East Tennessee plant that processes radioactive nuclear fuel 'safe' after Helene floods

The high-security Nuclear Fuel Services facility located 0.2 mile from the Nolichucky River in Erwin, Tennessee, announced it was in "safe and stable condition" following widespread flooding caused by Hurricane Helene.

Nuclear Fuel Services, a subsidiary of BWX Technologies, processes highly enriched uranium for naval nuclear reactors and power plants at this facility, located 30 feet above the Nolichucky River − the same river whose floodwaters devastated an industrial park closer to the banks on Sept. 27.

Nuclear Fuel Services "sustained only minor impact," according to a Sept. 28 news release .

The company suspended operations Sept. 27 so employees could get home safely and so that staff could secure the plant. The company does not yet know when operations could resume, spokesperson Chris Dumond told Knox News via email.

"The plant is in a safe and stable condition, so employee safety and community recovery is our priority and we will schedule our restart accordingly," Dumond said. "We do not anticipate any significant or long-term supply chain concerns."

Managers at the plant secured the highly enriched uranium as they checked forecasts ahead of the storm, Dumond said. The Nuclear Fuel Services plant in Erwin is one of only two sites licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to store and process radioactive highly enriched uranium.

While plant operations are suspended, Nuclear Fuel Services said in a news release, "site conditions pose no risk to the public or the environment." Several employees lost property, and the company said it is working with local agencies to provide them support.

"Our primary focus is the safety and security of the site, and the well-being of our employees and community," said Ronald K. Dalley, president of Nuclear Fuel Services. "Our community has been hit hard, and we are working with local response leaders to allow focus on area recovery as a priority."

Nuclear Fuel Services works with TVA, Y-12

In 2018, Nuclear Fuel Services was awarded a $505 million contract to convert more than 20 tons of highly enriched uranium to low enriched uranium for use in the Tennessee Valley Authority's nuclear power plants .

The plant also was awarded a contract from the National Nuclear Security Administration to prove it could convert uranium oxide to purified uranium metal, a capability formerly unique to the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge .

The NNSA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Energy that owns Y-12 , stewards the nation's stockpile of nuclear weapons and highly enriched uranium. It off-loaded the conversion work to Nuclear Fuel Services through a $428 million contract in 2023 as a "bridging strategy" while Y-12 modernizes its technology.

In August, Nuclear Fuel Services received another contract from the NNSA to study options for a centrifuge pilot plant to enrich uranium for national security uses, including naval reactors. The U.S. stopped enriching uranium for defense at the end of the Cold War, and the NNSA wants to restart it.

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Nuclear Fuel Service plant contaminated groundwater

In 2007, the NRC unsealed documents related to the Erwin plant it had kept secret for national security reasons, which included a report of a spill of highly enriched uranium in 2006. No one was injured in the incident, though it could have been lethal, an NRC report said.

Some parts of the Erwin site "have become contaminated with radioactive material and chemicals," including groundwater, according to the NRC. There is no evidence of groundwater contamination reaching the Nolichucky River, and Nuclear Fuel Services has taken steps to reduce the concentration of radioactive materials, according to the NRC .

Daniel Dassow is a growth and development reporter focused on technology and energy. Phone 423-637-0878. Email daniel.dassow@knoxnews.com .

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: East Tennessee plant that processes radioactive nuclear fuel 'safe' after Helene floods