Facility Safety


NRC Board Denies Hearing on Holtec Planned Storage Facility

While the three judges agreed some of the six petitioners met the qualifications for standing, they concluded the nearly 50 contentions raised were not admissible for an evidentiary hearing, holding that the contentions either were not relevant to the application or did not establish a genuine dispute with aspects of the application.

CSB Asks EPA to Review 1993 HF Study

In a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, the safety board cited two of its recent investigations. CSB conducted public hearings in both at which members of the surrounding communities expressed concern about the adequacy of the risk management strategies for the use of HF and the effectiveness of community notification procedures in the event of a catastrophic release.

AAR Presents 2019 Environmental Excellence Award

Gary Van Tassel II of CSX Transportation and his team made the traditional intermodal facility more efficient by implementing new technology and modernizing site layouts, which allow CSX to operate with a smaller footprint, fewer diesel utility trucks, a transition to electrified cranes, and significantly reduced truck dwell times.

BOP Conducts Test of Cellphone Jamming Technology

Contraband cellphones are a safety and security concern both for the public and for correctional facilities nationwide, according to the bureau, which reported contraband cellphones have been used by incarcerated inmates to run criminal enterprises, distribute child pornography, and facilitate the commission of violent crimes.

Watts Bar Unit 2 Refueling Outage Under Way

Nine hundred TVA and contract employees are working during the outage along with the site's regular staff.

ASHRAE Takes Over Development of Building Water Safety Standard

The proposed ASHRAE Standard 514 will be designated as a safety standard, and the committee will coordinate with SSPC 188, Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems, to ensure there is no conflict or duplication between the two standards.

The Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in Michigan is scheduled to be permanently retired in 2022.

NRC Seeking Locations for Meetings on Decommissioning Plants

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking comments from the public on potential locations for a series of public meetings to discuss best practices for community engagement panels near decommissioning nuclear power plants

CSB Highlights Importance of Following Standards

Incidents cited in the Safety Spotlight document include the BP Texas City refinery explosion and fire, ConAgra Foods and Kleen Energy natural gas explosions, and the Imperial Sugar combustible dust disaster in Georgia in February 2008. Each example discusses standards or guidelines that were developed following the incident.



L&I VPP Seminar Set for March 19

The keynote speaker is Michael Wood, CSP, administrator for Oregon OSHA and a former L&I manager, who will address the challenges of making workplace health and safety a reality through effective leadership, consistent messaging, and safety fundamentals.

Pennsylvania Agency Issued 169 Sanctions to Nursing Homes Last Year

The Pennsylvania Department of Health recently announced the results of its 2018 nursing home inspections, reporting that its surveyors conducted 4,716 surveys at Pennsylvania nursing homes, issued 169 sanctions, and finalized civil penalties totaling more than $2.3 million.

Thermal Fatigue Probable Cause of Enterprise Products Explosion: CSB

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board released its final report on the June 27, 2016, explosion and fire at the Enterprise Products Pascagoula Gas Plant in Pascagoula, Miss., with recommendations to two trade associations to include information on the potential for minor leaks and catastrophic failure of brazed aluminum heat exchangers.

NRC Holding Public Meeting Feb. 13 on Seabrook License Extension

The Massachusetts congressional delegation, U.S. Sens. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Congressman Seth Moulton, had called on the NRC to hear community concerns and address ongoing safety issues before renewing or amending the license for the plant.

Indiana State Senator Seeks to Scrap Child Labor Laws

Sen. Chip Perfect, CEO of a ski resort that employs hundreds of minors, is getting noticed for his bill seeking to remove restrictions on the hours 16- and 17-year-old employees can work.

IAEA Team Completes Safety Review at Two Spanish Nuclear Plants

The 12-member team began its review began Jan. 15, focusing on aspects essential to the safe long-term operation of Units 1 and 2 at Ascó and Unit 2 at Vandellós, which respectively went into commercial operation in 1984, 1986, and 1988.

NAM Urges Congress to Reauthorize CFATS Program

National Association of Manufacturing members operate 2,152 CFATS-regulated facilities in a range of major industrial sectors, from oil and gas to chemicals, mining, agriculture, and electricity. The association says "ensuring regulatory certainty is key."

NRC Sets Hearing, Webinar on Pilgrim Nuclear Plant Decommissioning

The Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. Post-Shutdown Decommissioning Activities Report includes a table showing that the entire period from shutdown of the plant to license termination will last 60 years.

IAEA Releases Nuclear Power Country Profiles Report

Currently, IAEA reports there are 454 operational nuclear power reactors in 30 countries, with 54 other units under construction around the world. Nuclear power provides about 11 percent of the world's electricity and about a third of overall low-carbon electricity.

Coast Guard's 2018 Icebreaking Season Under Way

More than 85 percent of the heating oil used in the country is consumed in the Northeast, and 90 percent of that is delivered by ship on a Coast Guard-maintained waterway.

ASTM F45 Meeting This Week in France

ASTM Committee F45 on Driverless Automatic Guided Industrial Vehicles will hold its eighth bi-annual meeting Dec. 11-12 at Omron Electronics in Annecy-Argonay, France.

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