No. II-10-010 March 23, 2010 

CONTACT: Roger Hannah (404) 562-4417 E-mail: OPA2@nrc.gov

 Joey Ledford (404) 562-4416 

NRC AUTHORIZES RESTART OF NFS NAVY FUEL PROCESS LINE 

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff is allowing Nuclear Fuel Services to resume 

operation of one process line at its Erwin, Tenn., facility, where all process lines have been shut 

down since late December 2009. 

The NRC issued a confirmatory action letter on Jan. 7 that was designed to address issues 

contributing to recent events at the facility. Those events included an Oct. 13 incident that was 

the subject of an NRC augmented inspection team review. That incident involved workers using 

nitric acid to dissolve scrap material with small quantities of uranium. It resulted in more heat 

than expected and the generation of nitrogen compound fumes. Although there were no injuries 

to employees or environmental releases, heated fumes damaged some pipes and the NRC 

inspection team identified several safety issues. 

In December, NFS agreed that the process lines at the facility would remain out of 

service until the NRC was satisfied that the safety issues had been addressed. NRC inspectors 

have completed their review of the items in the confirmatory action letter designated as “Actions 

Prior to Restart” and determined that NFS can safely resume operation of the Navy Fuel process 

line. However, the NRC will only authorize resumption of other process lines after the company 

has achieved a satisfactory level of safety performance in the first line. 

“The NRC laid out specific areas where corrective actions were required before restarting 

any work. After examining what they have done, we believe they have accomplished our 

requirements to the point a phased restart can commence. Our inspectors will be watching 

closely as this process unfolds,” said NRC Region II Administrator Luis Reyes. 

In February, the NRC dispatched a team of six inspectors to NFS to examine the items in 

the confirmatory action letter. That team, supplemented by additional specialist inspectors, 

focused on restart items with special attention to the Navy Fuel line. 

The inspection team is also evaluating NFS actions to address four concerns discussed in 

the confirmatory action letter. Those concerns are management oversight of process changes, 

perceived production pressures, lack of a questioning attitude and poor communications. NRC 

inspectors will continue to monitor additional commitments in the letter as well as other 

corrective actions and improvements at NFS. 

NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs, Region II 

61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta GA 30303 

Web Site: www.nrc.gov 
NFS is required to notify the NRC when the company believes it is ready to restart each 

successive line. NRC inspectors will conduct readiness inspections and the agency will provide 

restart authorization only when the NRC staff determines that a line can be restarted safely.

 

### 

News releases are available through a free listserv subscription at the following Web address: 

http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC homepage at www.nrc.gov also offers a SUBSCRIBE 

link. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web site.