Press Release-IV-06-002, NRC Proposes $6,000 Fine for Bayou Inspection Services, Inc

Press Release-IV-06-002: NRC Proposes $6,000 Fine for Bayou Inspection Services, Inc

ML060790369
Person / Time
Issue date:	03/20/2006
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region IV
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-IV-06-002
Download: ML060790369 (2)

Text

NRC NEWS U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Region IV 611 Ryan Plaza Drive - Suite 400 Arlington, TX 76011-4005 No. IV-06-002 March 20, 2006

Contact:

Victor Dricks E-Mail: opa4@nrc.gov Phone: 817-860-8128 NRC PROPOSES $6,000 FINE FOR BAYOU INSPECTION SERVICES, INC.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has proposed a fine of $6,000 against Bayou Inspection Services, Inc., of Amelia, La., for violating NRC requirements.

In a letter to the company, Bruce S. Mallett, Administrator of the NRCs Region IV office in Arlington, Texas, said that as a result of an NRC inspection, the agency determined that the company violated NRC requirements for the possession and use of radioactive materials.

The violations involved the companys failure on two occasions to secure or maintain constant surveillance of radioactive materials used in radiographic exposure devices in unrestricted areas.

Radiography is a non-destructive testing method which uses sealed radiation sources to make x-ray like images of heavy metal objects like pumps, valves and pipes.

NRC regulations require that users of radioactive materials maintain appropriate security of them at all times in order to protect public health and safety, said NRC Region IV Administrator Bruce Mallett.

NRC staff discussed the apparent violations, their significance, the root cause and the companys corrective actions during an enforcement conference with company officials on October 25, 2005. The company has taken steps to prevent recurrence.

The NRC has classified one of the violations at Severity Level III, which carries a $6,000 civil penalty. The agency has a four-level severity scale in which Severity level I is the most serious. The company has 30 days to either pay the fine or challenge it. The company can request alternative dispute resolution in an attempt to resolve the issue.

The NRCs letter, its enclosures, and the companys response will be made available to interested members of 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.