Press Release-I-03-031, NRC Withdraws Civil Penalty Against PA.- Based Medical Firm; Terminates Company'S License

Press Release-I-03-031: NRC Withdraws Civil Penalty Against PA.- Based Medical Firm; Terminates Company'S License

ML031000440
Person / Time
Issue date:	04/10/2003
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region I
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-I-03-031
Download: ML031000440 (1)

Text

NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS -- REGION I 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406 No. I-03-031 April 10, 2003 CONTACT: Diane Screnci, (610) 337-5330 E-mail: opa1@nrc.gov Neil A. Sheehan, (610) 337-5331 NRC WITHDRAWS CIVIL PENALTY AGAINST PA.-BASED MEDICAL FIRM; TERMINATES COMPANYS LICENSE The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has withdrawn a civil penalty issued in February to an Allentown-based company. The company, Medical Providers Capital Network, had been cited for three violations of NRC requirements on February 11. At that time, the agency had proposed a $3,000 fine.

Medical Providers Capital Network had an NRC license that allowed it to use certain nuclear materials to perform diagnostic tests, such as heart and organ imaging, at facilities in Allentown and in Lakewood, N.J. Based on its reviews, in February, the NRC staff cited the facility for the following violations: a failure of its Radiation Safety Officer/Authorized User to perform monthly visits to the Lakewood facility to review the use of radioactive materials between March 2000 and December 2001, even though it was known this was required; the creation of false records indicating that the Radiation Safety Officer/authorized user had visited the Lakewood facility on a monthly basis during that period when that had not, in fact, occurred; and the receipt, possession and use of radioactive material without the supervision of a Radiation Safety Officer/Authorized User between January 14 and March 4, 2002.

In its response to the February citation, the company stated it was planning to terminate its license and requested the fine be mitigated. Medical Providers Capital Network subsequently submitted a termination request to NRC. Since the NRC has terminated the companys license, the NRC also has agreed to withdraw the civil penalty.