NRC to Meet with Fansteel Inc. on Reprocessing Residual Material at Muskogee Plant

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NRC NEWS U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION IV 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400, Arlington TX 76011

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RIV: 99-22
May 25, 1999

CONTACT:

Breck Henderson (817) 860-8128/e-mail: bwh@nrc.gov

 

NRC TO MEET WITH FANSTEEL INC. ON REPROCESSING RESIDUAL MATERIAL AT MUSKOGEE PLANT

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with officials of Fansteel, Inc. Thursday, May 27 to discuss the company's readiness to begin reprocessing residual material at its site in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

The meeting will be held at Fansteel offices located at Number Ten Tantalum Place, Muskogee, at 4:30 p.m., and will be open for public observation. NRC officials will be available afterward to talk with reporters or members of the public.

Fansteel plans to extract radioactive materials and rare earth metals from residue left over from prior operations at the Muskogee site. The company was previously authorized to process ore and extract rare earth metals including tantalum, niobium and scandium, which are used in industrial products such as semiconductors. The new process to be applied to the residue requires the use of hazardous chemicals. The NRC is responsible for approving Fansteel's plans and monitoring the process for radiation safety.

Representatives of the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration, Muskogee County, and the City of Muskogee have been invited to attend.