NRC Honeywell UF6 Leak Inspection Report To Be Released Next Month

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s special inspection report regarding a uranium hexafluoride leak at the Honeywell Metropolis Works in Illinois is expected to be completed by mid-October, a NRC spokesperson said yesterday. The uranium ore conversion facility returned to full operations last month following the company investigation into the leak that occurred earlier in August. The inquiry revealed that 12.04 pounds of UF6 were released as a result of the leak, which was caused by overpressurization of a system that was undergoing maintenance at the time, according to the company. “The plant has undertaken a number of immediate corrective actions to prevent such an incident in the future and has reviewed these with the NRC,” Honeywell said in a release late last month. “The company is committed to the safe operation of the plant and is continuing to review the incident and make improvements to the operations and its response as needed.”