"When it comes to safety, I know there are no small details."
Michelle
Chemical Safety Analyst
"I always keep things on the right track."
Clifton
Transportation and Waste Management Engineer
"Testing the water is my profession — and my passion."
Greg
Environmental Scientist
"After 32 years here, I can say there's no place like home."
Hitomi
Executive Administrative Assistant
"You can count on me to keep things safe and sound."
Kojac
Assistant Chief, Fire Brigade
and Training Specialist
NFS employees have a proud history of serving our nation. In 2010, over 100 NFS employees had served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine forces.
"It's not just a job. It's my personal mission."
Allison
Production Operator
"Protecting NFS and the community is serious business. I'm up to the challenge."
Andy
NFS Tactical Response Force
"To me, there's no such thing as good enough."
Rachel
Research & Development Chemist
It's no wonder they call Unicoi County "Valley Beautiful."
NFS employees are proud of their role in fueling freedom through the US Navy.
NFS employees are committed to protecting the Nolichucky River.
NFS is the sole provider of fuel for the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.
NFS maintains a multi-layered, robust security and cyber-security posture to ensure the protection of the facility and the surrounding area.

HEU to LEU Conversion (Downblending)

A significant tool in America's non-proliferation effort, NFS' patented HEU-to-LEU conversion technology is now considered the best available technology for eliminating HEU as a potential target of terrorists when compared to long-term storage in a government-owned facility or burial.

The process was envisioned at the end of the Cold War by NFS and was brought to life through an historic project for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in the late 1990s. Termed the Blended Low Enriched Uranium (BLEU) Project, its successful completion saves $500 million to American taxpayers when compared to disposal of the HEU alone. The U.S. government deeded the HEU to TVA for conversion into LEU fuel material for its commercial reactors, also saving TVA rate payers significant dollars when compared to purchasing conventional reactor fuel.

The value added in the uranium enrichment process originally used to manufacture the surplus HEU is enormous. Rather than bury this investment, the project has converted 33 metric tons of the material into 1.2 million pounds of useful LEU to produce electrical power. TVA saved millions of dollars on the purchase of LEU fuel by "reusing" existing stockpiles of HEU rather than purchasing new LEU fuel material that has been enriched from natural uranium by conventional methods for its commercial reactors. The project helped TVA to maintain some of the lowest electrical power rates in the nation for its ratepayers.

The project has provided an amount of electrical power for U.S. households and businesses as 800,000 rail car loads of coal that would be burned in coal-fired power generation facilities. The environmental and natural resource "savings" are enormous.

For the region, the BLEU Project represents a $150 million investment. The two facilities required for the project maintains a workforce of about 130. Most of the jobs have annual salaries in excess of $35,000.

The "downblending" process is also utilized for other client projects to provide LEU material for use in commercial reactors or as a strategic reserve of fuel for America.