Nuclear Operator Fined $123,750 in Idaho

The Department of Energy has announced that it has fined Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA) $123,750 for irregularities at the DOE's Idaho Neutron Radiography (NRAD) reactor. BEA is the prime contractor for operating the reactor at Idaho Falls, Idaho, assuming the role in February 2005.

In the statement of finding sent to Battelle's president John J. Grossenbacher by DOE's Director of Enforcement Arnold E. Guevera on December 3^rd, Guevera acknowledged that the "condition existed for several years" but went on to say that Battelle failed to mitigate the problems in the 18 months prior to the incident August 22, 2006 in which an unplanned automatic shutdown of the reactor occurred.

"Reactor personnel (including the reactor supervisor) did not appropriately apply some fundamental aspects of reactor operation," Guevera's letter says. "It is
DOE's determination that deficiencies in your assessment process were present and contributed to your inability to identify NRAD reactor operational deficiencies in a proactive and timely manner."

According to supporting documents, Battelle had an automatic shutdown, or "scram" of the reactor on August 20, 2006. The reactor supervisor ordered a re-start, without first going through mandated start-up safety procedures, with inlet and outlet water samples untested. Later that day, the supervisor reported to the facility manager that there was a problem with the coolant lines for the reactor, but failed to notify the manager that a scram had occurred.

The supervisor also apparently ignored safety protocols established by the DOE, by not first determining the cause of the scram before ordering the restart.

The problem revolves a component known as a flux regulator, which the DOE's Guevera acknowledges "...had been a known problem at the NRAD reactor for several years (dating back to the mid to late 1990s)." Battelle's corrective action for the problem, Guevera's notice said, was for "...NRAD personnel to remedy this problem involved jostling the flux regulator in an attempt to reinitiate the automatic control of the reactor."

The Neutron Radiography Reactor is used to non-destructively examine irradiated materials; the imaging technique utilizes thermal neutrons and is used for quality control purposes in industries which require precision machining.

DOE acknowledged that Battelle made significant efforts to identify and correct problems after a conference conducted between representatives of both organizations in September 2006 following the incident. Potential fines permitted under the Price-Anderson Amendments Act of 1988 were reduced from 25% to 50%. The Price-Anderson Amendments Acts grants regulatory authority to the Energy Department in activities within nuclear facilities, including civil and criminal prosecution.

Battelle has 30 days to contest the findings.