Dresden Nuclear Power Station, Unit 2 issued the following announcement on Dec. 31.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has proposed a civil penalty of $14,500 against Western
Nuclear, Inc., of Golden, Colo., for providing incomplete and inaccurate information regarding
groundwater flow at the company’s Split Rock uranium mill tailings site near Jeffrey City, Wyo.
An NRC investigation determined that in May 2015, Western Nuclear submitted information in
a technical report to the Commission on groundwater flow at the Split Rock site that was not complete
and accurate in all material aspects.
After a pre-decisional enforcement conference, the NRC determined that the violation,
determined to be “non-willful,” merited escalated enforcement as a Severity Level III violation under
the agency’s enforcement policy.
The NRC’s regulatory program requires timely reports and materially accurate and complete
information from applicants and licensees. Western Nuclear’s submission of inaccurate and incomplete
information inhibited the NRC’s effective regulatory oversight of a site possessing a significant amount
of radioactive material. This violation negatively impacted the NRC’s ability to ensure adequate
protection of public health and safety.
A Notice of Violation and Proposed Imposition of Civil Penalty was issued Dec. 19 by the
NRC’s Office of Enforcement. Western Nuclear has 30 days to pay the civil penalty or contest the
notice of violation. If the company does not respond, the agency will issue an order imposing the civil
penalty.
Wyoming became an NRC Agreement State in October 2018, and Western Nuclear’s license is
now administered by the state.
Original source can be found here.
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