Rockwell Cited for Not Filing Safety Reports

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a violation notice to Rockwell International for failing to submit required reports on the radiation safety program at its Santa Susana Field Laboratory west of Chatsworth.

Rockwell is required to file a quarterly review that evaluates radiation measurements, waste discharges and worker radiation exposures at the site.

According to the violation notice, the company has yet to file these reports for the third and fourth quarters of 1989 and was late in filing reports for the first two quarters of last year.

The NRC characterized this as a level-four violation on a scale of one to five, with one being the most serious. “It’s what we would call more than minor significance,” NRC spokesman Greg Cook said.

“It’s a minor violation,” but “I’m not pleased with the situation,” said Clark Gibbs, director of the Atomics International segment of Rockwell’s Rocketdyne Division.

Nuclear activity has stopped at Santa Susana, except for decontamination and disposal work. Rockwell’s radiation safety staff has dwindled in recent months, but Gibbs said he did not know if this was the reason the quarterly reviews weren’t filed.

The NRC did not fine Rockwell, but the notice, dated June 22, gave the company 30 days to explain in writing the reason for the violation and corrective steps it will take.