OSU Acknowledges NRC Violations

OHIO STATE ACKNOWLEDGES NRC VIOLATIONS, WILL PAY FINES

     COLUMBUS -- Ohio State University officials today confirmed
that the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission has cited Ohio
State for 32 violations of NRC regulations and fined it $17,750.
The university acknowledged the violations and has agreed to pay
the fines.

     However, officials said that the university will provide the
NRC with additional information concerning the alleged violations
in hopes of mitigating the fines.

     "As we said two weeks ago, the university's own
investigation and monitoring had identified and corrected most of
the past problems the NRC cites," explained Ronald St. Pierre,
associate vice president for health services.  St. Pierre and
other university officials discussed the NRC investigation with
reporters late last month.

     The university's radiation safety program had identified
more than half of the problems cited by the NRC action and had
corrected them by the time this report was submitted.  At no time
during the period covered by the NRC investigations were any
patients, staff, faculty or students injured or harmed because of
the problems cited by the NRC.

     The NRC report points to two primary concerns: the number of
alleged violations it found and what it called "a very
significant breakdown in the management of the radiation safety
program."

     St. Pierre pointed to a shortage in funding and resources as
one factor contributing the problems.

     "The NRC charges us with the responsibility to insure the
public health and safety concerning the use of radioactive
materials.  That is exactly what we have focused on," he said.
"Admittedly, some other items -- many of them administrative --
received less attention than they should."

     The university has already begun taking steps to strengthen
Ohio State's radiation safety program.  They include:

=FE    Consolidating the current Office of Radiation Safety with
the Office of Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety;

=FE    Providing new funding which will allow the hiring of two new
radiation safety staff members to increase monitoring of the
university's program;

=FE    Naming Joseph Allgeier, formerly assistant director of
radiation safety, as the university's radiation safety officer.
The NRC had cited the temporary lack of a person in this position
as an indication of the programs inadequate management.

     The university has 30 days to formally respond to the NRC's
action and 60 days to submit a program for improving the campus
radiation safety program.  St. Pierre said that it is hoped the
university's response will demonstrate to the NRC the
university's commitment to maintain high radiation safety
standards.

     Ohio State has eight separate NRC licenses for research,
education and medical therapy uses.  Radioactive materials are
used in more than 600 laboratories across the campus and more
than 250 individual research supervisors are responsible for the
proper use of these substances and for preventing the public's
exposure to them.

                                #

Contact:  Ronald St. Pierre, (614) 292-4761
          Robert W. Brueggemeier, (614) 292-5231.
           (Brueggemeier is chair of the university's
           Radiation Safety Committee.)


[Submitted by: REIDV  (reidv@ccgate.ucomm.ohio-state.edu)
               
Wed, 15 Jun 1994 10:48:27 -0500 (EST)]
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