NRC NEWS

 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

 801 Warrenville Road

 Lisle IL 60532

 Web Site: http://www.nrc.gov E-mail: opa3@nrc.gov

No. III-05-044 November 28, 2005

CONTACT: Jan Strasma (630) 829-9663 

Viktoria Mitlyng (630) 829-9662 

NRC PROPOSES $60,000 FINE AGAINST D.C. COOK FOR FAILURE TO PROVIDE

COMPLETE AND ACCURATE INFORMATION

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has proposed a $60,000 fine against Indiana

Michigan Power Company for failing to provide complete and accurate information and meet reporting

requirements for NRC-licensed operators at Donald C. Cook Nuclear Power Plant. The plant is located

near Bridgman, Mich.

The violations were identified during an NRC inspection (NRC Inspection Report No.

05000315/2005006) conducted at D.C. Cook in spring and summer 2005 to review the plant’s reactor

operator licensing program. The inspection also reviewed corrective actions undertaken to address a

previous violation (EA-04-109 issued Sept. 29, 2004) in the same area. NRC inspectors identified three

violations: (1) the utility had provided the NRC with incomplete and inaccurate information. The

utility stated that a complete review of all operator medical records had been conducted and that no

records that would require restrictions to operator licenses for medical reasons had been found.

However, NRC inspectors identified three licensed operators who had medical conditions that would

require their licenses to be restricted; (2) the utility had failed to notify the NRC about licensed

operators experiencing a permanent illness within 30 days. Two NRC-licensed operators at the plant

were diagnosed with potentially disqualifying medical conditions in 1998 and 2003. However, the

NRC was not notified of these facts until 2005; (3) the utility also failed to provide the NRC with

complete and accurate information on NRC reactor license applications. Applications submitted to the

NRC for new, renewed and amended NRC licenses did not describe the individuals’ recently

diagnosed medical conditions that would affect the conditions of these licenses.

“Reactor operators licensed by the NRC are entrusted with safe operation of nuclear reactors

and must be capable of performing their assigned duties. For that reason, their physical condition and

general health are significant concerns of the NRC and are closely monitored,” said NRC Regional

Administrator James Caldwell. “Providing the NRC with accurate and timely information on changes

in reactor operators’ health that may affect their ability to perform their duties is key to the agency’s

ability to fulfill its mission of protecting public health and safety.”

Indiana Michigan Power Company has taken such corrective actions as developing guidance

for the submission of reactor operator application forms; revising administrative procedures to discuss

regulatory requirements with the medical review officer prior to performing the annual medical records

review; training operators on the requirements to report a change in medical condition.
The notice to the utility on the enforcement action will be available online at 

http://www.nrc.gov/what-we-do/regulatory/enforcement/current.html and from the NRC Region III

Office of Public Affairs. D.C. Cook inspections reports are available through the NRC’s online

document collection, known as ADAMS, at http://www.nrc.gov.gov/reading-rm/adams.html by

entering docket number 50-315 and 50-316. 

The utility has until December 18 to pay the fine or to protest it. If the fine is protested and

subsequently imposed by the NRC staff, the utility may request a hearing.

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