The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a Confirmatory Order to the mixed oxide facility under construction at the Department of Energy’s Savannah River site near Aiken, S.C. as part of a settlement agreement in a case involving a contract senior engineer allowing a junior engineer to sign his signature to documents in violation of facility construction procedures and NRC requirements.
The order requires Shaw AREVA MOX Services, the company building the facility, to adhere to changes in its NRC construction authorization based on an agreement reached during alternative dispute resolution sessions with the agency in October.
As part of the settlement agreement, Shaw AREVA agreed to a number of corrective actions and enhancements, including reviews of similar documents, revised procedures, increased training, and periodic quality assurance assessments and safety conscious work environment surveys. Some of the actions agreed to by Shaw AREVA have been completed and others must be completed by the end of next year.
In consideration of the commitments made by Shaw AREVA, the NRC will not propose a civil penalty, issue a Notice of Violation or take other enforcement action on the matter. The NRC will, however, evaluate adherence to the commitments during future inspections.
