An agency of the U.S. Department of Energy that oversees compliance with nuclear-safety rules has notified the University of California of multiple violations that occurred at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in 2005. In a preliminary notice of violation, the agency identified 15 separate violations of nuclear-safety rules, including incidents that resulted in workers’ being contaminated with radioactive materials. While the radiation doses were below federal limits, the effects could have been significantly greater, the agency said in a news release.
The university will not face financial penalties because it was statutorily exempt at the time of the violations, the agency said. It added, however, that if the exemption had not been in place, the department would have levied a fine of $1.1-million, the single largest civil penalty in the history of the enforcement program.
When the violations occurred, the University of California was the sole contractor responsible for managing and operating the federal nuclear-weapons lab. The university continues to operate the lab, but after a series of management and security lapses, it was required to compete to retain the contract. Under a new contract, the university divides management responsibilities with three industrial partners.
