Westinghouse is partnering with Hopkins Middle School to educate students in the AVID program. AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination and is a rigorous college prep program designed for students who excel in reading and math. Engineers from Westinghouse educated students on 3D printing, operating a flight simulator, and discussing future plans on careers in science and technology.
On April 1, 2025, a CFFF employee who was exiting from an adjacent work area, was sprayed with ammoniated water from a leaking chemical hose associated with plant cooling equipment. The employee proceeded to a nearby safety shower, and site emergency personnel responded. The employee was transported to an offsite medical facility and was admitted for further evaluation. The CFFF Site Emergency Brigade performed cleanup of the ammoniated water. No material entered the storm drain system, and engineering calculations confirmed the leak was less than a reportable quantity of ammonia. The event did not involve special nuclear material or radioactive contamination, and the plant remained in a safe condition at all times.
CFFF was honored to serve as a judge for Gadsden Elementary School’s Black History program. The program consisted of each grade level showcasing their talents and knowledge about prominent figures in Black history. The students were judged on their performance, costumes, and creativity.
Westinghouse CFFF hosted its first Community Meet & Greet. This successful event drew members of the site and community to learn more about Westinghouse. Employees shared information about the current facility, LEU+, Environmental Impacts, and Community Engagement. Community members were informed and were able to ask questions for better knowledge and understanding about the site.
CFFF was thrilled to be a sponsor in the South Carolina Championship VEX Robotics Competition. This event supports both middle and high school students by supporting STEM education. There were 32 middle school teams and 40 high school teams from all over the state of South Carolina that participated, showcasing their skills and talents on building robots.
The Columbia chapter of Women in Nuclear (WIN) participated in the University of South Carolina’s Daughter Date Night at the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing building, which was led by the Civil Engineering department. The Columbia Women In Nuclear (WIN) Chapter was in attendance and helped with the young ladies by going from table to table offering support on the project for the evening, which was building bridges.
Westinghouse CFFF was in attendance at the IMARA Foundation’s 25 Anniversary Celebration at Segra Park in Columbia, SC. Westinghouse served as a sponsor for one of the scholarships presented to a local college student and also won the 2025 Corporate Sponsor Award.
Westinghouse CFFF was a sponsor for the American Heart Association’s 2025 Midlands Heart Ball held in Columbia, SC. The event was held at the University of South Carolina’s Alumni Center and was attended by individuals that are passionate about educating and offering assistance to those that have been affected by heart disease. CFFF was honored to have Terrance Speights, who is a survivor of a double bypass in 2024. He and his wife, Stella were thrilled to be in attendance and share their testimony with others at the event.
Westinghouse participated in a public outreach event to support International Women’s Day at EdVenture Children’s Museum at Columbia. The goal of this first-ever International Women’s Day Celebration at EdVenture was to showcase prominent females working in STEM and inspire more girls getting into STEM. The group led the visitors to build electroscopes and make an atom using pipe cleaners and beads. The kids were very excited to see the balloon make the aluminum leaves fly after rubbing against their hair. They also got to make atoms and proudly wore the atom they made on a Westinghouse Lanyard.
On Friday Dec. 13, 2024, a PVC pipe used in one of our manufacturing processes was found in a deformed condition. Operations stopped the process and notified management. The importance of the pipe to the safety of this process required Westinghouse to report the condition to the U.S. NRC within 24 hours of discovery. An initial investigation found that steam had deformed the pipe. No injuries occurred, and the plant remained in a safe condition at all times. There were other redundant controls in place that would have performed properly if an upset condition had occurred. The condition has been corrected and operations have resumed. Given the nature of the issue, no other local, state or federal agencies had to be notified. We expect the event report to be made publicly available on the NRC web page as EN57472.
