NRC Reaches Settlement with Company that Imported and Distributed Radioactive Material Without Licenses

October 24, 2018CONTACT: David McIntyre, 301-415-8200

NRC Reaches Settlement with Company that Imported and
Distributed Radioactive Material Without Licenses

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has reached a settlement with Harman International
Industries Inc., of Northridge, Calif., in which Harman agrees to implement multiple corrective actions
and program enhancements after it imported and distributed products containing radioactive material
without proper licenses.

In June, the NRC cited Harman for three violations of agency regulations for importing,
possessing and distributing lamps containing krypton-85 without the proper licenses to possess and
distribute radioactive materials. Before June 2018, Harman was located in Elkhart, Ind., where the NRC
has licensing authority. As a result of the NRC’s investigation, which began in 2016, the company
halted the import and distribution of lamps and spare bulbs containing krypton-85. On Dec. 15, 2017,
the company was issued a license by California to possess radioactive material and a separate license
by the NRC to distribute lamps containing krypton-85.

The agreement, reached through the NRC’s alternative dispute resolution process, was
announced Oct. 2 in the Federal Register. In it, Harman agrees to appoint a Compliance Officer to
ensure that the company complies with NRC regulations. The Compliance Officer will oversee the
company’s new process to ensure that NRC requirements are met when any new products are imported
and distributed within the U.S. The company will also conduct training in NRC requirements for senior
officials and those involved in the compliance process, conduct program audits, and will inform its
foreign suppliers of NRC requirements for exporting radioactive material to U.S. entities.

Information about the NRC’s alternative dispute resolution process is available on the NRC
website.