German-UK-Dutch Nuclear Enrichment Factory (URENCO) in New Mexico Failed to Follow Protocol Meant to Prevent a Criticality Accident

Tags

Apartheid, conditions for criticality, criticality, Degussa, E.ON, falsification, geometry controls, Germany, gold, Juelich, Nazi Germany, Netherlands, New Mexico, nuclear energy, nuclear fuel chain, nuclear waste, Nukem, pollution, RWE, safe geometry, South Africa, Third Reich, UK, uranium enrichment, uranium oxide, Urenco, utilities, yellow cake

Background
URENCO uses a technique for uranium enrichment, developed by Nazi scientists: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zippe-type_centrifuge In 1971 NUKEM was one of the three co-founders of URENCO (33%), via Uranit. The other 66% is held by the British and Dutch governments. Nukem was founded in 1960 with Degussa as the largest shareholder, 52.5%. RWE was the second largest shareholder by 1965. Degussa prospered under the Nazis, and provided poison gas for the Nazi death camps, and melted stolen gold, allegedly including from the teeth of Nazi victims. Degussa also supplied the uranium oxide for the Nazi Nuclear Weapons project: https://miningawareness.wordpress.com/2016/03/18/nazi-gold-the-merkers-mine-treasure-and-the-dumping-of-german-nuclear-waste-on-america/ https://miningawareness.wordpress.com/2016/03/18/from-cooperation-to-complicity-degussa-in-the-third-reich-book-review-of-peter-hayes-book/
RWE did very well for itself in Nazi Germany through taking over companies of a Jewish competitor: https://miningawareness.wordpress.com/2016/03/19/paul-silverberg-lost-all-to-the-nazis-including-rag-and-rew-to-rwe-thyssen-flick/ The military build-up required more energy consumption by energy-intensive heavy industries.

Currently URENCO is owned in equal parts by the UK and Dutch governments, and German utilities RWE and E.ON. Subsequent to a major nuclear waste scandal, Degussa sold its part of Nukem to RWE ca 1990. Nukem was sold to Cameco in 2012. E.ON has largely owned Degussa, at least until the early to mid 2000s, and may still to this day, just more indirectly.

It is 200 tonnes of nuclear fuel made by Nukem, now nuclear waste, that Germany wishes to dump on America. See info at bottom of this post to oppose (until 25 March). E.ON. and RWE are currently suing Germany over the shuttering of their dangerous and decrepit nuclear reactors. They are clearly philosophical heirs to Nazi Germany. These companies, which prospered during, and contributed to the Third Reich, were not adequately punished, and have continued to cause death and destruction. A heavy price is being paid. The Obama administration is working with Merkel, lock-step, goose-step?, to turn America into a dumping ground for over 200 tonnes of German nuclear waste. Some Germans are resisting, as some Germans did resist Hitler. Where is America’s resistance to becoming a nuclear waste dump?

Thus, this shouldn’t be surprising, either:
JPRS-TND-88-005 14 March 1988, p. 25-26: “Nukem profits greatly by South African uranium, which is under a U.S. embargo and thus has a low world-market price ($17 instead of $21 per U.S. pound). The scam is that Nukem delivers South Africa fuel to North America, but changes the certificates of origin while under way. Sometimes the certificate is exchanged with RWE [Rheinisch-Westfaelische Elektrizitaetswerke], which stores the same amount of uranium of Australian origin. Even the Bonn research ministry renders services by providing documents of origin for South America or Canada. Australia, a uranium producer, is also being deceived.” Excerpt of Summary-Translation from German, Der Spiegel, 18 Jan 88 pp 18-30 JPRS-TND-88-005 14 March 1988 http://www.dtic.mil/get-tr-doc/pdf?AD=ADA345472 The nuclear waste scandal involving Nukem included falsification of nuclear waste labels.

German-UK-Dutch URENCO is the only company still doing uranium enrichment in the USA, at least for commercial purposes

Louisiana Energy Services has nothing to do with Louisiana. It is URENCO. URENCO wanted to set up in Louisiana and Louisiana didn’t want them and chased them away. And, yet, they continue to use the name. To confuse and deceive people?

