ML20151P312
| ML20151P312 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 07/01/1988 |
| From: | Zech L NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | Hatch O SENATE, LABOR & HUMAN RESOURCES |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20151P314 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8808090314 | |
| Download: ML20151P312 (2) | |
Text
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t UNITED STATES (og
! , o NUCLE AR REGULATORY COM dlSSION W ASMNGT ON, D. C. 20555
{ ,1 July 1, 1988
%, . . . . . p' J([9Z CHAIRMAN f
The Honorable Orrin G. Hatch Committee on Labor and Human Resources United States Senate Washing ton, D. C. 20510-6300
Dear Senator Hatch:
I am responding to your letter of May 19, 1988, concerning the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) plans for obtaining specimen collection services to support our agency's Drug Testing Program.
Since our ability to implement a drug testing program is still pending the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) certification, our plans for obtaining specimen collection services have evolved with the passage of time. Accordingly, I would like to explain the rationale for our program and NRC's current plans for obtaining these services.
The Commirsion agrees with your position that commercial testing services 'ar the long term should be open to competition among the qualified laboratories, including those now awaiting certifi-cation by the HHS. We believe, however, tha'r our respcnsibility to protect the public health and safety requires that our employees are tested at the earliest practicable date to assure the appropriateness of their unescorted access to vital areas of nuclear power plants, their ability to respond promptly to any emergency situation, and the integrity of Sensitive Compartmented or Foreign Intelligence information handled by this agency.
Because of the high priority the Commission has assigned to the NRC Drug Testing Program, we plan to implement actual drug testing as soon as it is legally permissible to do so.
Early in the formulation of our pregram, NRC planned to contract for all of its specimen collection services with Department of Defense (D0D)-approved testing laboratories. The NRC staff issued a solicitation for testing and evaluated proposals received from D0D-approved laboratories as well as other laboratories whose certification by HHS was pending. However, no contracts were awarded. Instead, the NRC has decided to obtain urine specimen testing services from the Department of the Navy under an inter-agency agreement with HHS. These testing services will be provided, on an interim basis, until other commercial laboratories are certified by HHS. For the long term, the NRC does intend to use the competitive process to select among qualified laboratories.
GP08090314 Pod seo7ot COMMS NRCC CORRESPONDENCE PDC
l 2-l It should be noted, however, that the NRC has included in its program a provision requiring that a portion of any specimen testing positive at the Navy laboratory must be sent to a second laboratory for confirmation. Although we anticipate that very few second tests will be required, it will be necessary to award a small contract to a 000-approved laboratory or to a laboratory that may be certified by HHS at the time, depending on the date of actual implementation of our program.
Through these planned measures, the Commission is attempting to balance the long-term competitiveness and quality of contractual arrangements for specimen collection services with our short term need to commence a drug testing program. We hope this information will resolve your concerns. Please contact me if we atay be of further assistance.
Sincerely, i
1 N. '
Lando W. Ze h Jr.
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