NRC: News Release - Region II - 2003-048 - NRC Fines NFS $60,000 for Violations of Nuclear Material Control and Accountability Requirements

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NRC NEWS
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs, Region II
61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303
www.nrc.gov

No. II-03-048		October 20, 2003
CONTACT:	Ken Clark (404) 562-4416 Roger D. Hannah (404) 562-4417	E-mail: opa2@nrc.gov
NRC FINES NFS $60,000 FOR VIOLATIONS OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL CONTROL AND ACCOUNTABILITY REQUIREMENTS Printable Version
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.