NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION: NRC to Hold Meeting to Discuss Performance of Honeywell Metropolis Facility

Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued the following announcement on April 23.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will hold a public meeting on May 3 to discuss the results of its regulatory safety performance review of the Honeywell uranium conversion plant in Metropolis, Ill., and future inspection plans for the facility.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., in the Metropolis Community Center, 900 West 10th Street in Metropolis. The meeting is open to the public and the media, and NRC officials will be available after the formal presentations to answer questions.

The NRC staff assessed performance of the Honeywell facility from Jan. 1, 2016, through Dec. 31, 2017, in safety operations, safeguards, radiological controls, facility support and other areas.

The NRC staff review determined that the company continued to conduct its activities safely and securely, protecting public health and the environment. The review found that none of the program areas needed improvement, which would usually mean the NRC continuing its normal inspection program for such facilities.

However, in November 2017, Honeywell announced it was temporarily suspending uranium conversion activities but keeping the facility in a “ready-idle” status with a reduction of material on site.

The NRC has concluded that those changes mean the Honeywell facility will be subject to an adjusted inspection schedule to better reflect the applicable activities and hazards during the period.

Original source can be found here.