NRC to Hold a Regulatory Conference with International Isotopes on Jan. 30 to Discuss Two Proposed Violations

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - News Release

No: IV-24-004 January 22, 2024

CONTACT: Victor Dricks, 817-200-1128

NRC to Hold a Regulatory Conference with International Isotopes on Jan. 30 to Discuss Two Proposed Violations

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a regulatory conference on Jan. 30 with officials from International Isotopes of Idaho Falls, Idaho, to discuss the safety significance of two proposed violations.

The proposed violations, identified in a December 2023 inspection report, involve importing, receiving and transferring radioactive material without appropriate authorization in NRC licenses. The company uses radioactive materials in the manufacture of devices for medical and industrial applications.

The meeting will be held at the NRC’s Region IV office at 1600 East Lamar Blvd., Arlington, Texas, beginning at 8 a.m. Central time. The meeting notice has information detailing how the public can participate in the meeting by phone or online.

Members of the public will have an opportunity to ask questions of the NRC staff or make comments about the issues discussed following the business portion of the meeting; however, the NRC staff is not soliciting comments pertaining to regulatory decisions.

During the enforcement conference, company representatives will have the opportunity to provide their perspective or additional information, including any actions planned or completed to prevent recurrence of the issues, before the agency makes its final enforcement decision.

No decisions on the final safety significance or any potential NRC actions regarding the proposed violations will be made at the meeting.

24-004-iv.pdf

"The Uranium Widows"

When evaluating nuclear energy, the industry generally ignores the human or monetary costs.  The front end of the nuclear cycle is the mining and milling of uranium.  This dirty operation spreads radioactive contamination which has resulted in entire towns being bulldozed into oblivion.  Miners have contracted a host of serious medical problems and many have died of cancer.  Read The Uranium Widows which tells the story.  https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/09/13/the-uranium-widows

Peach Bottom and Three Mile Island-2 Cleanup Trusts Are Underfunded

Decommissioing Report, 2023.pdf

DTF Funds' Status Reports.pdf

NRC Proposes $9,000 Civil Penalty Against Geotechnical and Materials Engineers

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - News Release

No: III-24-002 January 19, 2024

Contact: Prema Chandrathil, 630-829-9663

NRC Proposes $9,000 Civil Penalty Against Geotechnical and Materials Engineers

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has proposed a $9,000 fine to Geotechnical and Materials Engineers, Inc. for a violation of NRC requirements associated with the control of NRC-regulated material.

The violation involved the failure to control and maintain constant surveillance of a portable moisture density gauge containing radioactive material or to use two independent physical controls to secure the gauge. The gauge is used for measuring the moisture content and density of soil and aggregate.

The NRC was notified by the company that a gauge was struck and damaged by a bulldozer at a temporary job site in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on March 22, 2023. The technician then walked away from the gauge, failing to secure it from being removed from the site by an unauthorized user.

Following an inspection at the company’s office in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the NRC documented the proposed violations in a November inspection report.

Geotechnical and Materials Engineers responded to the violations, documenting actions it has taken to prevent recurrence of the violation.

The company has 30 days to pay the proposed penalty, contest the penalty in writing, or request alternative dispute resolution with the NRC to resolve this issue.

24-002-iii.pdf

Regarding Zion, La Crosse, Kewaunee, TMI-2 Reactors and ISFISI ownership control

January 26, 2023

Russell G. Workman
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
EnergySolutions, LLC
299 S. Main Street Ste 1700
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
SUBJECT: ENERGYSOLUTIONS, LLC – REQUEST FOR THRESHOLD DETERMINATION

Dear Mr. Workman:
By letter dated November 23, 2022, as supplemented by letter dated January 13, 2023,
EnergySolutions, LLC (EnergySolutions) requested that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) make a threshold determination that a corporate transaction involving
companies upstream of the indirect majority owner of EnergySolutions would not result in a
transfer of control of Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-39 and DPR-48 for Zion Nuclear
Power Station (Zion), Units 1 and 2, respectively, and the general license for the Zion
independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI), Possession Only License No. DPR-73 for
Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 2 (TMI-2), Possession Only License No. DPR-45 for La
Crosse Boiling Water Reactor (La Crosse), and the general license for the La Crosse ISFSI, and
Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-43 for Kewaunee Power Station (Kewaunee), and the general license for the Kewaunee ISFSI; Radioactive Materials License No. 39-35044-01; and Export Licenses XW010/04 and XW018/01 that would require prior NRC approval under the
applicable NRC regulations.

The NRC staff has completed its review and concludes that the corporate transaction, as
presented in the request, will not constitute a direct or indirect transfer of control under the
applicable NRC regulations of the NRC licenses held by EnergySolutions and its wholly-owned
subsidiaries and will not result in foreign ownership, control, or domination issues. Therefore,
EnergySolutions does not require prior NRC approval for the corporate transaction. The
enclosed safety evaluation documents the NRC staff’s review and conclusion.

Zip of 5 documents

ML22334A201

https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML22334A201 

39-35044-01 633678 EnergySolutions, LLC (Change of Control)

Peach Bottom Granted Exemption from Security Requirements

Peach Bottom SecurityE xemption.1-2024.pdf

NRC to Hold Pre-Decisional Enforcement Conference with an Indianapolis-based Healthcare Company

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - News Release

No: III-24-001 January 16, 2024

Contact: Viktoria Mitlyng, 630-829-9662 Prema Chandrathil, 630-829-9663

NRC to Hold Pre-Decisional Enforcement Conference with an Indianapolis-based Healthcare Company

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a pre-decisional enforcement conference Jan. 18 with representatives of Community Health Network, a multi-site healthcare services provider, to discuss proposed violations associated with radiological controls required during hospital operations at its facilities in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The meeting will take place from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Central time at the NRC’s Region III office at 2443 Warrenville Road, Suite 210, in Lisle, Illinois. It will be open to the public except for discussion on security-related information. The meeting notice has information on how the public can participate in the open portion by calling into a toll-free teleconference line or joining online.

The NRC identified three proposed violations of NRC requirements during a routine inspection. One involved the licensee’s failure to prepare a written directive before the administration of a medical isotope. The second involved the hospital’s apparent failure to monitor the occupational exposure from radiation sources to its workers and failure to require the use of individual monitoring devices. Details of the third proposed violation, which is security related, will not be made publicly available.

During the enforcement conference, hospital representatives will have the opportunity to provide their perspective or additional information regarding the issues before the agency makes its final enforcement decision. The hospital representatives also can discuss corrective actions it has taken or planned to address the issues and prevent recurrence.

No decisions will be made during the meeting. The NRC will review the information and make a final determination approximately 60 days after the conference. The decision will be publicly available.

24-001-iii.pdf