Monthly Archives: February 2014

Event Reports: Problems with Fitness for Duty program and an inoperable safety system

Posted on February 28, 2014 by

A couple of items from this week’s Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Event Notification Reports page: 1. NRC regulations require both random and for-cause testing of nuclear workers for drugs and alcohol. As part of the program, some samples are submitted to … Continue reading →

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Update to WIPP leak: Thirteen workers exposed to radiation

Posted on February 27, 2014 by

CNN reported this morning: Nearly two weeks after a radiation leak was reported at the Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant outside Carlsbad, New Mexico, 13 employees have been notified that preliminary test results show they were exposed to … Continue reading →

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Airborne radiation leak closes Waste Isolation Pilot Plant for at least three weeks

Posted on February 25, 2014 by

Santa Fe NBC affiliate KOB reported last Thursday: The WIPP site near Carlsbad announced Thursday it will be shut down for at least the next three weeks because of a radiation leak. Officials said they’ve stopped the leak. Officials with … Continue reading →

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Speaking of aging nuclear power plants, 3,700 steam tubes at 30-year-old Florida facility show signs of wear

Posted on February 25, 2014 by

According to an article in yesterday’s Tampa Bay Times: More than 3,700 tubes that help cool a nuclear reactor at Florida Power & Light’s St. Lucie facility exhibit wear. Most other similar plants have between zero and a few hundred. … Continue reading →

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How long can you safely operate a nuclear power plant? Apparently forever, according to the NRC

Posted on February 25, 2014 by

An article on today’s World Nuclear News gave a disturbing glimpse of the future of nuclear power in the United States: US nuclear utilities could start applying to the regulator from 2017 for operating licence extensions beyond 60 years. Staff … Continue reading →

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