#TerraPower advanced reactor on schedule but fuel remains a concern

Staff Writer May 14, 2024

"According to Reuters, fuel supply remains TerraPower’s main concern for the first plant, on which the company expects to begin non-nuclear-related construction in June. Director of External Affairs at TerraPower Jeff Navin said the supply of HALEU was considered the greatest uncertainty when planning for deployment. 'We still think 2030 is our best bet as to when we can get things completed, but I can’t tell you today that I can account for every kilogram of HALEU that we will need, where it will come from, and when we’ll have it, so that that is certainly something that still keeps us up at night.'

"Plans for US-produced fuel are being expedited, including a two-phase project to produce 900 kg of HALEU a year by the nuclear fuel and services company, #Centrus. In November 2023, Centrus announced its first delivery of 20 kilograms of HALEU uranium hexafluoride (#UF6), completing Phase 1 of the HALEU Operation Contract under budget and ahead of schedule. Centrus has so far achieved cumulative deliveries to the DOE of approximately 135 kilograms of HALEU. However, this is not enough."

https://www.neimagazine.com/advanced-reactors-fusion/terrapower-advanced-reactor-on-schedule-but-fuel-remains-a-concern-11767452/?cf-view

#PiketonOhio #Piketon #UraniumEnrichment #UraniumHexafluoride #HALEU #NewNuclearHype #NoNukes #NoUraniumEnrichment #Ohio #NoUraniumMining #Contamination

Dayton Daily News investigation found #contamination, sick workers at #PiketonOhio plant

By Lynn Hulsey
May 15, 2019

"A polluted former #UraniumEnrichment plant in #Piketon closed years ago but it's impact continues to resonate through the community, including this week when a #MiddleSchool was closed after traces of radioactive #neptunium were found at an air monitoring station at the school.

"Contamination with radiation and multiple toxic substances at the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant led to an ongoing, multibillion dollar environmental cleanup and sickened plant workers who had to fight for compensation as they battled debilitating terminal illnesses related to their years at the plant.

"A massive 2006 investigation by the Dayton Daily News found five plumes of poisoned #groundwater, contamination with radiation, #beryllium, polychlorinated biphenyls (#PCBs) and #asbestos.

"The investigation found lax safety practices, routine mishandling of toxic and #radioactive material and at least 400 accidental releases of #UraniumGas or toxic fluorine. Toxins were dumped into unlined #landfills and ditches and leached into #groundwater and the Little #BeaverCreek, a tributary of the #SciotoRiver.

"The plant was operated by the federal government and contractors from 1954 to 2001 and enriched uranium to high levels for #NuclearWeapons and #NuclearSubmarines and to lower levels for #nuclearpowerplants.

Read more:
https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/state--regional/2006-investigation-found-contamination-sick-workers-piketon-plant/AZkEGlITaQEu97Sb91duGN/

#WaterIsLife #Ohio #NoNukes #NoWar #UraniumEnrichment #UraniumHexafluoride #RECA #PortsmouthGaseousDiffusionPlant #InvestigativeJournalism #RadiationExposureCompensationAct #NoUraniumMining #NoUraniumEnrichment

A small town in rural Ohio is producing #EnrichedUranium again. Here's why that matters

The Ohio Newsroom | By Erin Gottsacker
Published April 18, 2024

"When Centrus Energy flipped three switches at its new plant last fall, it was a new beginning for an industry that had been dormant for more than a decade in #Ohio: #UraniumEnrichment.

"As the U.S. looks to meet its clean energy [sic] goals, there’s increasing demand for the resource, which is necessary for nuclear power generation.

"For years, the U.S. didn’t have a American-owned source of enriched uranium. (A subsidiary of #Urenco enriches #uranium in #NewMexico, but it's owned by a conglomeration of foreign governments and European-based businesses.) Now, #CentrusEnergy is attempting to fill in the gap. And it’s doing that at a plant in #PiketonOhio.

[...]

"Some locals aren’t thrilled. One group worries about the industry’s connection to #NuclearWeapons. Others fear the waste from the plant could #contaminate the surrounding #environment. The specter of the last time #uranium was being enriched in Piketon looms large: many former plant workers get federal compensation because of illnesses they sustained as a result of exposure to #toxic and #radioactive materials.

"'I feel violated,' said Vina Colley, a former worker at the #PortsmouthGaseousDiffusionPlant. 'They said I would get more radiation by getting on the plane than working out here.'

"In the time since she worked at the plant, she’s battled #beryllium disease, #ChronicBronchitis, #COPD, #neuropathy and #HeartFailure."

Read more:
https://www.wvxu.org/2024-04-18/a-small-town-in-rural-ohio-is-now-the-only-place-in-america-producing-enriched-uranium

#NoUraniumEnrichment #RadioactiveContamination #NewNuclear #Uranium #HALEU #UF6

So, #Terrapower and other #HALEU energy projects are being touted as "carbon-free". But alas, a lot of energy is spent digging, milling, transporting and enriching #Uranium -- and there's still no place to permanently store #NuclearWaste.

And #NewNuclear is far from CLEAN -- ask the residents of #PiketonOhio -- who are still dealing with #contamination from when the uranium enrichment plant was operating before!

Radioactive cylinders abound at former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant site

by The Guardian

August 7, 2024

PIKETON, Ohio – "The site of the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon is home to a significant number of radioactive cylinders, posing ongoing environmental and health risks. As of 2022, there are a total of 20,570 uranium hexafluoride (#UF6) cylinders at the site, including 1,879 low-enriched uranium (LEU) cylinders, 18,206 depleted uranium cylinders, and 385 empty cylinders.

"These cylinders, which have been stored in the open for decades, are known to be among the highest sources of #radioactive contamination at the entire plant site. The U.S. Department of Energy [#DOE] has repeatedly reported the #hazardous conditions associated with these cylinder yards.

Chemical Reaction and #Corrosion

"UF6 is highly reactive with moisture, forming uranyl fluoride (UO2F2) and hydrogen fluoride (HF). Both compounds are extremely corrosive and toxic. HF can lead to severe corrosion of the cylinder walls, potentially resulting in leaks and the release of hazardous materials. The environmental and health impacts of these compounds are severe; HF can cause respiratory issues, skin burns, and eye damage, while UO2F2 can lead to kidney damage and other serious health problems.

Historical Accidents

"The potential risks are not hypothetical. In 1978, a major incident occurred when a UF6 cylinder ruptured, releasing over 20,000 pounds of uranium hexafluoride into the atmosphere. Over the years, there have been dozens of such accidental releases, exacerbating the environmental and health risks associated with the site."

Read more:
https://sciotovalleyguardian.com/2024/08/07/radioactive-cylinders-abound-at-former-portsmouth-gaseous-diffusion-plant-site/

#NoUraniumEnrichment #BillGates #Greenwashing #NoUraniumMining #RenewablesNow #NoNukes #NoNewNukes #TerrapowerHype #NewNuclearHype #SameOldSameOld