Fire Protection for Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) administers a fire protection program for fuel cycle facilities, which handle the following stages of the nuclear fuel cycle:

• Conversion of yellowcake into uranium hexafluoride (UF₆)
• Enrichment to increase the concentration of uranium-235 (U²³⁵) in UF₆
• Fuel fabrication to convert enriched UF₆ into nuclear reactor fuel, which is a combination of uranium and plutonium oxides

The principal risk to health and safety at these facilities is the release and dispersal of hazardous chemicals and radioactive material as a result of a fire or explosion. To mitigate that risk, a fire protection program for nuclear fuel cycle facilities has the following primary purposes:

• Prevent, detect, extinguish, limit, or control fires and explosions.
• Prevent releases that might expose the general public to hazardous chemicals and radioactive material.
• Protect facility workers from occupational exposure.
• Shield the facility against fire-induced criticality events and losses of confinement.

The NRC's Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) administers the agency's Fire Protection Program for Fuel Cycle Facilities through a combination of regulations, guidance, and related licensing and oversight activities (including reliability assessments and modeling).