nuclear-news

Another fine for nuclear plant for safety lapses

NRC imposes $35,000 fine for Babcock & Wilcox The News and Advance 12 Jan 2010 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has imposed a $35,000 fine on Babcock & Wilcox because, the government agency said, employees waited too long to declare an emergency in July after finding uranium in a container of oil.

On July 15, B&W employees found the uranium in a container of oil used in a saw that cuts fuel components at the company’s facility in Campbell County, which handles highly enriched uranium used in nuclear fuel.

If enough nuclear material is present in one place or in a container of a particular shape, it can cause a “criticality,” or a strong burst of radiation, the NRC said……………….

On October 2008, B&W was fined $32,500 after an employee used sodium hydroxide to try to clean up a hydrofluoric acid spill, causing a chemical reaction that splashed acid in the worker’s face.

January 14, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, radioactive, uranium