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NRC NEWS
U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION II
101 Marietta St., Suite 2900, Atlanta, GA 30323 | | CONTACT: |
Ken Clark (Phone: 404-331-5503, E-mail: kmc2@nrc.gov ) |
| Roger Hannah (Phone 404-331-7878, E-mail: rdh1@nrc.gov ) |
No. II-96-62 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Ken Clark 404-331-5503 (Wednesday, July 17, 1996)
Roger Hannah 404-331-7878
NRC STAFF PROPOSES $15,000 IN CIVIL
PENALTIES AGAINST COMPANY IN PUERTO RICO
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has proposed a total of
$15,000 in civil penalties against NDT Services, Inc. (NDTS) of Caguas,
Puerto Rico for violations of NRC requirements related to the use of
radiography equipment at an oil refinery in September 1993. The NRC
staff believes the time elapsed since the incident did not affect or
modify the enforcement action.
The violations involved the failure of the company to use people
who were trained and qualified as radiographers under its NRC license.
This lack of training contributed to a situation in September 1993 where
the radioactive source in the radiographic device could not be returned
to its shielded position. There was no overexposure, but the refinery
had to be evacuated for several hours and the incident raised
significant regulatory concerns.
The company's Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) at that time also
failed to provide complete and accurate information to the NRC during
the course of the inspection. In the letter to the company, NRC
official Hugh Thompson writes that "the former RSO provided an NRC
inspector with written certification of the qualifications of the two
contract radiographers, dated September 3, 1993, which was falsified
following the September 4, 1993 event."
The former RSO also told an NRC inspector that he had demonstrated
the safe use of the equipment prior to the incident. The NRC also
obtained information that the former NDTS president attempted to
generate a false training record for the radiographers involved.
Both the former RSO and former president are no longer employed by
NDTS and they have received NRC Orders prohibiting them from engaging in
NRC-licensed activities for a period of five years. In addition, the
company retained an outside firm to audit its radiation safety program
after the incident and subsequent inspections have noted significant
improvement in regulatory compliance and safety.
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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