On November 1, three workers were involved in separating sources, shielded containers, and trash from a barrel. Work was being conducted in a ventilated enclosure within a PEcoS waste processing building. Two workers inside the enclosure were wearing respirators and the supervisor, who was not wearing a respirator, was immediately outside the enclosure directing the work. At the end of the day, the supervisor noted he was contaminated. The supervisor was scheduled for whole-body counting at the Battelle facility early the next day. An uptake of approximately 432.9 Bq (11.7 nanocuries) of Am- 241 was confirmed. The preliminary dose estimate to the individual's lung was 0.975 Sv (97.5 rem) Committed Dose Equivalent. The regulatory limit for occupational workers is 0.5 Sv (50 rem). The individual was started on chelation treatment. The other two workers were sent for whole body counting on November 3. The operation included opening one lead container that contained three Am-241 sources. Contamination previously had not been detected outside the lead container or in the trash. Sources were surveyed for dose rate and separated from the lead container without contamination smears being taken. No release to the public or the environment occurred. Operations in this and adjacent areas were stopped once the situation was known. An investigation was initiated by PEcoS. The area was evacuated and is currently being ventilated. Department of Health has an inspector on-site performing an incident investigation.
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 […]
Jan vd Putte quickly changed from dressing as the pied piper at the protest during the IAEA nuclear power conference to warn for the Russian nuclear power conglomerate Rosatom and its role in Ukraine.
Anke Herold, Executive Director Oeko-Institut, Freiburg (Germany), in Brussels about the claim to triple nuclear by 2050: IPCC scenarios vs forecast development of nuclear.
