Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 3, 1994 TAG: 9407030043
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Cathryn McCue
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission has sent a special inspection team to the plant, which manufactures nuclear fuel for naval reactors, and the company has formed its own investigation team.
The company and NRC said no injuries or releases to the environment occurred. Federal officials are concerned, however, that the excess radiation was due to an apparent loss of control over the processing system, which could potentially lead to an accident or more serious release.
"It is necessary for this company and others to learn from this situation," said NRC spokesman Ken Clark. The fact that employees didn't know about the excessive levels until the process had been completed indicated the loss of control, he said.
Babcock & Wilcox has shut down the recovery operations area where the incident took place until the investigations are complete.
The leak occurred around 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday in an area where uranium is recovered from scrap material. Workers emptied several containers, which held a total of 121 grams of uranium-235. About two hours later, during routine tracking of radioactive material in the process, workers found 694 grams in the line.
That amount is less than what would cause a "burst" of radiation that would harm nearby workers, but more than the safety level for the facility of 350 grams, Clark said.
The plant did not shut down, but slowed the process in that area, he said.
The inspection team should complete its work next week. Copies of the report will be made available to the public.
A press release from the company stated that the plant has had no serious, or critical, level of radioactive material released in its nearly 40-year history.
by CNB