NRC Proposes $45,000 Fine to Terracon Consultants, Inc.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - News Release
No: IV-21-014 October 1, 2021
Contact: Victor Dricks, 817-200-1128
 
NRC Proposes $45,000 Fine to Terracon Consultants, Inc.
 
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is proposing a $45,000 fine to Terracon Consultants Inc. of Olathe, Kansas, for five violations of NRC requirements involving the loss of control of a portable nuclear gauge.
 
The violations involve:
 
  • Failure by Terracon to control and maintain constant surveillance of licensed material.
     
  • Failure to use an approved container for the transport of licensed material.
     
  • Failure to lock or place the gauge inside a container to prevent unauthorized or accidental removal.
     
  • Failure to properly block and brace the canister from movement during transportation.
     
  • Failure to provide required notification to the NRC immediately following discovery of its loss, as described in an April 1 inspection report.
 
NRC staff met virtually with company representatives on May 20, 2021, during a pre- decisional enforcement conference to discuss the violations, which stem from a Nov. 25, 2019, incident in which a worker placed an unsecured portable nuclear gauge in the bed of a truck and drove away from a temporary job site in Killingly, Connecticut, and lost the gauge.
 
The gauge was subsequently recovered, but the technician did not provide complete and accurate information regarding the circumstances of the event during interviews with company officials.
 
The company has 60 days to dispute the fine or request involvement of a neutral third-party mediator to resolve the issues.
 
Submitted by admin on Sun, 10/03/2021 - 23:05