Coverup at French Nuclear Supplier Sparks Global Review
Source: The Wall Street Journal.
Coverup at French Nuclear Supplier Sparks Global Review
Inspectors say Areva units files suggest manufacturing flaws in critical parts were covered up for decades
By Matthew Dalton and Inti Landauro in Paris and Rebecca Smith in San Francisco
Matthew.Dalton@wsj.com
http://twitter.com/DJMatthewDalton
Inti.Landauro@dowjones.com
http://twitter.com/landauro
rebecca.smith@wsj.com
Dec. 13, 2016 5:30 a.m. ET
Inspectors from the U.S. and other countries are investigating a decadeslong coverup of manufacturing problems at a key supplier to the nuclear power industry, probing whether flaws introduced in a French factory represent a safety threat to reactors world-wide. ... Inspectors from the U.S., China and four other nations visited Areva SAs Le Creusot Forge in central France earlier this month to examine the plants quality controls and comb through its internal records.
A string of discoveries triggered the newly expanded review: First, French investigators said they found steel components made at Le Creusot and used in nuclear-power plants across France had excess carbon levels, making them more vulnerable to rupture. Then, the investigators discovered files suggesting Le Creusot employees for decades had concealed manufacturing problems involving hundreds of components sold to customers around the world.
The disclosure of flaws covered up by Le Creusot led to two reactor shutdowns this summer in France, and in September authorities ordered Areva to check 6,000 manufacturing files by hand, covering every nuclear part made at Le Creusot since the 1960s. ... Im concerned that there keep being more and more problems unveiled, said Kerri Kavanagh, who leads the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissions unit inspecting Le Creusot. Regulators are considering returning to Le Creusot or inspecting Arevas Lynchburg, Va., offices to deepen their probe of the plant, a U.S. official said.
On Wednesday, Paris prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation into whether Le Creusots activities were fraudulent and dangerous, according to a spokeswoman for prosecutors. ... What we see now at Le Creusot is clearly unacceptable, said Julien Collet, assistant general manager at Frances Nuclear Safety Authority.
Read more: http://www.wsj.com/articles/problems-at-nuclear-components-supplier-spark-global-reviews-1481625005
Title in print edition, on page B1: "Probe Points to Nuclear Coverup."
Babcock and Wilcox used to be in Lynchburg. They must have been taken over by Areva.
Full disclosure: I am not opposed to nuclear power. This is LBN, so I don't pull any punches.