A lead radiographer approached the end of the guide tube having assumed that the source had already been retracted into the shielded camera. After approximately 90 seconds the assistant radiographer entered the area. The assistant radiographer’s alarming rate meter and survey meter indicated the presence of radiation and the two individuals left the area. The lead radiographer was wearing a whole body dosimetry badge which was sent for emergency processing. The dosimeter was measured by the vendor at 8.36 mSv (836 mrem). Based on re-enactments during the State of Ohio’s reactive inspection, the licensee estimated the lead radiographer’s whole body dose to be 130 mSv (13 rem), which exceeds the statutory limit of 50 mSv (5 rem) to the whole body. The licensee also estimated the lead radiographer’s extremity dose to the hand to be 65 mSv (6.5 rem), which does not exceed the statutory limit of 500 mSv (50 rem) to an extremity. The licensee is assigning the calculated whole body and extremity doses to the individual because the lead radiographer was wearing the dosimetry badge on his belt; therefore, the badge was not optimally positioned to record his dose from the source. The State of Ohio made the following observations during their reactive inspection: the lead radiographer’s alarming rate meter had a dead battery; the radiographers did not utilize a source collimator causing the source to be unshielded; the lead radiographer’s survey meter was not fully functional; and the lead radiographer had not tested his survey meter for proper response on the day of the event. NRC EN50014.
A vast subsea nuclear graveyard planned to hold Britain’s burgeoning piles of radioactive waste is set to become the biggest, longest-lasting and most expensive infrastructure project ever undertaken in the UK. The project [UK's nuclear waste dump] is now predicted to take more than 150yrs to complete with lifetime costs of £66bn in today’s money...The […]
Last year, the Dutch Province of Limburg started an alliance in which, besides the local government, research institutes, small nuclear reactor (SMR) developers, utilities, industrial customers and funders cooperated. With this "Limburg SMR alliance" Limburg tried to lead the way towards an SMR in Limburg. The preferred site for a first SMR would be Chemelot, […]
From the IPFM: During a visit to the Civaux nuclear power plant on 18 March 2024, France's Minister of the Armed Forces unveiled a plan to use the plant to produce tritium for the French nuclear weapons program. Civaux is a civilian power plant that belongs to and is operated by Electricité de France. According […]
An analysis by the Norwegian NGO Bellona of transborder trade operations with the customs code 840130 (irradiated fuel assemblies or fuel elements) show a more than twofold increase of import to EU countries of fresh nuclear fuel in cash terms – from 280 million Euros in 2022 to 686 million Euros in 2023. In physical […]
The French government has said it is "seriously" studying the option of building a plant to convert and enrich reprocessed uranium to cut its reliance on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. The only plant in the world that currently converts reprocessed uranium for use in nuclear power plants is in Russia. "The option of […]