A radiographer and two assistants were working at an asphalt plant when a magnetic stand fell from the side of a tank and crushed a section of the guide tube of the radiography camera in use. Several attempts by the radiography crew to retract the source into the radiography camera using the crank were unsuccessful. Additional shielding was applied to the area of the tube containing the stuck source to reduce exposures and allow personnel to get closer to the area. The individuals were able to retract the source back into the camera by cutting the guide tube which allowed enough space to pull the source back through the crimp. Before performing the source retrieval, all three individuals moved their dosimetry to their wrist watches to account for accurate doses to the extremities. The dosimetry badges were sent to Landauer for emergency processing. The badges showed the individuals involved received whole body doses of 63.577 rem (635.77 mSv), 10.439 rem (104.39 mSv), and 2.608 rem (26.08 mSv) to the extremities. The whole-body doses obtained from the direct read dosimeters worn on the chest were 2.519 rem (25.19 mSv), 2.178 rem (21.78 mSv), and 0.798 rem (7.98 mSv). All three individuals involved were removed from radiography operations for the remainder of the calendar year. Corrective actions by the licensee included the modification of procedures and personnel retraining; ensuring that the magnetic stand is rated for the weight placed on it; ensuring the stand surface is free of debris and rust; and applying stress to the stand to determine the breaking point. The highest extremity dose received exceeds the U.S. statutory limit of 50 rem (500 mSv). NRC EN54813
EPZ, the operator of the Borssele nuclear power plant, has long claimed that it recycles "95 percent" of its nuclear fuel, and that only "5 percent" remains as nuclear waste. Following a complaint by Laka, the Board of Appeals of the Dutch Advertising Authority, ruled yesterday that these are misleading environmental advertisement claims. In its […]
(Nederlandse versie) On Sunday, September 11, the Mikhail Dudin arrives in the port of Rotterdam; a ship carrying Russian uranium. There it will be transferred to trucks that will then transport it across the Netherlands on Monday to Lingen, Germany, where the uranium will be processed into fuel rods. This was announced this morning by […]
(Nederlandse versie) Laka sometimes gets the question that if nuclear power plants in France can be used flexibly, can nuclear power not be used as a intermittent source of electricity, complementing wind and solar? The short answer then is, that if nuclear power plants can be used flexibly, it does not mean that in France […]
New brochure focusing on the uranium enrichment consortium Urenco. The Treaty of Almelo was signed on 4 March 1970 ‒ an agreement between the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and West Germany on setting up a company with the aim of enriching uranium: Urenco. The origin of uranium enrichment is military and until then enrichment was […]
Despite its triumphant press release of the contrary, two years ago, NRG, the operator of the High Flux Reactor in the Netherlands, this week confirmed Laka’s suspicion that NRG is still using weapons-grade highly enriched uranium in its reactor. Therefore, the Netherlands is currently in breach of its agreement with Obama, reached at the Nuclear […]
