Press Release-I-96-056, NRC Staff Proposes $2500 Civil Penalty Against National Institutes of Health, Press Release-I-96-056, NRC Staff Proposes $2500 Civil Penalty Against National Institutes of Health

Press Release-I-96-056, NRC Staff Proposes $2500 Civil Penalty Against National Institutes of Health

ML003706349
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Issue date:	08/23/1996
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region I
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Category:Press Release
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Press Release-I-96-056
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UnitedStatesNuclearRegulatoryCommissionOfficeofPublicAffairs,RegionI475AllendaleRoadKingofPrussia,PA19401Phone:610/337-5330Fax:610/337-5241Internet:dps@nrc.govorvld@nrc.govI-96-56August23,1996Contact:DianeScrenciFORIMMEDIATERELEASEVictorDricksNRCSTAFFPROPOSES$2500CIVILPENALTYAGAINSTNATIONALINSTITUTESOFHEALTHTheNuclearRegulatoryCommissionstaffhasproposeda$2500fineagainsttheNationalInstitutesofHealth(NIH)forfailing tosecurefromunauthorizedaccesslicensedradioactivematerials usedinresearchattheNIHcampusinBethesda,Maryland.NRCfoundduringinspectionsbeginningonJuly6andOctober23oflastyearthatsmallquantitiesofradioactivematerials werekeptinsideunlockedrefrigeratorswithinunlocked laboratories,withnoonepresenttocontrolaccesstothe

materials.TheviolationsfoundinJuly1995wereidentifiedbyanNRCaugmentedinspectionteam,whilethoseidentifiedinOctober1995 werefoundbyanotherNRCspecialteaminspection.Theaugmented inspectionteamwassenttoNIHastheresultoftheingestionof radioactivephosphorus-32byapregnantresearcherand26 additionalNIHstaffmembers.Investigationsoftheingestionof radioactivematerialhavenotyetbeencompleted,andNRChasnot yetreachedadecisiononenforcementactionfortheseevents.InnotifyingNIHoftheproposedfine,NRCRegionalAdministratorHubertJ.Millersaid,"Itisasignificant regulatoryconcernthatNRCinspectorsrepeatedlyhavebeenable togainaccesstolicensedmaterialsatyourfacilitywithout challenge,becauseitindicatesthatmembersofthepublicmaydo soaswell."TheNRCisparticularlyconcernedwiththenumberofexamplesofthisviolationandthefactthatpreviousviolationsof securityrequirementswereidentifiedduringNRCinspectionsin AprilthroughMay1994,andinJune1995,Mr.Millersaid.NRCacknowledgedthatNIHhasrecentlytakencorrectiveactions,includingimmediateconfiscationofunsecuredradioactive materials,amendmentofitssecuritypolicyandinitiationofa securitymonitoringprogram.However,thesecorrectiveactions werenotappropriatelycomprehensivetopreventrecurrenceofthe securityviolations,NRCsaid.AnadditionalNRCinspectionon November7through9,1995,identifiedthreemoreinstancesinwhichunattendedlicensedradioactivematerialswerenotlocked

up.TheNRCalsocitedNIHforseveralotherviolations,forwhichfineswerenotproposed.Theadditionalviolationsinclude:--Workersnotwearingextremityradiationmonitoringbadges,andnotreturningthefilmbadgesandring badgeseachmonth,asrequired;--Usersobtainingradioactivematerialswithoutprovidingrequiredinformationregardingtheidentityofthe intendedusersorthesignatureofanauthorized

investigator;--Researchersperforminglicensedactivitieswithoutfirstreceivingrequiredtraining;and--FailingtoperformthyroidbioassaymeasurementsofresearcherswhohandledcertainquantitiesofIodine-

125.NIHhas30dayseithertopaythefineorprotestits imposition.