The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
staff has proposed a $60,000 fine against Nuclear Fuel Services (NFS) for violations
of NRC requirements related to the control and accountability of nuclear material
at the company's nuclear fuel cycle facility in Erwin, Tennessee.
In a letter to the company, Luis Reyes, Administrator of the NRC Region II office
in Atlanta, said that after several NRC inspections and investigations, the
agency determined that the company could not account for a substantial amount
of nuclear material for a period of about six weeks in June 2001. The material
was later located in a secure storage vault so there were no radiological consequences
for workers or members of the public. However, Reyes said that the NRC considers
the violations related to this event a significant breakdown in the NFS system
to control licensed nuclear material. He also said that while there were no
actual consequences, the event’s potential consequences were significant.
The NRC is satisfied that the company has now taken appropriate corrective
actions, but the agency determined that the promptness of the actions was
not commensurate with the seriousness of the violations. The NRC also concluded
that the initial NFS review of the event was less than adequate. Based on
these determinations and the fact that NFS has been subject to escalated enforcement
in the past two years, the NRC has doubled the $30,000 base civil penalty
for violations of this type.
The company has 30 days from receipt of the letter to either pay the civil
penalty or to protest its imposition.
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