Arthur T. Howell III, Director of the Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, addresses representatives of the Laramie River Station during a predecisional conference the NRC held on July 14 in Wheatland. (Photo/Amber Ningen)

It will likely be four to six weeks before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) makes a final decision regarding what they identified as four "apparent violations" that occurred at the Laramie River Station in Wheatland.

During a predecisional enforcement conference held in Wheatland on July 14, representatives of the Basin Electric Power Cooperative met with NRC staff.

William Jones, Chief Allegation and Enforcement Branch, NRC, stated this conference did not mean NRC has determined any violations have occurred or that enforcement action would be taken.

"At this point we have not reached any decision involving any of the violations," Jones said.

The four apparent violations, which were identified in a NRC inspection report, are as follows:

• The licensee, Basin Electric Power Coooperative, failed to limit the radiation exposure to members of the public to 100 millirem

• The licensee failed to post caution signs in areas where radioactive materials were used

• The licensee failed to close and lock the shutters on the SeCoal gauges during periods in which an individual's body was subject to the direct radiation beam

• The licensee failed to notify the NRC within 24 hours after the discovery of an unplanned fire or explosion that damaged a device containing licensed material

The NRC inspection report further states that regarding the first violation, "seventeen employees were identified that potentially could have received a radiation dose from working around the SeCoal gauges during the month of September 2009". Of these 17 employees, 15 received a radiation dose from working in the vicinity of the direct radiation beam. Of these 15, six employees received greater than 100 millirem. (All of these employees were members of the public, which by regulation are limited to 100 millirem in one year.)

Mark Ruppert, Council for Basin Electric Power Cooperative, told NRC staff during the conference that it appeared the claims were substantiated, adding later that the company has not put their energy into disputing the claims.

Along with the list of apparent violations, the NRC inspection report also lists the following corrective actions completed by the licensee:

• Training was provided to the employees in the Mechanic and Welder, Instrument, Laboratory, and Electrical shops regarding operation of nuclear gauges at the Laramie River Station, with particular emphasis on this event and the SeCoal gauges.

• Prior to the initial onsite NRC inspection on Oct. 6, 2009, all areas where the SeCoal gauges were being used had been posted with the appropriate caution signs. Subsequently, all areas where nuclear gauges are used at Laramie River Station Now have the required postings.

• On Dec. 18, 2009, the licensee revised their nuclear gauge operation procedures specifically to address nuclear gauging devices. This revised procedure requires that the nuclear gauge shutter be closed and locked at the beginning of an extended outage, and that the radiation safety officer will verify this closure and document it as such.

• Upon learning that the March 8, 2007 fire damage to the nuclear gauge was a reportable event, the radiation safety officer reported this event to the NRC operations center on Oct. 6, 2009.

David Cummings, Radiation Safety Officer at the Laramie River Station, who reported on the corrective and ongoing action being done by the Laramie River Station, said since the incidents, complacency is not an issue. He added that there has been a heightened awareness among the employees.

"That's going to be a very good tool for us to prevent something from happening in the future," he said.

During closing remarks of the conference, Arthur T. Howell III, Director of the Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, NRC, stated that it was clear the licensee had "stepped up." He added that although the health consequences were not necessarily significant, it was a significant event.

NRC will do a follow-up inspection at the Laramie River Station in about six months.

The Laramie River Station will be notified by telephone and writing of the NRC's decision.