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NRC NEWS
U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION |
| Office of Public Affairs |
Telephone: 301/415-8200 |
| Washington, DC 20555-001 |
E-mail: opa@nrc.gov |
No. 96-48 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Wednesday, March 6, 1996)
NRC STAFF PROPOSES $50,000 FINE AGAINST DUKE POWER COMPANY
FOR ALLEGED VIOLATION OF REQUIREMENTS AT OCONEE NUCLEAR PLANT
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has proposed a
$50,000 civil penalty against Duke Power Company for alleged
violation of NRC safety requirements at the Oconee nuclear
power plant near Seneca, South Carolina.
NRC officials said the fine was being proposed because
the company failed to provide adequate procedures to control
fuel assembly movement in the spent fuel pool, resulting in
an irradiated fuel assembly being left withdrawn from its
storage location in the pool during a period from December
14, 1995 through January 8, 1996. The NRC said that,
although the assembly remained shielded under water, it could
have become uncovered during certain accident conditions
requiring the use of water from the spent fuel pool.
In a letter to the company dated March 5, 1996, Stewart
D. Ebneter, administrator of the NRC's Region II office in
Atlanta, said the agency is concerned that the control of
fuel assembly movements continues to be a problem at Oconee.
He said the NRC issued two procedural violations involving
fuel movement at Oconee in August of 1994, one of which
resulted in a $15,000 civil penalty and that the agency is
concerned with repetitive violations in this area.
Ebneter said credit was warranted for the company's
corrective actions which included an in-depth evaluation of
the event, procedural upgrades, management changes and
improvements in training.
The company has 30 days from receipt of the Notice of
Violation to either pay the civil penalty or to protest its
imposition.
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