Safety issues keep nuclear processing work on hold at NFS

UPDATE 02/26/10 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a meeting this Tuesday to discuss the incident that caused NFS to temporarily shut down nuclear processing operations. For more information, click here.
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All Nuclear Fuel Services employees are back at work this week in Erwin, three weeks after the company shut down several nuclear processing operations. Yet, that work remains at a standstill.

As we've reported: late last year, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) began an inspection of NFS in response to two incidents in the nuclear professing area.

That probe prompted NFS to shut down nuclear processing work indefinitely, until the NRC finishes its investigation.

An NRC spokesperson says the feds are examining the company's failure to properly focus on safety. 11 connects is also investigating that safety record.

Our Melissa Hipolit sat down with a former NFS employee who says she was fired from the company for blowing the whistle.

Five months removed from her time working for Nuclear Fuel Services, Karen Brackett's experiences there still haunt her.

“It was just crazy the things that go on there because they're so afraid of losing their jobs,” said Brackett.

The former NFS employee began work there in January of 2009 and from day one says she noticed safety issues in the company's naval fuel area. Issues like broken container doors used as a barrier for radiological material.

“It's so bad, it's beyond words. I was afraid of handles falling off and it falling of hinges,” said Brackett.

When she asked a senior operator why the problem had not been reported, “he just said, you could lose your job, people lose their jobs for reporting less than that,” said Brackett.

And she says it was not just broken doors her co-workers were afraid to report.

“I saw accidents happen where fellow work associates...a piece of equipment would wear out while they were using it, and they were afraid to report it,” said Brackett.

Those concerns and others led Brackett to contact the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. A week later, she says NFS fired her for what they called "not being a team player."

“It's terrifying, really terrifying...I was scared to death,” said Brackett.

Whistleblower protection laws prohibit NFS from talking about Brackett's claims, but NFS spokesperson Lauri Turpin says all operations are safe.

“I can't speculate or comment on what someone may claim, but I can tell you that our facilities are safe, our facilities are within regulatory requirements,” said Turpin.

Yet, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission began what they call an Augmented Inspection of NFS after two incidents last fall. One event involved an unexpected chemical reaction that warped some plastic piping.

The other event involved a small fire that broke out when an operator began the first step in processing some nuclear material.

“In both of the incidents there were no releases, no injuries. Our operators performed very well, according to their training, so there was no harm,” said Turpin.

But patience wore thin for officers with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Over the past few years, NRC spokesman Roger Hannah says it raised safety concerns with NFS on multiple occasions.

“There was a continuing pattern of what we didn't see as the proper focus on safety,” said Hannah.

Specifically, the NRC says NFS took a band-aid approach to fixing problems.

“It was not the corporate philosophy when there was an issue to go find what caused that issue, address the root causes, make sure they put corrective actions in place so it didn't happen again,” said Hannah.

If NFS had not volunteered for a temporary shut down, the NRC says it probably would have ordered them to shut down, the situation was that bad.

“There were enough issues that we probably would've issued a shut down order if they had not agreed to voluntarily shut the process lines down,” said Hannah.

That agreement can be found in a letter sent to NFS by the NRC. The letter highlights what NFS must do before starting up again, actions like bringing in a third party inspection team to make safety recommendations.

“Our first concern is safety, we're not on a specific timetable in regards to the material,” said Turpin.

The NRC will make the final decision if, and when, NFS can go online based on changes to the plant's safety culture.

“So that all employees and all managers at the plant would understand what they were supposed to do, would have a questioning attitude,” said Hannah.

A culture Brackett knows all too well.

“People who've worked there 20 and 30 years…you lose the perspective I guess of what can happen and that becomes a very dangerous situation,” said Brackett.

Brackett officially opened her whistleblowing case through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration this month. She says she doesn't want to see NFS shut down, she just wants it made safer.

The NRC will hold a public meeting at the Erwin Town Hall on March 2nd to talk about its inspection of the October event.

Another meeting to discuss NFS’ current status will take place, but no date has been set. There is no word yet on when n-f-s can start processing nuclear material again.

Karen Brackett worked for WJHL in the late 1990s in our production department. Also of note, she is running for a seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives.

For a full video report, click play above.