Situation as Reported to the US NRC
“Fuel Cycle Facility
Event Number: 51776
Facility: LOUISIANA ENERGY SERVICES
RX Type:
Comments: URANIUM ENRICHMENT FACILITY GAS CENTRIFUGE FACILITY
Region: 2
City: EUNICE State: NM
County: LEA
License #: SNM-2010
Agreement: Y
Docket: 70-3103
NRC Notified By: CHARLES SLAMA
HQ OPS Officer: HOWIE CROUCH
Notification Date: 03/07/2016
Notification Time: 19:17 [ET]
Event Date: 03/07/2016
Event Time: 16:15 [MST]
Last Update Date: 03/07/2016
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
PART 70 APP A (a)(4) – ALL SAFETY ITEMS UNAVAILABLE
Person (Organization):
MARVIN SYKES (R2DO)
SHANA HELTON (NMSS)
WILLIAM GOTT (IRD)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFIC (EMAI)
Event Text
ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS RELIED ON FOR SAFETY (IROFS) NOT PERFORMED

“During the afternoon of March 7, 2016, UUSA [Urenco USA] operators moved drums containing uranic material into an IROFS [Items Relied On For Safety] controlled array. This IROFS requires initial and independent operator verification to ensure a subcritical geometry exists prior to adding any new material to the array. The operators moving the drums did not perform the administrative IROFS; that is, neither an initial nor an independent verification were completed prior to adding five additional drums to the array.

“UUSA management and nuclear criticality staff have ensured the drums are in a safe and subcritical configuration.

“The drums contain clean up materials contaminated with UF6 at unknown levels of enrichment. A nuclear criticality did not occur. The array is in a subcritical geometry. No external events are affecting this event. No emergencies have been, nor will any be declared.

“No state or other federal agencies will be notified. No press releases are planned.

“Number and types of controls necessary under normal operating conditions: One enhanced sole IROFS. The enhancement is an initial verification and an independent verification of geometry prior to movement of material into the area.

“Number and types of controls which functioned properly under upset conditions: Neither the IROFS initial verification, nor the independent verification of geometry were performed before movement occurred.

“Number and types of controls necessary to restore a safe situation: A member of operations management passed through during a routine plant tour, questioned the operators, and determined that the drums had been placed in a safe geometry in the array without performing the required IROFS surveillance.

“Safety significance of events: Loss of geometry controls preventing criticality.

“Safety equipment status: The array is in a subcritical geometry.

“Status of corrective actions: Corrective actions to be developed.”
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/2016/20160315en.html
UF6 AT UNKNOWN LEVELS OF ENRICHMENT.

URENCO works with the Juelich Research Institute on research on uranium enrichment and construction of enrichment facilities. Juelich created and stores part of the German Pebble nuclear waste, which the German government is trying to dump on America, and is more generally involved in nuclear waste disposal for the German government.

The US DOE has unofficially (not published in Federal Register) extended the German waste dumping on America comment deadline. To be anonymous you will have to send a disposable email, or send it by post with no return address. People should have the right to “vote” anonymously, either on the Federal Register web site, or on an election day ballot.

“Comments may be submitted by email to GermanSpentNuclearFuelEA@leidos.com. Direct written comments on the Draft Spent Nuclear Fuel from Germany EA to Tracy Williams, NEPA Compliance Officer, U.S. Department of Energy, P.O. Box B, Aiken, South Carolina 29802. DOE has extended the public comment period in response to several requests. The public comment period now ends March 25, 2016. DOE will consider all comments received via email by 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time or postmarked by that date. Comments submitted after that date and time will be considered to the extent practicable.” http://energy.gov/nepa/ea-1977-acceptance-and-disposition-spent-nuclear-fuel-containing-us-origin-highly-enriched The following article had some good ideas-points. They recommended contacting governmental reps and wondered if the Presidential candidates are aware: http://www.examiner.com/article/radioactive-waste-shipment-to-srs-public-comment-period-extended