Press Release-III-10-001, NRC Proposed $3,500 Fine Against Michigan-Based Engineering Services Inc
| ML100200733 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 01/20/2010 |
| From: | Office of Public Affairs Region II |
| To: | |
| Category:Press Release | |
| References | |
| Press Release-III-10-001 | |
| Download: ML100200733 (2) | |
Text
No. III-10-001 Contacts:
Viktoria Mitlyng 630-829-9662 Prema Chandrathil 630-829-9663 January 20, 2010 E-Mail: opa3@nrc.gov Web site: www.nrc.gov NRC PROPOSED $3,500 FINE AGAINST MICHIGAN-BASED ENGINEERING SERVICES INC.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has proposed a $3,500 fine against Engineering Services Inc., located in Livonia, Mich., for repeated failure to properly secure a moisture density gauge containing shielded radioactive sources.
Portable moisture density gauges are used to measure moisture and density of various materials, such as asphalt, at construction sites.
NRC conducted an inspection in October 2009 to evaluate the status of improvements the company had committed to make in response to the April 2009 violation associated with the failure to provide two physical barriers to secure a portable nuclear gauge. The company was using only one security barrier. The companys corrective actions consisted of making sure the gauge was properly secured.
No fines were levied on the company for the initial violation in April 2009 due to the companys good performance in the previous year and actions taken to correct the problem.
After the follow-up inspection, the NRC staff determined that the company again failed to provide two physical barriers to prevent unauthorized access to the gauge. The NRC proposed a civil penalty of $3,500 because it was a repeat violation of NRC requirements.
Even though the portable gauge was not actually compromised, failing to address security requirements not once but twice is troubling, said Mark Satorius, NRC Regional Administrator.
We expect NRC license holders to adhere to NRC regulations and be vigilant about the security of nuclear materials. There is no room for errors.
Corrective actions were taken by Engineering Services to prevent recurrence. They included making sure the gauge was properly secured and conducting weekly checks of required physical security measures.
NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Region III 2443 Warrenville Road Lisle IL 60532
The company has 30 days to either pay the proposed fine or challenge it.
The NRCs letter, its enclosures, and the companys response are available to the public through the agencys public electronic reading room at: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.
Help in accessing these documents is available from the NRC Public Document Room at 1-800-397-4209.
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