A waste drum at a nuclear fuel factory near Columbia, South Carolina caught fire and exploded last week, according to a federal safety report. The workplace accident occurred at a Westinghouse facility in Hopkins, just off of Bluff Road. The plant makes pellets for nuclear power plants. In a report filed with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Westinghouse said the drum exploded around 2 a.m. after workers at the plant filled it with uranium-contaminated filters, rags, mops and some paper. The container held just over 70 grams of uranium, which is used in nuclear power plants to create a chain reaction that generates electricity.
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