An emergency happened at the Ural Electrochemical Plant (UEIP) – a depressurized cylinder with depleted uranium hexafluoride occurred, one person was injured. This was announced today, July 14, by the press service of the enterprise.
“On July 14 at 09.13 (7.13 Moscow time) in shop 53 of UEIP, a cylinder with depleted uranium hexafluoride with a volume of 1 cubic meter was depressurized. One victim,” the statement said.
The workshop personnel was evacuated, sanitization is being carried out at the place of emergency. The radiation situation at the enterprise and beyond is normal, there is no danger to the residents of Novouralsk and the personnel of the plant, the press service added. It is emphasized that the situation is local in nature and limited to the territory of the production site.
About UEIP is the world’s largest enterprise for the enrichment of uranium supplied to meet the nuclear fuel needs of nuclear power plants and other nuclear power plants, which is part of Rosatom. UEIP has 48% of Russia’s separation capacities.
Depleted uranium hexafluoride (DUHF, uranium tails) is a by-product of processing uranium hexafluoride into enriched uranium, one of the forms of depleted uranium (up to 73-75%), 1.7 times less radioactive than uranium hexafluoride and natural uranium. At a temperature below 64.1 °C and a pressure of 1.5 atmospheres, solid DUHF passes into a gaseous form.
2023-07-14 07:39:00
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