On July 23, 1999 a maintenance worker at Cape Breton Development Corporation (DEVCO) inadvertently; handled a radioactive source that should have been contained in a gauge at the plant. DEVCO took immediate steps to deal with the device, and to reconstruct the incident and the maintenance activities so more accurate dose estimates can be obtained. A preliminary assessment of the incident by Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB), the regulatory authority in Canada, concluded that there was a possibility that the worker's hand was exposed to radiation in excess of a regulatory limit but that it is unlikely that the worker's "whole body dose" exceeded the limit for members of the general public. It appears that there may have been a breakdown in safety practices associated with the gauge because workers have been performing maintenance activities on the gauge without being aware that it contained radioactive material. An AECB inspector has been on site investigating for several days.
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 […]
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.