A radiographer received approximately 0.093 Sv (9.3 rem) when a radiography source was unable to be retracted into an industrial radiography device. The radiographer handled the guide tube and collimator with the 3.367 TBq (91 Ci) Ir-192 source in an unshielded position. Dose reconstruction and event re-enactments were conducted to determine how the disconnect occurred. The cause of the event is believed to be a bent pin on the control cable. The licensee is performing testing and other actions to verify that this is the cause. After the radiographer retreated from the source, a Radiation Safety Officer with source retrieval authorization was dispatched to the location and recovered the source. Neither the Radiation Safety Officer nor the assistant radiographer received doses that exceeded the regulatory limit. The licensee committed to the mandatory re-training of employees. The dose to the radiographer exceeded the U.S. regulatory limit for the annual whole body dose of 0.05 Sv (5 rem). NRC EN55511
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 […]