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RIV: 97-68 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 10, 1997
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has proposed a $2,750 fine against Frontier Production Logging, Inc., of Cody, Wyoming, for violations of radiation safety requirements.
The six violations cited were discussed by NRC and Frontier officials at a predecisional enforcement conference on August 4. Frontier is a small company licensed by the NRC to use radioactive sources to determine the nature of geologic formations for oil exploration and recovery, a process called well logging.
The violations were found during an NRC inspection conducted on March 19 and 20 of this year. An inspector found that Frontier failed to file the appropriate documentation to obtain NRC approval prior to vacating an authorized radioactive material storage location; failed to conduct work so as to prevent a high radiation dose in an unrestricted area; failed to conduct adequate radiation surveys in unrestricted areas to be certain dose limits were not exceeded; failed to use authorized shipping containers when transporting radioactive materials; failed to check the exterior of incoming packages containing radioactive materials for contamination; and did not properly post areas in which radioactive materials were stored.
In a letter to Frontier president W. Bram Lasseter, NRC Director of the Office of Enforcement James Lieberman said, "Your willful failure to file the appropriate documentation and receive NRC approval prior to vacating an authorized radioactive material storage location is of significant regulatory concern to the NRC. . ."
This violation was classified as Severity Level III on the NRC's four-level scale for which the base civil penalty is $2,750. Level I violations are the most serious. The company has subsequently filed the required papers.
Regarding the remaining five violations, Mr. Merschoff said, "Based on the information you provided at the [August 4] conference, it appears that these violations resulted from your lack of understanding of the regulations. Although none of the violations is significant individually, in total the violations represent a breakdown in the control of your licensed activities."
These five violations together were also classified as a Severity Level III problem, but rather than imposing a fine, the NRC issued a Confirmatory Order Modifying License. This Order requires that Frontier's radiation safety officer attend radiation safety training and that the company to hire an independent auditor to check the company's radiation safety program on two occasions during the coming year. Frontier agreed in advance to these requirements. The NRC did not find that any Frontier workers or others received radiation doses in excess of federal safety limits
Frontier has 30 days to pay the fine or file a protest. If the protest is denied, the company may request a hearing.
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