (majority owner)
Kazatomprom (10%)
IHI (3%)[2]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westinghouse_Electric_Company
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IHI_Corporation
“Kazatomprom is a state-owned nuclear holding company in Kazakhstan, which operates in the field of Uranium and nuclear fuel cycle services, production of Beryllium, Tantalum and Niobium, and power production. Kazatomprom was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Astana, Kazakhstan.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazatomprom
Mining Awareness + 
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