Fuel Briefs

摘要

The results of an nrc special inspection at the Westinghouse nuclear fuel plant near Columbia, S.C., were made available at an October I public meeting. The special inspection was initiated after Westinghouse reported to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in May that a small container of scrap low-enriched uranium pellets could not be accounted for in one of the plant's process areas. The company had discovered that the container was missing during a site audit. "Based on the information available, the NRC did not find any indications that the material was removed from the site," said Luis Reyes, NRC Region II administrator. "However, the lapse in control and accountability for the material is something we take very seriously. Because of the low level of enrichment, as well as the physical and chemical attributes of the pellets, the material would not pose a significant risk to people or the environment."