U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials are set to meet with representatives from International Isotopes Inc. on May 3 to discuss four apparent operational violations stemming from an incident in which a worker was accidentally exposed to radiation at the isotope manufacturer’s Idaho facility in August.
According to an NRC report, an employee at the Idaho Falls facility on Aug. 20, 2015, was transferring a cobalt-60 radioisotope source from a storage cask to a medical therapy device when he was exposed. NRC spokesman Victor Dricks said in a telephone interview Wednesday that the storage cask apparently had a new, unapproved design. Additionally, the worker continued to operate after his dosimeter alarm and a facility dosimeter alarm were activated, Dricks said.
A day after the incident, an NRC inspector was sent to the site to evaluate the company’s response. Although the radiation dose exceeded NRC limits, the worker is not expected to suffer any adverse health effects, according to an NRC press release issued Wednesday.
The company faces a civil penalty for the incident. Dricks did not offer an amount for the potential fine. Generally, the issue is decided 45 days after the meeting, he said.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering four violations, failure to control radiation dose to a worker within NRC regulatory limits; failure to have adequate procedures in place, including a safety evaluation approved by the company’s radiation safety committee; failure to obtain prior NRC approval for activities that had not been documented, reviewed, and approved by the company’s radiation safety committee; and failure to cease work when a worker’s electronic dosimeter alarm activates.
International Isotopes did not respond to a request for comment.
Beginning at 8 a.m. local time, the meeting will be held at 1600 East Lamar Blvd. in Arlington, Texas, with NRC officials available to answer questions. A telephone bridge will be available for the meeting by calling 1-888-603-7036 and entering pass code 14892.
The Environmental Protection Agency has scheduled a public meeting for 5:30 p.m. April 18 to discuss the West Lake Landfill in Missouri.
EPA and partner agencies will discuss the site and answer questions at the Bridgeton Recreation Center, located at 4201 Fee Fee Road in Bridgeton, Mo.
The EPA is working to prevent an underground fire at the neighboring Bridgeton Landfill from reaching radioactive material at West Lake. The agency is also testing soil samples from private property near the landfill that were recently discovered to contain radioactive material.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Senate passed legislation that would transfer remediation authority over the landfill from the EPA to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program. Lawmakers also have introduced companion legislation in the House.
INTERNATIONAL
A utility membership group representing 32 European countries said last week that the European Commission’s Nuclear Illustrative Program fails to address market forces that cause “well-functioning” nuclear plants to shut down prematurely.
The commission, which is the governing body of the European Union, released the report last week. It’s the first such report since the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, and it focuses on safety upgrades at European plants.
Eurelectric, which includes members from 32 countries, said in a statement that the EU document is a “good basis to discuss the role of nuclear energy in achieving the EU’s energy objectives,” but it “does not address the competitiveness of existing and technically well-functioning nuclear reactors, which, in some countries, are being forced to shut down due to the difficult market situation and distortive national policy measures.”
“A continuing contribution of nuclear power will be needed as Europe undertakes the low-carbon energy transition, but a more positive EU policy framework is needed if this is to be achieved,” the statement reads.
According to the press release, nuclear reactors produced 28 percent of European electricity in 2014, the same year in which nuclear accounted for 54 percent of European low-carbon output. The group estimates that maintaining nuclear generation capacity between 95 and 105 gigawatts until 2050 and beyond will require €350 billion to €450 billion in new nuclear plant investment to replace most of the existing nuclear power capacity.
