Review gives thumbs up to Richland, Wash., nuclear plant
Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, Wash. --Oct. 21
Oct. 21--A Nuclear Regulatory Committee review of safety performance of the Richland plant that produces commercial nuclear fuel found that it has corrected problems found in a 2003 emergency exercise.
The review found that Framatome continued to conduct its activities safely. A
July 2004 emergency exercise demonstrated that deficiencies found in an October
2003 emergency exercise had been resolved, according to the NRC.
During the earlier drill with a scenario in which a radiation release went
off-site, workers either were unfamiliar with some procedures or did not follow
them and needed more training, according to the NRC.
Members of the emergency response team responded without communication
equipment or self-reading dosimeters, according to the NRC. It also criticized
the drill for giving out all radiation release information at one time rather
than throughout the exercise.
Problems of lack of scenario development, control of the exercise and lack of
training have been resolved, the NRC said in a Sept. 30 letter to Framatome.
However, it will continue to monitor the improvements.
It's also recommending continued improvement in the communication of
criticality safety information to workers and control of criticality safety
documentation. It found a couple of missing postings among more than 100 that
are required. A criticality is an uncontrolled nuclear reaction that can release
bursts of potentially dangerous radiation.
The public meeting will be in Conference Room 5 of Framatome at 2101 Horn
Rapids Road.
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