Press Release-II-14-036, NRC Begins Special Inspection at Nuclear Fuel Services

Press Release-II-14-036: NRC Begins Special Inspection at Nuclear Fuel Services

ML14191B159
Person / Time
Site:	Erwin
Issue date:	07/01/2014
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region II
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-II-14-036
Download: ML14191B159 (1)

Text

No: II-14-036 July 10, 2014 CONTACT: Roger Hannah 404-997-4417 Joey Ledford 404-997-4416 NRC Begins Special Inspection at Nuclear Fuel Services The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is launching a special inspection today at the Nuclear Fuel Services fuel fabrication facility to assess the circumstances surrounding the alleged improper disabling of safety devices in violation of NRC regulations.

The plant, located in Erwin, Tenn., fabricates fuel for the U.S. Navys nuclear fleet.

On June 17, an employee was observed by an NFS supervisor to be improperly operating two valves that are identified as key safety devices. The valves were propped open, which rendered them unable to perform their intended safety function. They are intended to be manually operated to prevent a hazardous chemical solution from spilling on the floor and causing a chemical exposure. No radioactive materials were involved in the incident.

The event was reported to the NRC by NFS. No spill occurred, so there were no actual safety consequences. NFS immediately shut down the process and initiated an investigation.

The special inspection, to be performed by the NRCs senior resident inspector, will review the facts surrounding the incident, as well as the NFS response and the companys corrective actions to prevent recurrence.

The special inspection will analyze all the details of this incident, said Victor McCree, the NRCs Region II administrator. There was no threat to the public or plant workers as a result of this incident, but there was potential for worker exposure to hazardous chemicals.

The on-site portion of the inspection is expected to take about three days. A report documenting the inspection findings will be issued within 45 days of the inspection.