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	NRC NEWS U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION III 801 Warrenville Road, Lisle IL 60532
	CONTACT:	Jan Strasma (630) 829-9663/e-mail: rjs2@nrc.gov
		Angela Greenman (630) 829-9662/e-mail: opa3@nrc.gov

NEWS ANNOUNCEMENT: RIII-99-07

March 11, 1999

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has proposed a $2,500 fine against DMS Imaging, Inc., of Bemidji, Minnesota, for deliberately violating NRC requirements for monitoring employee radiation exposure and for providing inaccurate information during a subsequent NRC investigation.

The company is licensed by the NRC to perform diagnostic medical procedures using small quantities of radioactive pharmaceuticals.

The NRC requires that persons handling radioactive materials have appropriate radiation personnel radiation monitoring devices to measure their radiation exposure.

An NRC inspection in August 1996 and subsequent investigations, completed in November of last year, identified two violations of NRC requirements:

-- In August 1996 a new nuclear medicine technologist had prepared radiopharmaceuticals, injected patients with the drugs, and performed diagnostic medical scans without having been given the required radiation monitoring devices.

-- Two employees, including the technologist, subsequently provided inaccurate information to an NRC investigator in December 1996, stating that the technologist did not handle the radiopharmaceuticals.

The $2,500 fine was proposed for these two violations.

The investigation also determined that a supervisor deliberately allowed the technologist to perform nuclear medicine activities without the required monitoring devices and that he instructed the two employees to tell an NRC investigator that the technologist had not handled radiopharmaceuticals prior to being given the monitoring devices.

The NRC staff issued a Notice of Violation to the supervisor. In addition, he was issued a Demand for Information, requiring him to respond to the agency as to why he should not be removed from future NRC-licensed activities. His response to the Notice of Violation and the Demand for Information will be used by the NRC to determine if further enforcement action should be taken.

DMS Imaging has until March 26 to respond to the proposed fine, either paying it or protesting it. If the fine is subsequently imposed by the NRC staff, the company may request a hearing.

The supervisor also has until March 26 to submit his response.