The Uranium Aluminum line is part of NFS's Blended Low-Enriched Uranium Preparation Facility, which processes various forms of high-enriched uranium into low-enriched forms suitable for use in commercial facilities
– Source NRC –
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials have scheduled a public meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 3 to discuss their decision to authorize resumed operations on another process line at the Nuclear Fuel Services facility in Erwin, Tenn., where the company voluntarily halted production last December due to NRC safety concerns.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. in the Erwin Town Hall at 211 North Main Ave. in Erwin. Members of the public can observe the business part of the meeting and the NRC staff will host a formal question and answer session when that portion has ended.
“The Uranium Aluminum line is the third to be authorized to restart and this meeting allows us to discuss and answer questions about that decision as well as update people on our continuing assessment of NFS operations,” said NRC Region II Division of Fuel Facility Inspection Director Tony Gody.
The Uranium Aluminum line is part of NFS's Blended Low-Enriched Uranium Preparation Facility, which processes various forms of high-enriched uranium into low-enriched forms suitable for use in commercial facilities.
The NRC authorized the restart of the Navy Fuel process line in late March and the Uranium Metal/Uranium Oxide line in May after the agency was satisfied that the performance deficiencies identified last year were sufficiently addressed by NFS. All NFS process lines were shut down in late December 2009 and the NRC issued a confirmatory action letter in January designed to address issues that contributed to some earlier events at the facility.
The NRC will conduct a readiness inspection for a fourth process line, involving uranium hexafluoride processing, when NFS advises the agency it is ready for inspectors to evaluate the safety of that operation.
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