Nuclear Info Kept From Congress and the Public

Thermite writes "On March 6, 2006 an accident occurred at Nuclear Fuel Services in Erwin, Tennessee. According to reports, almost 9 gallons of highly enriched uranium in solution spilled and nearly went into a chain reaction. Before the accident in 2004, the NRC and The Office of Naval Reactors had changed the terms of the company's license so that any correspondence with Nuclear Fuel Services would be marked 'official use only.' From the article: 'While reviewing the commission's public Web page in 2004, the Department of Energy's Office of Naval Reactors found what it considered protected information about Nuclear Fuel Service's work for the Navy. The commission responded by sealing every document related to Nuclear Fuel Services and BWX Technologies in Lynchburg, Va., the only two companies licensed by the agency to manufacture, possess and store highly enriched uranium.' The result was that the public and Congress were both left in the dark for 13 months regarding this accident and other issues at the facility."

Comments

I remember this episode....

[bladel]

...where Homer falls asleep at the control panel:

FTA:

The leak was discovered when a supervisor saw a yellow liquid ``running into a hallway'' from under a door, according to one document.

Re:I remember this episode....

[gEvil (beta)]

The leak was discovered when a supervisor saw a yellow liquid ``running into a hallway'' from under a door, according to one document.

I can't even tell you how many times this happened at my old place. Damn roommates...

Re:I remember this episode....

[jez9999]

Actually, I think the appropriate quote is from 'Homer at the Bat': :-)

  At the plant...

      Mike Scioscia: [pushing a wheelbarrow of glowing green goop]
      Karl: [pulls up beside him with his own wheelbarrow of glowing green goop]
                    Hey, Scioscia. I don't get it. You're a ringer, but you're here every
                    night in the core, busting your butt hauling radioactive waste.
      Mike Scioscia: Well, Karl, it's such a relief from the pressures of playing
                    big-league ball. I mean, there, you make any kind of mistake, and
                    boom, the press is all over you. [accidentally spills his goop]
                    Uh oh...
      Karl: Ah, don't worry about it.
      Mike Scioscia: Oh man, is this ever sweet...

Re:Oh Please

[jimstapleton]

if its anything like this one, we wouldn't be left in the dark...

We'd glow in it.

Yellow Liquid

[Evil W1zard]

"The leak was discovered when a supervisor saw a yellow liquid ``running into a hallway'' from under a door, according to one document."

Highly Enriched Uranium or Godzilla's Urine?!?!? You be the judge.

Near chain reactions shouldn't be disclosed

[Anonymous Coward]

Only actual chain reactions need be disclosed and the mushroom cloud should serve as public notice. Anything more would be a waste of taxpayer dollars.

Re:Second most serious violation

[ShaunC]

Leaking the uranium was the second most serious violation. Leaking the fact that there had been a uranium leak was the most serious violation...

Re:How do they keep a straight face

[Sans_A_Cause]

The magic depends on how you pronounce the word "nuclear". If you pronounce it "New Cle Ur", it is very frightening and you are likely a mad scientist or hippie liberal. Then it's a black magic word. But, if you pronounce it "New Kuh Ler", you are a down-home, folksy kind of guy and people like you and will believe what you say. Then it becomes a white magic word.

Obligatory

[PPH]

Nothing glowing in the dark to see here. Move along.

Re:Oh Please

[jareds]

"Convicted of a crime I didn't even commit. Hah! Attempted murder? Now honestly, what is that? Do they give a Nobel prize for attempted chemistry?"