ML20140H670

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Forwards Press Release 85-78 Re NRC Proposed Fine Against Util for Alleged Violations of Requirements Concerning Unplanned Occupational Radiation Exposures & Failure to Control Contractor Work Forces
ML20140H670
Person / Time
Site: Peach Bottom, Limerick, 05000000
Issue date: 06/03/1985
From: Kammerer C
NRC OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS (OCA)
To: Borski, Goodling, Heinz, Kostmayer, Markey E, Schulze, Simpson, Specter, Udall, Walker
HOUSE OF REP., HOUSE OF REP., ENERGY & COMMERCE, SENATE
Shared Package
ML20140C961 List: ... further results
References
FOIA-85-478 850604, NUDOCS 8510230069
Download: ML20140H670 (3)
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f, e UNITED STATES f , < , y ,; NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 3.~ E WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 j

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    • .=* June 3, 1985 .

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\) >ty - f3 The Honorable Edward J. Markey, Chainnan Subcommittee on Energy Conservation and Power ,

Comittee on Energy and Connerce i United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515

Dear Mr. Chairman:

Enclosed for your information is an announcement that the Nuclear -

Regulatory Commission has cited the Philadelphia Electric Company for alleged violations of NRC requirements at the company's Peach .

Bottom Atomic Power Station in York County, and at the Limerick Generating Station near Pottstown, Pennsylvania. The staff proposes to fine the company $75,000.

This announcement will be mailed to the news media today.

Sincerely, kCarlton r Dir tor Office of Congressional Affairs

Enclosure:

As stated cc: Rep. Carlos Moorhead IDENTICAL LETTER SENT T0:

Sen. Simpson/cc: Sen. Hart Rep. Udall/cc: Rep. Lujan Sen. Heinz Sen. Specter Rep. Schulze Rep. Borski Rep. Kostmayer Rep. Walker Rep. Goodling 8510230069 851004 PDR FOIA <

JACOBS85-478 PDR l @

/*% UNITED STATES f f d,j .'

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION iW /! Office of-Public Affairs

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Washington, D.C. 20666 No. 85-78 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tel. 301/492-7715 (Friday,May 31,1985)

NRC STAFF CITES PHILADELPHIA ELECTRIC COMPANY; PROPOSES $75,000 FINE The staff of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has cited the Philadelphia Electric Company for alleged violations of NRC requirements at the compny's Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station in York County, and at the Limerick Generat -

ing Station near Pottstown, Pennsylvania. The staff proposes to fine the company $75,000. ,

At Peach Bottom, the citations involve incidents, in February of this year, when contractor employees, replacing piping in the plant, were contami-nated with radioactive material and received unplanned occupational radiation exposures. Although the exposures themselves were not in excess of NRC regula-tory limits, a potential for such excessive exposures existed, and there were alleged violations of other NRC regulatory requirements for prevention of the unplanned exposures.

The violations included: alleged failure to have the radiation work permit include specific requirements for radiological exposure control; alleged failure to assure, on February 3 and 10, 1985, that seven workers were aware of radiation conditions in the area where they were to work; alleged failure to have a worker wear the respiratory protection (b:eathing filter mask) required by the radiological conditions existing in the place where he was working; alleged failure to infonn workers who were wearing self-alarming radiation measuring dosimeters of the radiation dose rate levels in a high radiation area in which they were to work; alleged failure to perform an evaluation of radi-ation hazards in a work area prior to performance of the work; alleged failure to properly sample the air being breathed by workers in a potentially contami-nated area; and alleged failure to provide adequate personal radiation monitor-ing devices for measuring radiaticn exposures to the hands and eyes of workers who were working on equipment that was radioactive.

At Limerick, the citations. involve five alleged violations of HRC require-ments for the physical protection of the plant, also found by inspectors during February of this year. The details of the violations are classified as

" Safeguards Information," and as such are exempt from public disclosure, In a letter to the company, Dr. Thomas E. Murley, Regional Administrator of NRC Region I, said that the alleged violations, both at Peach Bottom and at Limerick, involved PECO's failure to exercise proper control of contractor work forces. The members of the guard fo ce at Limerick, the piping repair workers at Peach Bottom, and the workers anc their imediate supervisors who provided l

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on-the-job radiation protection coverage during the pipe repair activities at Peach Bottom, were_ employees of other companies under contract to PECO.

Or. Murley- said that while the alleged violations normally would have merited a $50,000 fine for each site, the Peach Bottom fine was reduced to

$25,000, because of PEC0's extensive corrective actions there, but was left at

$50,000 for Limerick, since the corrective actions taken by PEC0 were not comparably extensive.

The utility has 30 days to respond in writing to the Notices of Violation, either admitting or denying the violations; the reasons for the alleged violations, if admitted; corrective steps taken or to be taken and results achieved; steps to be taken to avoid further violations; and the date when full compliance will be achieved. The company also has 30 days to either pay the proposed fine or to request in writing that part or all of it be withdrawn, _

giving its reasons for any such request.

In another matter in the letter accompanying the proposed fine, Dr. Murley said the NRC also had looked into alleged falsification of guard training records by contractor employees that took place at Limerick in 1984. This was discussed with PECO on March 11, 1985. Dr. Purley gave PEC0 30 days to submit to his office a report of the company's own investigation of the alleged falsi-fication of guard training records; an explanation of whether these incidents occurred without PEC0's knowledge, and if so, how; a determination of the causes of the falsification, including the responsible individuals; and a description of. what PEC0 has done or plans to do to prevent a recurrence of suc.h incidents.

The Comonwealth of Pennsylvania has been informed of this proposed enforcement action.

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