[1] NFS's original facility was based in Ashford, New York from 1964 to 1972, a site now known as the West Valley Demonstration Project.
Known as downblending, the proprietary NFS process is currently being used to convert about 40 metric tons of highly enriched uranium (HEU) into fuel material for the Tennessee Valley Authority.
In 2007, the company was also awarded a contract by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration to convert 17.4 metric tons of HEU into material for America's Reliable Fuel Supply Program.
The company's downblending is also an important resource for the round up of other nuclear materials around the world to reduce the chance of proliferation by rogue nations or terrorists.
In other words, no system protections were in place to prevent a solution leak from entering the bottom of an elevator shaft in the plant.