Homeowners' land will be tested for coal-tar residue in the next few months, and more than 100 homeowners around the park claim the contamination has reduced their homes' value and plan to file appeals with the Cook County assessor's office. The NRC concluded this month that the inclusion of inappropriate fuel pellets inside containers at Westinghouse Electric Co.'s nuclear fuel-rod manufacturing plant in Hematite, Mo., was an intentional, and not accidental, act. Fortunately, a Westinghouse employee caught the mistake early in the production process, avoiding any danger. However, because investigators believe the act was possibly sabotage, it is considered a felony. The incident surrounds the discovery of rejected erbia pellets in about six of the containers containing pure uranium-oxide pellets.
Officials currently have no suspect or motives in the case.
Westinghouse bought the facility in May from ABB Combustion Engineering, and plans to close it down within 18 months. All rights reserved . ASCE and American Society of Civil Engineers Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. 1801 Alexander Bell Dr.