Product Description

General Electric Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) recirculation pumps circulated primary coolant through the reactor pressure vessel at high temperature and pressure. According to publicly filed asbestos litigation records, the shaft-seal and gland packing sections of these pumps allegedly contained braided asbestos packing rings and asbestos-fiber sealing components engineered to withstand the elevated temperatures inside the drywell. Replacement packing sets allegedly shed respirable asbestos fibers when workers unpacked, cut to length, seated, and later removed spent rings during outage maintenance.

Workers Exposed

Nuclear plant mechanics, pipefitters/steamfitters, and maintenance electricians allegedly worked directly on GE BWR recirculation pump seal replacements during refueling outages. Nuclear plant operators and refueling outage contractors allegedly encountered the same packing dust when supporting mechanical work inside the drywell. Health physicists and chemistry technicians allegedly entered the same spaces during radiological surveys.