Press Release-IV-07-005, - NRC Proposes $13,000 Fine for Accurate NDE and Inspection, LLC

Press Release-IV-07-005 - NRC Proposes $13,000 Fine for Accurate NDE and Inspection, LLC

ML070800316
Person / Time
Issue date:	03/21/2007
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region IV
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-IV-07-005
Download: ML070800316 (2)

Text

NRC NEWS U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Region IV 611 Ryan Plaza Drive - Suite 400 Arlington, TX 76011-4005No. IV-07-005March 21, 2007Contact: Victor Dricks E-Mail: opa4@nrc.gov Phone: 817-860-8128NRC PROPOSES $13,000 FINE FOR ACCURATE NDE & INSPECTION, LLCThe U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has proposed a fine of $13,000 againstAccurate NDE & Inspection, LLC, of Broussard, La., for violating NRC requirements.In a March 20 letter to the company, Bruce S. Mallett, Administrator of the NRC'sRegion IV office in Arlington, Texas, said that as a result of an NRC inspection, the agencydetermined that the company violated N RC requirements for the possession and use ofradioactive materials.

The violations occurred between Dec.

18 - 20, 2005, when a worker failed to wearrequired radiation monitoring equipment while using a device containing radioactive Iridium-192and failed to maintain pr oper controls over the device after use on an offshore oil platform. Thecompany also failed to provide complete and accurate information to the NRC regarding the event.NRC discussed the violations, their significance, the root cause and the company'scorrective actions during an enforcement conference with the company on Feb. 14. In setting the proposed fine, the normal base civil penalty of $6,500 was doubled because the violations werewillful, the company did not identify them, and initial efforts at corrective action were not sufficient to prevent recurrence. "These three violations are also signifi cant because willfulness was associated with each of them," Mallett said. "Willful violations are of concern to us because the NRC must rely onlicensees and its employees to comply with NRC requirements even when the NRC is notpresent."

The company has 30 days to either pay the proposed fine or challenge it and 10 days in which to request alternative di spute resolution. The NRC's le tter, its enclosures and thecompany's response will be made available to the public through the agency's public electronicreading 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.

1. 1. 1. NRC news releases are available through a free list serve subscription at the following Web address: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html . The NRC homepage at www.nrc.gov also offers a SUBSCRIBElink. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web site.