The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's most recent round of inspections at the U.S. Energy Department's mixed oxide fuel facility yielded no violations or criticisms, according to a copy of the quarterly report released today.
The $4.8 billion MOX facility, scheduled to open at Savannah River Site in 2016, is designed to dispose of 34 metric tons of surplus weapons-grade plutonium by using small amounts to make fuel for commercial reactors.
Inspections conducted from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31 evaluated construction of principal structures and included quality assurance activities related to design verification and documentation control; structural steel and support activities; structural concrete activities; and geotechnical foundation activities, the report said.
"Based on the results of this inspection, no violations or deviations were identified."
During the NRC's previous quarterly inspection, which covered the period from July 1 to Sept. 30, inspectors found four minor procedural violations at the site that have since been corrected.
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