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United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Office of Public Affairs, Region I

475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19401

Phone: 610/337-5330 Fax: 610/337-5241

Internet: dps@nrc.gov or vld@nrc.gov

I-96-23 April 1, 1996

Contact: Diane Screnci FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Victor Dricks

NRC STAFF SUSPENDS RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS LICENSE

OF EASTERN TESTING AND INSPECTION, INC, OF THOROFARE, NEW JERSEY

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued an order

suspending a license to use radioactive materials held by Eastern

Testing and Inspection, Inc., (ETI) of Thorofare, New Jersey.

The order is effective immediately.

ETI holds two NRC licenses. One authorizes the company to

possess and use iridium-192 and cobalt-60 sealed radiography

sources for use in a radiographic source exposure device. The

license was last renewed on December 16, 1994, and expires on

December 31, 1999. A second license, authorizing the use of

portable gauges, was issued on May 23, 1991, and expires on May

31, 1996.

The order requires that: all NRC-licensed material in the

possession of the company be placed in locked storage, all

activities authorized by the company's NRC license be suspended,

no NRC-licensed material be received while the order is in

effect, and all records related to licensed activities be

maintained in their original form.

An NRC investigation found that ETI deliberately used an

employee, with no prior radiography experience, to perform

radiography one day after he was hired, even though the

individual had not received the required training. Investigators

determined that ETI president, Himat Soni, and company radiation

safety officer Joseph Badiali, deliberately created inaccurate

records certifying that the employee had been adequately trained

and was authorized to perform the duties of a radiographer.

Further, investigators found that on September 29, 1995,

Himat Soni threatened a former employee with physical harm, based

on the belief that the former employee may have cooperated with

an NRC investigation and/or inspection of ETI.

In addition, the investigator found that ETI personnel did

not complete utilization records on 97 occasions between January

1, 1994 and August 31, 1995, in violation of NRC requirements.
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NRC inspections on May 24, July 11 and 13, and August 1, 2

and 23, 1995, found an additional 11 violations of NRC

requirements.

A follow-up NRC inspection on March 14, 1996, concluded that

the licensee deliberately falsified documents of radiographer

examinations and documented other violations.

In the order, James Lieberman, Director, Office of

Enforcement, said, "The actions of the licensee and its senior

officials have raised serious doubt as to whether the licensee

and its employees can be relied upon in the future to comply with

NRC requirements and to maintain complete and accurate records of

licensed activities."

He went on to say he lacked the required reasonable

assurance that the licensee's current operations would be

conducted "in compliance with the Commission's requirements and

that the health and safety of the public, including the

Licensee's employees, will be protected."

The licensee, or any other person adversely affected by the

order, has 20 days to request a hearing.

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