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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. 96-108 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Thursday, August 1, 1996)
NRC, OSHA SIGN AGREEMENT ON WORKER PROTECTION
AT URANIUM ENRICHMENT PLANTS
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA) of the U.S. Department of Labor have
agreed on a coordinated worker protection effort at the two gaseous
diffusion plants near Piketon, Ohio, and Paducah, Kentucky.
The USEC Privatization Act requires the two agencies to enter into
such an agreement.
U.S. Enrichment Corporation (USEC) operates the plants under a
lease from the Department of Energy (DOE), the owner and former operator.
The plants use a gaseous diffusion process to enrich uranium hexaflouride
gas in the uranium-235 isotope, so that the material can be used as
nuclear fuel in civilian nuclear power plants.
The Energy Policy Act of 1992, which established USEC, also
required the NRC to set up a process for certifying that the enrichment
plants are operated in a way that ensures protection of public health and
safety. The act also made the operator of the plants subject to the
Occupational Safety and Health Act, which OSHA administers.
NRC is currently reviewing USEC's applications for certification.
DOE will continue to regulate the plants until the NRC assumes
jurisdiction following a planned 120-day transition period after NRC's
initial certification.
Under the NRC-OSHA agreement, the NRC will apply its standards to
working conditions involving radiological hazards, while OSHA will apply
its standards to conditions involving non-radiological hazards. Both
agencies will apply their standards to conditions involving a combination
of hazards (for example, if there are both radioactive materials and
other hazardous chemicals in the same work area).
The agreement specifies how NRC and OSHA will coordinate their
efforts--in areas such as inspections, issuance of citations, enforcement
actions and response to worker safety or health complaints--to avoid
duplication of effort and eliminate gaps in coverage.
If NRC or OSHA identifies a conflict between the two agencies'
requirements--or if USEC perceives a conflict--both agencies will work
together to resolve the issue promptly.
James M. Taylor, Executive Director for Operations, NRC, and Joseph
A. Dear, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health,
signed the agreement for their respective agencies.
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