NRC NEWS

 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

 Office of Public Affairs, Region I

 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pa.

www.nrc.gov

 

No. I-06-031 May 4, 2006

Contact: Diane Screnci, 610/337-5330 E-mail: opa1@nrc.gov

Neil Sheehan, 610/337-5331

NRC PROPOSES $16,250 FINE FOR MARCUS HOOK, PA., COMPANY

FOR VIOLATIONS INVOLVING RADIATION EXPOSURES

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has proposed a $16,250 civil penalty for a Marcus

Hook (Delaware County), Pa., company for several violations of agency requirements. The most

significant violation by Epsilon Products Co. involved exposures exceeding regulatory limits to five

employees and contractors of the firm who are not radiation workers and are therefore considered

members of the public. 

Last Aug. 27th, Epsilon notified the NRC that a gauge containing radioactive material (cesium137) had malfunctioned at its Marcus Hook site, with its radioactive source failing to retract to the

shielded position. The gauge was located outside of a chemical process tank in order to monitor the

buildup of polymerized material within the vessel. Initially, the unshielded source was not detected

due to an inadequate radiological survey conducted by a company technician.

Subsequent radiological surveys and interviews determined that five workers who cleaned the

interior of the tank between Aug. 23 and 27 received a radiation dose in excess of the regulatory limit

of 100 millirems because the source was unshielded at the time. The doses ranged from 103 to 197

millirems. The highest estimated dose is approximately 4 percent of the annual allowable level for

radiation workers. It is not expected that these exposures will result in adverse health effects for the

exposed individuals.

A millirem is a measure of exposure to radiation. The average American is exposed to about

360 millirems of radiation exposure each year from natural and manmade sources. 

In response to the event, the NRC performed a Special Inspection at the facility between last

Aug. 30 and Dec. 16, 2005, with the inspectors identifying six apparent violations. Besides the

violation for radiation exposures experienced by the employees and contractors, the other violations

include: 1) failure to maintain dose rates in unrestricted areas below 2 millirems in any 1 hour; 2)

failure to perform appropriate radiological surveys in unrestricted and uncontrolled areas;

3) failure to provide appropriate training to an authorized user of radioactive materials; 4) failure to

conduct adequate physical inspections of the fixed gauge at the required 6-month interval; and 5)
failure to develop and implement operating and emergency operating procedures that included

instructions for testing each gauge for proper operation.

“While none of the employees received a radiation exposure that is considered harmful, the

NRC considers the failure to control radiation doses within regulatory limits to any individuals who are

considered members of the public a serious matter,” Region I Administrator Samuel J. Collins wrote in

a letter to Epsilon regarding the enforcement action.

The company has taken steps to prevent a recurrence that include removing the gauge involved

from service; conducting a review of its entire radiation safety program and recommending the revision

and/or development of radiation safety procedures; and taking steps to ensure that only appropriately

trained staff members are permitted to use gauges containing radioactive material.

Epsilon is required to provide the NRC with a written reply to the violations within 30 days.

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