NRC Schedules Virtual Meeting to Discuss Performance of Framatome Facility
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will discuss the results of a performance review for the Framatome nuclear fuel fabrication facility in Richland, Wash., during a virtual meeting scheduled for April 7.
The session will be held from 4-5:30 p.m. Eastern Time (1-2:30 p.m. Pacific Time) with NRC officials from the Region II office in Atlanta and the agency’s headquarters in Rockville, Md., as well as Framatome officials at the facility in Richland. The meeting will be accessible to the public and media via Skype and NRC officials will be available following the formal portion of the meeting to answer questions. For individuals without access to Skype, a telephone conference number will be available.
The NRC staff assessed performance of the Framatome facility in Richland during the period beginning Jan. 1, 2018, and ending Dec. 31, 2019, in safety operations, safeguards, radiological controls, facility support and other areas. Although the safeguards area was assessed, that information is not publicly available due to its sensitive nature. The NRC staff review determined that Framatome continued to conduct its activities safely and securely, protecting public health and the environment.
The review found that no program area needed improvement, which means the NRC will continue its normal inspection program for such facilities. The NRC does not have resident inspectors at the Richland facility. Facility inspectors from the agency’s Atlanta regional office conduct periodic inspections of various aspects of the operation.
A copy of the NRC letter to the company regarding the performance review is publicly available on the NRC website.
For virtual meeting access or telephone call-in information, please contact either Richard Gibson Jr., at 404-997-4718 (email: Richard.gibson@nrc.gov) or Gregory Goff at 404-997-4744 (email: Gregory.goff@nrc.gov).
