- To: Multiple recipients of list <pr-opa>
- Subject: PR-98-44 Confirmatory Action Letter To Industrial Nuclear Co.
- From: Public Affairs <OPALIST@nrc.gov>
- Date: 31 Mar 98 12:25:00
- Reply-to: UNIX2.DECO.COM:pr-opa@nrc.gov
- Sender: pr-opa@nrc.gov
------------------- 98-44.TXT follows -------------------
United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20555
Phone 301-415-8200 Fax 301-415-2234
Internet:opa@nrc.gov
No. 98-44 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Tuesday, March 31, 1998)
NRC ISSUES LETTER TO INC CONFIRMING SUSPENSION OF FABRICATION
OF PACKAGES FOR TRANSPORTATION OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a Confirmatory Action
Letter to
Industrial Nuclear Company, Inc. (INC), of San Leandro, California. The
letter confirms
that INC, holder of three NRC certificates of compliance for packages used
to transport
radioactive materials, has suspended fabrication of the packages and will
take certain
other actions.
During a February 23 to 25 inspection, the NRC identified several
significant
concerns related to implementation of INC's quality assurance program, in
the areas of
design, testing and fabrication of the packages. Specifically, changes were
made to the
design of one model without seeking an amendment to the NRC certificate of
compliance; original drawings of several package designs could not be found;
the
responsibility for conducting the quality assurance program was
indeterminate;
fabrication activities were conducted without controlled procedures; and
test records
were inadequate.
Also, during the inspection, INC acknowledged that it had not properly
performed
required puncture tests using a steel bar mounted on an essentially
unyielding surface.
Those test records that were available did not provide sufficient evidence
to determine
whether the tests were performed properly.
The NRC letter to INC confirms that the company's March 25 suspension of
fabrication of NRC-certified transportation packages will continue in effect
until the
company receives written authorization from the NRC to resume fabrication.
In addition, the letter confirms that INC will:
(1) Justify by April 6 why there are no immediate health and safety
concerns
regarding continued use of the NRC-certified packages;
(2) Distribute a notice by May 1 to all users of INC packages
notifying them of
the questions raised by NRC, plans to retest packages, and any
administrative controls
that the users should take in the interim;
(3) Complete an independent evaluation of the status of INC's quality
assurance
program by June 1;
(4) Prepare detailed test plans and procedures for the packages that
will be
retested and obtain agreement from the NRC.
(5) Retest packages within six months after NRC approval of the test
plan.
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