An Erwin, Tennessee, company that produces fuel for nuclear reactors is facing a $140,000 fine for allegedly committing five violations of federal regulations.
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Download NowAccording to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the proposed fine stems from an October 2009 incident that resulted in an unexpected increase in the rate of a chemical reaction and an evacuation of employees from the affected area because of the failure of multiple barriers.
“These failures were primarily attributable to a lack of management oversight … a lack of a questioning attitude, perceived production pressure, and poor communication,” said NRC Regional Administrator Luis Reyes.
NRC says it proposed the large civil penalty based on recent enforcement history at the facility as well as the company’s poor performance. In 2006, a spill of liquid containing highly enriched uranium occurred at the facility. According to NRC, the company lost control of a transfer of the liquid and did not know where the liquid was going. The event resulted in a 7-month shutdown of the facility.
NRC says that the currently alleged violations “clearly demonstrate continuing poor performance” in management oversight, the process for making changes to systems, and the facility’s safety culture.
NRC officials were also concerned that the company had decided to restart the affected process lines without fully understanding the cause of the October event and correcting the underlying problems. That concern led to the company voluntarily halting production of all process lines in December.