PENALTY PROPOSED AT NUCLEAR PLANT

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, April 8, 1993                   TAG: 9304080237
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: GEORGE KEGLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short
PENALTY PROPOSED AT NUCLEAR PLANT
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Wednesday proposed a $37,500 penalty against Babcock & Wilcox Co. for multiple examples of failure to use adequate safety controls at the company's Naval Nuclear Fuel Division plant at Lynchburg.
The company was given 30 days to pay the fine or to protest the charge. That decision has not been made, according to Ronald Hite, the company's public relations manager.
The alleged violations include failure to conduct required audits or correct audit findings and failure to properly establish safety limits and controls for activities involving special nuclear material, according to Stewart D. Ebneter, administrator of the agency's regional office in Atlanta.
The NRC said the violations were found in its inspections in December, January and February.
A company statement said the NRC has been placing greater emphasis on safety programs at nuclear facilities which process special material.
B&W "was aware of these concerns and has been in the process of responding to and correcting them," Hite's statement said.
The agency determined that B&W was not inspecting and maintaining a set of rings. The rings are are required to assure that an accidental uncontrolled release of radiation would not occur in the processing of uranium solutions in tanks.
The company replaced $150,000 worth of the rings.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB