The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Wednesday it has proposed a $7,000 fine against a Puerto Rico diagnostic medical treatments provider for several errors, including failing to decommission its former facility in a timely fashion.
San Juan-based Somascan Inc. employed radiopharmaceuticals and scanning systems that contained sealed nuclear sources for its work, according to an NRC press release. The company apparently closed in 2012 and its NRC license expired on April 30, 2013.
Agency inspectors found the following violations in on-site checks of the Somascan facility: “failure to secure from unauthorized removal or access NRC-licensed nuclear materials stored in uncontrolled areas”; neglecting to inform the NRC in writing within 60 days of the company’s license expiring, and to then start decommissioning or provide a decommissioning plan within a year of notification; and failure to finish decommissioning within two years of the license’s expiration.
That would represent a Severity Level III license violation, the regulator determined. The company has 30 days to appeal the NRC’s finding or to seek mediation, according to agency spokeswoman Diane Screnci. The agency will also forgo the fine if Somascan within 30 days provides proof of disposal of its sealed sources and within 60 days submits a written description of its decommissioning plan and schedule.
