ML20133F349

Press Release II-97-07, NRC Staff Issues Order Prohibiting Involvement in NRC-Licensed Activities to Former Head of Industrial Process Co in Fajardo,Puerto Rico

ML20133F349
Person / Time
Issue date:	01/13/1997
From:	NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II)
To:
References
PR-II-97-007, PR-II-97-7, NUDOCS 9701140154
Download: ML20133F349 (1)

Text

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! UNITED STATES l NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION l OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION II

, 101 Marietta St., Suite 2900, Atlanta, GA 30323 I Tel. 404-331-5503 or 7878 i No.: II-97-07 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE l Contacts: Ken Clark 404-331-5503 (Monday, January 13, 1997) l Roger Hannah 404-331-7878 '

! I NRC STAFF ISSUES ORDER PROHIBITING INVOLVEMENT IN NRC-LICENSED ACTIVITIES TO FORMER HEAD OF INDUSTRIAL l PROCESS COMPANY IN FAJARDO, PUERTO RICO The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has issued a '

l Confirmatory Order to the former president of National Circuits Caribe, Inc. (NCCI), in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, prohibiting him from involvement in NRC-licensed activities for a five-year period.

The order prohibits John Maas, who was president of NCCI before it went out of business, from becoming involved in any NRC-licensed activities for five years and requires him to notify the NRC if he engages in such activity within a period of five years from the time the prohibition expires. The order confirms an earlier commitment by Mr. Maas to comply with its provisions.

NCCI possessed and used radioactive materials at its Fajardo facility under the authority of a general license issued by the NRC.

The company used radioactive material contained in devices designed and manufactured for the purpose of gauging and controlling thickness of materiala during industrial processes.

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico notified the NRC in &tne of 1993 of the discovery of radioactive sources on property leased from the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Corporation by NCCI. NRC inspectors confirmed that five radioactive sources containing microcurie amounts of thallium-204 or promethium-147 were at the site and that they had been abandoned there in 1991.

The NRC's Office of Investigations determined that the gauges were deliberately abandoned by the company in 1991 with the knowledge of its president, Mr. Maas. NRC officials said that, as president of NCCI, he was responsible for ensuring that the company conduct operations in accordance with its NRC license requirements.

l 9701140154 970113 PDR PRESS R RC-II-97-OO7 PDR

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